swimming lessons

[Richard1978]

Re: swimming lessons

I only had lessons at primary school, & also remember bitten floats.

[Trickyvee]

Re: swimming lessons

Weirdly I used to lie in the foot baths too. The water was warmer. Maybe it was less daunting than the pool and more like a fun paddle? I've got 2 memories of Tynemouth pool. One is lifting myself out on the side with both arms. My hand slipped and I smashed my front teeth on the edge. It was horrific and I remember my teachers and school friends faces when it happened. The other is smoking in the spectators bit! Can you imagine? Sitting in a room full of kids swimming, chlorine everywhere and sitting smoking tabs! Can't understand how it was ever allowed. I used to pay 20 p or something and me and my friend could sit there for hours warm and dry in the winter. No one ever moved us on.

there must have been something about those foot baths! I remember the spectator section too but I never went up there. I don't even know if people are still allowed to go and watch these days but there were always a few people there then. I also remember the coloured key bands and the real screamy siren that went off when your colour was up.

[zabadak]

Re: swimming lessons

I still have my swimming certificate!

[darren]

Re: swimming lessons

Foot baths cant say i remember them my local pool just had the big pool with the deep end and the smaller one where i tried to learn to swim.

Did not like standing on the tiles when i took a shower could easily slip and fall.

[staffslad]

Re: swimming lessons

We were taken for swimming lessons in the last year of junior school--1972 in my case--but only for a single term. There were no baths anywhere near our school so we had to use the public one about 30 minutes away. We had our lessons on friday afternoons. A coach would pick us up straight after lunch, take us to the baths for the lesson, then back to school, just in time to go home.

At that time there were various colours of swimming badge for progressively more advanced swimming accomplishments. Lowest was the red badge and for that you had to swim a width and pick up an object off the bottom of the pool. You got a metal badge plus a red piece of material your mom had to sew onto your swimming trunks or costume. I think there were also green, yellow and other badge colours, but few got those at our school as we only got one term and the baths was too far away for most to practice independently.

[Mulletino]

Re: swimming lessons

Yeah the foot bath was a section of shallow water (about ankle height) that you had to walk through to get from the changing room to the pool and vice versa.
I've not set in a public swimming pool since school so have no idea if they still have them.

[darren]

Re: swimming lessons

seems sad it was only for one term.
Thats no time at all to earn other badges.

Just a pity your school didnt have a pool.

The one i went to my pool was in my own town.

Pretty sure went for at least 2 yrs and on a friday morning.

How long did your lesson last must have been at least an hour, and looking back im sure some of your class at the time where disappointed they didnt get longer to earn other badges.

Wonder was the coach paid by your school for the lessons.

IN SOME WAYS SWIMMING SHOULD BE A SUBJECT LIKE ANY OTHER AS ITS A GREAT THING TO LEARN WHICH I NEVER DID LEARN.

we were taken for swimming lessons in the last year of junior school--1972 in my case--but only for a single term. There were no baths anywhere near our school so we had to use the public one about 30 minutes away. We had our lessons on friday afternoons. A coach would pick us up straight after lunch, take us to the baths for the lesson, then back to school, just in time to go home.

At that time there were various colours of swimming badge for progressively more advanced swimming accomplishments. Lowest was the red badge and for that you had to swim a width and pick up an object off the bottom of the pool. You got a metal badge plus a red piece of material your mom had to sew onto your swimming trunks or costume. I think there were also green, yellow and other badge colours, but few got those at our school as we only got one term and the baths was too far away for most to practice independently.

[Nik_Barbour]

Re: swimming lessons

We had swimming lessons at primary school, I went 1979-86 but can't remember for how long or when, but I'd guess about 2yrs once a week.

We had the footbaths too, and a coach trip to take us.

But the strongest memory, was watching our so called instructor point a starting pistol inches away from, and straight at one lads face, whom he'd dragged out of the pool to humiliate stood pool side because the lad couldn't get the hang of swimming and still required arm bands.
We had no idea what a starting pistol was back then. All of us watching and the poor lad in question were convinced that it was a live gun pointed in his face.
Jeez - can you imagine doing that nowadays. You'd be sacked, black listed, and probably jailed just for shouting at a kid nowadays.

