Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral Now and Then A Postcard from New Brighton

I came across some old postcards of New Brighton, a few of which I'd not seen before.

To begin with, here is one entitled 'The New Brighton Super Bathing Pool'.

This looked very familiar, until I realised that I'd never seen an example with the bathers standing in the deep end.

That's a very interesting observation Norton! Those two people who are standing nearest the "splashdown area" are only about tummy deep - say 3' 6" ??? Ermmmmmmmmm. The top board is HOW high ??

How dangerous was that, both for the divers and swimmers below?
Where were the H&S people?

That looks really dangerous...Look how any people are in the water under the diving board!!

oh gosh norton well spotted!!! strange

They were stll twinkles in their daddies' eyes.

Did anybody notice that the sun was shining on the left shoulder of those in the crowd with their backs to us, yet for those standing in the deep end, the sun was over their right shoulder? Obviously it's been nobbled in the dark room, but they missed a bit where the near set of steps go into the pool.

OK, here is another entitled 'New Brighton Tower and Beach'
A nice shot looking inland from the end of the pier, but also very interesting to see the old sea wall, the early layout of the Tower Grounds, and a space where the Tivoli Theatre has yet to be built.

Any idea about the date? What are those two tall poles to the right of the Tower building? They look almost like a pair of radio masts.

Great picture Norton ,but i do feel sorry for the 2 divers that have just jumped from the diving board did they not check the water wasn`t deep enough ?

Have to say---those divers don't look like they've just jumped from the diving board! and one of them looks as tho he/she has got a nightie on!! something very odd about this photo!lol

The two poles in the tower one is a high wire. Must have been brave to walk across that height with no safety net. I have seen close up one's that show it a bit better.

And is that a couple flying tandem off the top board?

you would think if two people were diving from that height that spectators would be looking up but they dont seem to be

This link may explain the layout of the pool better. It was 15ft deep below the diving boards. I didn't go often but always remembered it as being a strange layout for a pool.

http://www.merseyside.net/newbrighton/pages/pool.htm

Thanks for the link, it's got some very interesting facts and figures in it. For example, the height of the top diving board was 10 metres - over 32 feet.
As to H&S, there are two white bouys in the water near the landing zone, and I suspect there may have been more if the photographer hadn't doctored the original to give the impression of all those bathers standing in the deep end. As I said before, close examination shows that the sun is shining on their backs from a different angle to the rest of the crowd. The two divers leaving the top diving board may have been added, or perhaps it's just the camera angle during a syncronised jump.

I still cant believe how big that tower ballroom building was

Wonder why so many people wore hats back in those days

Great photos