Coventry swimming (pools & swimmers)

I well remember going to Gosford pool with my school, "Frederick Birds." I hated it. It was so cold. Especially in the winter months. When it was demolished, a few businesses were using the site. A car body repairers, etc.

I remember it as a T shaped pool. It was always cold even on a hot day. I saw my last view of a Super D 0-8-0 steamer clanging along the avoiding line which nowadays we drive along. That's my best memory of Gosford pool.

I remember one hot summer day in 1943 at the Gosford Green pool, a young man had entered the deep end by mistake and was pulled out unconscious from the water, despite the efforts of the staff he died at the poolside. This sticks in my mind because I saw a young girl about 7yrs old being kept away from the sight, it was her cousin who was in Coventry as a "Bevan Boy" and was staying with her parents. Little did I know that 13 years later that little girl would become my wife. Alan

That wasn't the only fatal accident if I remember correctly? In the early 1960s just a week or two before I visited the place, a boy supposedly drowned when his foot became stuck in the metal grid covering the drain at the bottom of the pool. Or could this possibly have been a retelling of the earlier accident?

Never went to Gosford, but I did go to Kenpas Swimming Pool, Green Lane, where I took part in inter-house swimming competitions whilst at King Henry VIII

It was also used for the inter-house swimming competitions by Ullathorne and I'm very pleased I didn't have to take part as the water was always freezing even in mid-summer. I can remember on a non-school visit to the pool my legs turning green with the cold. In case of confusion the pool was also known as 'Oasis' for a time.

I only ever went there once, and cut my toes open on the rough tiles on the bottom of the pool - and you're right, it was freezing! I live not too far away from the site of the old swimming pool - which now has bungalows built on it and called "Poolside Gardens"

The edges of the pool sometimes resembled the contents of an ashtray and the changing facilities also left a bit to be desired but it did at least have that wonderful fountain/cascade where you could splash about without entering the actual pool. There is a black & white photo somewhere of me about six years old standing in front of the fountain.

I too had a photo of myself standing near the fountains, Dutchman. Sadly, I no longer have it - lost it over the years :-(

I also remember going to Gosford Park swimming pool with my school St Mary's. I never did learn to swim - it was too cold. The best thing about the visit was hot Oxo after the lesson!

That's given your age away Tricia, St Mary's was bussing us to Livingstone Road (new) baths by the time I went there!

I'm beginning to sound like Victor Meldrew, but I didn't like Livingstone Rd Baths much either. I got nutted outside there once as a schoolboy, when I had a scrap with a lad of my age in the pool, no probs. But his big brother got me outside later. Happy memories - NOT!

I too used to go to the "Gossey" from "Freddies". I remember Shannon the teacher saying "the first one off the top board gets 40 house points". I was first one up but looking down I changed my mind, to no avail, I got pushed off, lol, I never went up to the top board again but at least I got my 40 house points. It was cold in there but as kids you put up with it, could not do it now tho'.

I remember being taken to Gosford pool when I was quite young, probably around late 50s. My father moved to Coventry from his native Liverpool in 1935 and his first job was as a life guard at Gosford pool. He was there until getting a job at the GEC a year or so later. The odd thing is that he never learned to swim in his whole life!

There was a couple more outdoor pools that were equally cold. Ryton Bridge Hotel, London Rd, had a pool at the side of the hotel that was open to the public. The water was cold and frequently rather dirty. The other was Kenpas pool near Green Lane. I preferred the Kenpas pool but as it was some distance from Bell Green I only went there when I could get a lift. Les