[staffslad]

Re: swimming lessons

Hi Darren...I think our lesson would have been around 40 mins long as we had a fair journey to and from the baths. I don't know who paid for the instructor, but it was definitely not one of our teachers who did the instruction. A few kids gained higher badges, but not many, and certainly not me. I can recall when we came out of the lesson being hurried along to dry and dress as we had to get back to school before home time. There was no time to properly dry your hair. Our town didn't get a public swimming baths until around 1985, so I expect the lessons for kids last longer now.

[darren]

Re: swimming lessons

Its definitely better having a proper swimming instructor than a teacher doing it like i had he would just hold out a pole the pupil holds it then he says let go you do so i near drowned a few times.

hi darren...i think our lesson would have been around 40 mins long as we had a fair journey to and from the baths. I don't know who paid for the instructor, but it was definitely not one of our teachers who did the instruction. A few kids gained higher badges, but not many, and certainly not me. i can recall when we came out of the lesson being hurried along to dry and dress as we had to get back to school before home time. There was no time to properly dry your hair. Our town didn't get a public swimming baths until around 1985, so i expect the lessons for kids last longer now.

[staffslad]

Re: swimming lessons

I can't remember how swimming used to be taught when I had lessons at junior school. I do recall those white, polystyrene floats being used quite a bit. I didn't get my red badge until a couple of weeks before lessons ended so it was too late to try for anything higher. It was a nice way to end the school week, though.

[darren]

Re: swimming lessons

Nice way to end the week indeed was awful when you got the water up your nose though.

We never did any badges maybe because it was just my teacher teaching us.

Yes i remember using them polystyrene floats too.

i can't remember how swimming used to be taught when i had lessons at junior school. I do recall those white, polystyrene floats being used quite a bit. I didn't get my red badge until a couple of weeks before lessons ended so it was too late to try for anything higher. It was a nice way to end the school week, though.

[Zincubus]

Re: swimming lessons

I recall eating a buttered , currant muffin immediately after finishing swimming , in the changing rooms .
To this day if I ever have a buttered currant muffin , even 50 years later ... Im transferred back into time getting the sounds and smells of the baths . Crazy

[darren]

Re: swimming lessons

One thing i do remember is when you got out you ran to the showers but the tiles where so slippery you could easily hurt yourself so cold getting out i just wanted to dry off and when id get out one had to be careful as the floor was wet.

[80sChav]

Re: swimming lessons

Nice way to end the week indeed was awful when you got the water up your nose though.

We never did any badges maybe because it was just my teacher teaching us.

Yes i remember using them polystyrene floats too.

I recall the Floats too Darren, but sadly the week never ended with a Swimming Leeson for us. It is amazing this thread has been mentioned on DYR I think - as only the other week for the first time in years I went near my old Swimming Baths as it was near the Church of a Funeral I was attending and we had to walk from the Car pat the Baths. How amazing it would have been I think (to have tours of the place) I thought after!!

I am sure after I had a Dream about the place too - even more strangely as it holds good and bad memories in equal measures - including of course starting in the small pool for weak swimmers and once at Secondary School after having Swimming (being locked in a Cubicle) and having to climb out of it!! Those was the standard of male and female running on either side of the Pool - I can envisage it still in my mind's eye like it was yesterday - but still these old Baths are not a patch on the new mega places I think - even if my memories are not of total happy times there!!

Also too - who else can recall being banned from Swimming if you had a Veruca (which I always dreaded having) and having your Clothes pinched/thrown about/moved from Cubicle to Cubicle)?

Was anyone ever lucky enough to represent a Swimming Club/Team at school or for your county topo by any chance - that'd be interesting if members wanted to share any thoughts re; this possibly? I always wanted to just be "in a Swimming club" though my Swimmingly was appalingly weak and is worse now - I always always loved that kind of scene etc!

80sChav