This is disgusting, a public service at minimal cost to the council should be supported by the council, but no - they want to spend millions on new facilities instead of a mere pittance supporting old.
I used Byrne Ave when I was young both through school and privately, it was not my favourite (Livingstone St was) but it has always held a reverence to me and I cannot thank Peter Blood and others enough for keeping the place going when the council last gave up!
Spend litteraly months of my teenage years there too - sometimes 3 evenings, 1 morning during the week galas at the weekend with Birkenhead SC so this is a sad day for me.
Shamefully since I moved away I've lost touch with the swimming club although I did fear that something like this would happen one day - the pool always looked expensive to maintain.
I was always intrigued by the signs to "Pool No 2" that was apparntly under the floor of the sports hall.
Lets hope that this either gets picked up by someone else and if not that the swimming club can do a deal for the Oval or Europa.
Used to have two pools, one was often open for families and was also used for swimming instruction.
They had boards (and presumably props) to cover the pools so the "rooms" could be used for other purposes, for a number of years (well before 1996) one pool was permanently covered in Winter.
Byrne Ave has been costing the council £20,000 a year, what a bargain!
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
I learnt to swim there, but I always hated it. Didnt like the area it was in, plus the walking bit around the pool felt like it was never clean, and there was rust in the pool itself (On the walls) and way way too many plasters and things on the bottom of it. Always preferred the Oval.
played 5 a side football there in the 60s Also entered a wirral table tennis comp there It was the the swimming baths used by Birkenhead Institue when it was in Whetstone Lane
Although it's been many years since I used Byrne Ave baths, I'm still very sorry to hear about it closing.Jut one more thing, isn't it typical of the Daily Post to get it wrong.Byrne Ave is in Rock Ferry,not New Ferry [color:#3333FF]Angela [/color]
Yep, closed it yesterday on the hush, didnt advertise it much apparently! Has been used for the usual water sports events, inc water polo team! Has been covered over for dances, boxing, martial arts etc. generally an all rounder methinks!! Heared today that it was UNDER funded by only £2000 per year, thats all the council NEED to keep it open!!!! An absolute fooking disgrace!!!
I learnt to swim int he orginal swimming pool there gutted Council Leader you know who you are go and crawl under that rock you came out of and stop closing services YOU cant stand..