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Millhouses Lido - 60's/70's ?


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Here's a picture of the lido at millhouses - may be 1960's or 70's ?

That's one place in Sheffield that used to get really busy in the summer..

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Here's a picture of the lido at millhouses - may be 1960's or 70's ?

That's one place in Sheffield that used to get really busy in the summer..

From tonights Star

Millhouses Park Paddling Pools

I have fond memories of these paddling pool myself and also tasking my children.

Was there a smilar complex at rivelin somewhere

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Guest plain talker

From tonights Star

Millhouses Park Paddling Pools

I have fond memories of these paddling pool myself and also tasking my children.

Was there a smilar complex at rivelin somewhere

There was, and it was practically identical to the one at Millhouses, Stuart. right down to the stone wall at the far end where the pump/filtration equipment was housed.

Both of the paddling pools used water drawn from the river (the Sheaf in the case of Millhouses, and *duh*! the Rivelin in the case of the Rivelin Valley ones)

the waters drawn were filtered (But not to my recollection, chlorinated) and run off into the pools, and then at the end of the pools the waters ran over a "weir" thing, back into the river-proper.

I, too have lovely memories of idyllic , summer days, me and my sister and my mother taking off with a picnic, and going to one or other of the paddling pools, and having a fabulous time. (My Mother also took us too Clifton park, in Rotherham, where there were some round pools, and, there, too, we spent long summer days.)

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There was, and it was practically identical to the one at Millhouses, Stuart. right down to the stone wall at the far end where the pump/filtration equipment was housed.

Both of the paddling pools used water drawn from the river (the Sheaf in the case of Millhouses, and *duh*! the Rivelin in the case of the Rivelin Valley ones)

the waters drawn were filtered (But not to my recollection, chlorinated) and run off into the pools, and then at the end of the pools the waters ran over a "weir" thing, back into the river-proper.

I, too have lovely memories of idyllic , summer days, me and my sister and my mother taking off with a picnic, and going to one or other of the paddling pools, and having a fabulous time. (My Mother also took us too Clifton park, in Rotherham, where there were some round pools, and, there, too, we spent long summer days.)

Can not find a photo of Millhouses Paddling Pool yet, have found another picture of Millhouses park and the swimming pool, similar to Admins original photo.

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Can not find a photo of Millhouses Paddling Pool yet, have found another picture of Millhouses park and the swimming pool, similar to Admins original photo.

Found these 2 pictures of Millhouses boating pool taken in August 1970

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Can not find a photo of Millhouses Paddling Pool yet, have found another picture of Millhouses park and the swimming pool, similar to Admins original photo.

Here's an old picture of the 'ladder' paddling pool.

Whoops, something not right here

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Can not find a photo of Millhouses Paddling Pool yet, have found another picture of Millhouses park and the swimming pool, similar to Admins original photo.

Apologies for last post. Attachment too big but adjusted now.

So here's a picture of the 'ladder' paddling pool at last.

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1 hour ago, Alastair said:

Or is this Rivelin?

I am sure that is Millhouses, I lived close to Rivelin, that paddling pool was very close to the road with just iron railing, a narrow grass patch and stone wall separating the pool from the road. Picture Sheffield has images for comparison    -------   

Millhouses   http://picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?searchterms=millhouses+paddling&action=search&keywords=all%3BCONTAINS%3B%25millhouses%25%3BAND%3Ball%3BCONTAINS%3B%25paddling%25%3B   ------------  

Rivelin   http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;u05220&pos=2&action=zoom

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I also remember having some great times at Millhouses outdoor pool. The summer school holidays (which were always hot and sunny!!!) were the main season we went there.

I also remember that the water was always a green colour and you couldn't see through it. I used this fact to fool my mates. I would dive in and swim back under the flat area over the steps.

This was covered in a material similar to hessian and you could surface under this and breathe, which I did.  After a while I would swim back out under water and surface in the middle of the pool.

They thought I could hold my breath for all that time. I never did enlighten anyone!!

 

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Thanks Killamarshian    that picture really captures what it was like, though it was taken many years after my paddling days I wouldn't have known, not much had changed. As a kid a visit to Millhouses was a real treat, ride on a tram, paddle boats, paddling pool and fishing in the river. As I got older it was watching the cricket and swimming. You mentioned the murky water in the pool and I remember diving from the high board, to me it wasn't the diving in that was frightening but the return to the surface in that dark water, I was always glad to see daylight.

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Not the 60s / 70s but the birth of the Millhouses pool:

The Ministry of Health sanctioned a loan of £10,500 for the pool to be repaid over 30 years.  It was under construction in March 1929 and the Parks and Burial Grounds Committee agreed that admission should be free, but there would be charges for towels etc. Mixed bathing would be allowed and the pool would not open on Sundays. In June the specification was altered to make it suitable for water polo (the 6 foot deep area was increased to allow polo to be played crosswise) but it was found that the depth could not be increased from the planned 9 foot for diving competitions.

The pool was opened on 15th August 1929 by the Lord Mayor Alderman Harry Bolton, who had a lifelong interest in swimming and had suggested the pool 18 years previously.  15,000 people attended the ceremony which was followed by exhibition swimming, high and fancy diving by Olive Flint, a show by Madame Hazeldene and her Water Babies, and a water polo match between Croft House and City Police.

 2087535355_MillhousesPool1929.thumb.png.a78190e22f8db709e9767612680b31a9.png

The censor was very strict and checked all bathing costumes, which had comply with A.S.A. rules (which were unknown to most people) – for example two ladies were turned away, one had a costume half dark blue and half dark green, the other’s was lighter but of very thick material. However there were calls for the regulations to be tightened up further:

 1107773099_MrsGrundy1929.png.8ce81b8a35d179b6e24428443da7f337.png

The Parks and Burial Grounds Committee publicised the fact that would discuss opening the pool on Sunday mornings.  However on Sunday 15th September in the mistaken assumption it had already been agreed a large number of bathers turned up wanting to swim and found it closed. Some went home but some decided to bathe anyway – the men climbed over the fence and the women wriggled under it.  When an irate official arrived and threw them out, he spitefully made them exit the way they had come in – over or under the fence.  In October the Committee agreed for the pool to open on Sundays until noon.

1434572090_PaddlingPool1930.png.2f8c62e4228f977b503fb3bfc40bf879.png

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Only went to the Lido once. I went with brother in law and sister in law. When sister in law dived in she came up very embarrassed because her bikini top had come off!

I read that the paddling pools we went in as kids were closed due to new health and safety rules that meant there had to be a lifeguard on duty when they were open. This meant the cost of a lifeguard and that the paddling pools had to be fenced off at night.

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In the 1960s we just paddled in the river.  A great dare was walking up the concrete weir, if there was much water coming down you had to use the correct side or you were washed back down.

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