Does anyone remember how good it was going to New Ferry Baths in the summer? It was quite a big place with a massive pool and a small park attached, but it used to get packed and there'd be long queues outside. Families would go there for the whole day and as kids we'd be in the water for hours. The deep end was 16ft and there were three high diving boards which only the bravest would use. In the late 50s-early 60s, it was a fantastic day out for us, going there by bus from Birkenhead. I think the baths closed in the 70s and it's now built over.

i went there as a child in the early 70's,there was a slide which had water running down it,which i used a lot because i was too scared to jump of the diving boards,it was very busy at that time too,shame it was closed down.

Yes, I remember New Ferry baths in the late 40's/early 50's, but mostly I found it too cold.

The whole family used to go there in the 70's. Gran would have to get a taxi or with someone in the family who had a car and we'd go on the 64. There was about 20 of us at a time.
One time I went up the diving boards and remember my mum looking for me and I jumped off. needless to say, never done that again, got afraid of heights.
My sister wouldn't go in the water as it was always to cold for her. She'd dip her big toe in to test the water first lol.

They were good days out. What a shame theres nothing on the Wirral like that anymore!! Any open air baths..they were all good fun!!

New Ferry open air swimming pool in the 1950s:

The baths were built in 1932 at a cost of £12,000 and were closed in the 1970s

We used to live not far from the baths by Grove Street school.I remember round the back was a place were we got lifted over the wall by our dad and helped by others inside so we didnt have to pay, lol ! Got pics of us swimming in our nics, how times have changed !

Yes I do it was an open air baths just like the one in Port Sunlight. Now a carpark for the garden centre

I remember it in the 70s when it was closed and vandalised i was very young and wasnt really sure what it was at the time.

I remember looking in when the pool was empty.

Where abouts was this monster?

I haven't been down that way for years, but I'm sure the baths was at the junction of Merseybank Road and Shorefields in New Ferry. At one end of the pool area (near the high diving boards) there was a grassy embankment from where you could look out over the foreshore and see the river (where there was a sunken ship whose masts stuck out at low tide). At the other end, there was a cafe and a park. The whole baths was a huge place and I think it held a million gallons of water. It's such a pity that all trace of it seems to have vanished, because it was an amazingly popular place in its heyday.

I remember going to New Ferry baths in the 60's.I couldn't swim but I used to love going there. I did scare the life out of myself the time I went down the slide and went right under! I came up coughing and spluttering! I did actually swim for the first time there but that same day,I broke my wrist jumping off a ladder in my uncle's garden so I spent the rest of that Summer with my wrist in plaster and by the time the plaster came off,I'd forgotten how to swim!
Angela

Does this help You can see the baths on the old pic, just left of centre.

We used to climb up and walk along the grey dried soil area in the bottom right hand corner (reclaimation pond according to second map).We would then walk along huge pipes too. These were adventures that my dad would take us 3 girls on. Also walked all along the grey edge too. They were great days !!

Does anyone remember Port Sunlight open air pool as well?? On the site of what is now a garden centre, but i am not sure of the name? Maybe green summat??

Port Sunlight Baths was also a brilliant place - especially because the water was heated. We were told the heat came from steam which was piped from the nearby Lever's factory, but I don't know if that was true. Again, as with New Ferry Baths, what a shame it was closed down.

I have added as many photos of New Ferry Baths as I can find to www.newferryonline.org.uk Go to "Memories and Photos" where you will find it featuring in the 1930s and 1970s in particular.

loved new ferry baths used to bunk off school to go there,till the teachers got wind of it .someone snitched on us and they soon put a stop to it.

In the 70's myself, my Brother, Sisters and Cousins used to often go to New Ferry Baths with my Mother and Aunt and what happy times we had there. I have some photo's but I can't post them as there is family members on them all.
The water was ice cold and it was always packed!
I remember my Mother buying me a white costume and my Cousin had the same.
Each time we went male teenagers used to sit by us, there was twins with dark hair and most handsome too but our Mothers kept a watch on us.
I used to sneak off home to meet my Husband, then of course boyfriend, despite my Mothers protests.
What happy memories!

Yes been there done all that lol good day. Igot up the nerve to jump off top or near top board in new ferry, near last my spuds lol never again. port sunlight was ok but I went to byrne av most. Then later found out clatterbridge hospital had an open air pool. more devilish good fun lol.

We too used to go to Byrne Avenue Baths. My hair was so long I could sit on it, so Mum made me wear a bathing hat. My Cousin used to have problems with her ears and she too had to wear one lol. We had flowers on ours so we were posh lol.
It all only seems like yesterday but what happy memories we were making back then for our future.

i remember the baths well went there after school when i lived in tranmere.me and my mate wouldn t get out one night swam into middle of pool so the lifeguard went and got long pole that was used to teach you to swim to try and get us out . got pics when anuties,uncle,cousins and nan all went there for day out it was great.

Ahh such memories!...I too used to go there with me mum an family an friends,we'd all go there en masse-a gaggle of mums, brood of kids an a scramble of push-chairs piled high with towels, blankets to sit on, butties an flasks! mums would sit on the blankets with tea an catch up on goss- although it wasn't called that then - it was called 'watchin ova you!' I too nearly drowned in the shallow end of the little pool, surrounded by crisp packets an other debri.. I went up the diving board looked down an backed out!-had to squeeeze me way back down past the never endin queue! I also rememba bein sent to get some hot water from the cafe for more tea for the mums-that floor was so wet n slippy nearly broke me neck!-no health n safety in them days ha ha! oh such lovely memories!...

A friend of mine (alias arfurfxsake)remembers goin to these baths as a kid, he was a rather slim kid and he sat tremblin wrapped up in his towel gatherin up the courage to join his friends in the water, to his mum sayin "go on,go on, go on.."
He threw his towel off an legged it accross the grass , only to stand on an upturned bottle top which embedded itself into the sole of his foot..! he did manage to prise it off but still has the circular scar today!

Used to be a "Street Day Out" in the fifties, by bus of course. Think now and again they would all chip in and get a chara.

I even remember the bathing beauty contests they held, mostly prefered Rivacre baths tho'.

Ahh, i remember the bathing beauty contests too!
and as a teenager i remember the groups [call them 'bands' today don't they?] they would have playing there in the park area, oh and the Qs they had waiting to get in! makes you wonder why they closed down!
Great memories!!