From the exquisite restoration of the Victoria Baths in Chorlton to the magnificent Withington baths - efforts are often made for the preservation of swimming baths built in the Victorian or Edwardian eras. But one striking modernist example once stood out next to the Dutch-roof council houses lining the estate in Wythenshawe.
Sharston Baths, with its impressive concrete panelling and tall glass windows, were a sight to behold from the M56 motorway. However, the baths were more than just an architectural marvel - they were a source of countless memories for youngsters growing up in Wythenshawe, from bracing cold showers to towering concrete diving platforms.
Built by Manchester Council in 1959, Sharston Baths boasted the allure of a 50 metre Olympic size swimming pool intended to draw in training athletes, along with diving boards and 800 viewing seats. The designs were the brainchild of City Architect L. C. Howitt (Leonard Cecil Howitt), whose portfolio includes Manchester Crown Court, the Toast Rack building at Manchester University, and Blackley Crematorium.
READ MORE:Ancoats' new affordable flats are in one of its oldest buildings - we took a look inside
READ MORE:The vast Greater Manchester landmark you could have bought for £1
Despite rumours that the finished pool fell short of 'Olympic' size, locals flocked to the baths come rain or shine, undeterred by the icy showers. When the M.E.N last wrote about Sharston Baths, Carl Buckley, reflecting on his childhood spent there, said: "I went every single day in the summer holidays and sometimes twice.
"Me and my mate Jeff rode on the same bike from Peel Hall to Sharston Baths and stayed for as long as the lifeguards would allow. Then we got oxtail soup from the vending machine - two cups if we had a stray penny in the lockers. Year after year. Great memories."
Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features.
Ian Mccormick said: "I remember going through that cold shower tunnel before you got to the pool. Once you got to the main pool, as kids, we was allowed to get on the top divers. We always came away with a sore head, or if it went wrong, a stinging belly."
The baths became talk of the town in 1971, when the pool was promised a visit from 'Flipper' the crime fighting dolphin, who starred in a hit American TV series. Ged Austin was a young boy when he heard about the show in a newspaper headline, which read: "Flipper the Dolphin's forthcoming arrival to Wythenshawe."
Join our WhatsApp Top Stories and, Breaking News group by clicking this link
In a book he authored, called 'Wonders of Wythenshawe,' Ged details his sneaky attempt to watch the show with his friends from outside the glass windows. "A lot of families in the area couldn't afford the tickets as our parents had other mouths to feed and were on low wages," he wrote.
"As you can imagine the tickets were like gold dust and sold out quickly. So later that day we all met up and walked about a mile on a sunny afternoon to Sharston baths.
"When we finally arrived we couldn't believe what our eyes were seeing: all the windows had been white washed with paint from the inside so nobody could look in. We could hear the sounds of clapping and cheering from within the show as it took place; we even heard the sound of penguins and the loud clicking of Flipper."
Join our Greater Manchester history, memories and people Facebook group here.
Gary Stopford was one of the fortunate ones. He shared his experience online, stating: "I was rescued by the dolphins in that pool. They had a travelling dolphin show that visited, I'd guess early '70s and I was picked from the audience, put in a rubber dinghy and cast adrift, then a dolphin towed me back to the side. Just another day for a Benchill lad."
Love Greater Manchester's past? Sign up to our new nostalgia newsletter and never miss a thing.
But whether the dolphin that visited Wythenshawe was the TV star Flipper is doubtful. Dolphin shows at local swimming baths were surprisingly common across Britain in the 1970s, and besides, there were reportedly six dolphins that actually stood in for Flipper in the show which ran between 1964 and 1967.
Perhaps the most memorable features of Sharston Baths were its towering concrete diving boards. Reflecting on her own childhood, Kathleen Soros, on the history blog 'The Mancunia', said: "Pale, skinny prepubescent children would throw themselves with reckless abandon from aloft the 12 foot diving boards, into the depths of the deep end.
"There was austere joy in consuming watery chicken consommé in too-hot-to-hold plastic cups from the vending machines, inhaling the insipid 'chickeny' aroma to counteract the thick stench of council-commissioned chlorine in the air."
Manchester Council shut down the baths in 1991, much to the disappointment of Wythenshawe residents. It was later demolished to make way for housing.
Despite the baths being now just a memory, people posting on the popular We Grew Up In Manchester Facebook group have shared fond memories of Sharston Baths.
David Brand, posted: "A great pool. I too remember it being built during our time living in Benchill. My father Charlie Brand was given the honour to open the pool by diving in first and swimming the first length. We spent many a happy hour in their as kids and members of the swimming club."
Susan Pimlott, remembered: "My dad used to take me there - loved that place. The excitement of getting that big metal clothes rack to put your clothes and shoes in (before lockers) and given a band in exchange - running through the shower and foot cleaner."
Iris Ryder Alexander, said: "Worked there in the ticket office in early Sixties - brilliant pool. You could watch people swimming through glass walls in the basement."
While Aprille Joynson, posted: "Used to go with school and with friends after school. Such a shame, it was demolished before its time."
Does Sharston Baths awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
