Swimming pools & swimmers

Thanks for the flick Morgana - never seen it before. Back to thread, was member of Cov. Swimming and Life Saving Society perhaps 1947/51 (age 12-16) Don`t remember many others there, but Phil Judd (Cov & England RFU) played water polo Chap called Arthur Ayres seemed to swim long distances And I think there was a lady with one leg, who instructed the girls life saving. Great club, learned to swim a mile Sorry to hear of its demise.

You're welcome Roger. Yes a lot of people will be sorry to see Livingstone baths go. Interesting about the tutor lady with one leg, I wonder what her name was, perhaps some one might enlighten us on the forum.

Roger Turner, Yes Phil Judd, Graham Pugh,and team. I came up to Coventry june 2012 to Graham Pugh's funeral, all the team where there what could make it, even some from B'ham polo club came.I met Graham, and Alf Timms at the livi in 1950, we have visited each other over these years since. Phil Judd had a Hut of some kind in Elmsdale ave, he worked from, think he was draughtsman. Arthur Ayres I believe stopped after a couple of years. Alf Timms became Coventry's best long distance swimmer, as I posted earlier he's 91 now and still does lengths in the Cov pool The team captain actually came from Liverpool. Alf Tye, emigrated to the Aussie Air Force, Yes I believe there was a woman with one leg, I think she was connected to the Sykes family? have no idea of her name. Yes the livi was a great place, even if people didn't learn to swim, it encouraged them to learn.

Arthur Ayres worked at Suttons Bakeries with my dad. He was training to swim the Channel and we used to go and watch him swim across the lake at Kingsbury Water Park. I think he gave up his ambition as Suttons wouldn't sponsor him to have time off but I could be wrong about that.

Annewiggy, Helo, Yes Arthur was a good swimmer, no question about that, but there was also a third man, they wanted to swim from the mainland across to the Isle of Wight (sea training), share expenses, but they had to have a boat, the Coastguard control boats and swimmers (tides , shipping etc.) So to fit their own commitments, with the Coastguards, was nigh impossible, to hire a boat didn't come cheap, and with no sponsors, the thing was dropped. Now the only people we could find was Morecambe Bay, they did a ten mile across the bay, and a five mile inshore swim, with free boats, followed by a prize giving dinner. But Arthur couldn't get the time off or to fit it in with his home life, as far as we could make out. But Alf Timms could, but no one in Coventry had any interest. Five mile inshore swim. five boats, five Morecambe fishermen rowing, five swimmers, reasonable, Morecambe boy, one Coventry good swimmer, who's going to win? Coventry boat goes five-six hundred yards farther out to sea than any other boat, comes in second to the Morecambe boy by about two yards, all the training and expense, but it was good training.

I have just been talking to my sister in law Janice Edwards about this topic and she tells me that Mrs Hargreaves was the name of the lady with the one leg who taught swimming. My brother, Colin Edwards, who died in 2001, was a contemporary of Phil Judd, Graham Sykes, Graham Symonds, Alan Morris, Alf Tye and Con Lith. They all played water polo and swam for the Coventry Swimming Club around the area. When Colin was doing his National Service he played water-polo and swam for the army. He went abroad to Germany with the army taking part in swimming competitions. If anyone could not get home after the polo matches Colin would bring them home with him and our mother never knew how many visitors she had until the next morning. We used to go down to Livingstone Road to watch the matches and it was there that Colin taught me to swim by taking me into water just out of my depth and standing an arm's length away. Not a good idea but he knew that I could do it if I would give it a go. I still swim three times a week but I am only 78 and not 91!

Hello Whitefriars, sorry to hear about Colin, great guy, I'm racking my brains for your name, now was it you or Colin we met in Alfriston Church some years back? (Graham Pugh and I). You certainly know me, I was the noisy one at the matches. Con Lith rode his motor bike up the steps at B'ham pool, great days. What was the name of the policeman (Matt something) memory like a sieve these days. Hey you're doing pretty good at 78, maybe you will reach 91 or more, hey you have outlived the 'Livi'. You remember 'our car' or Roger Watkins the diver. Nice to talk to someone that knew them, they were a great friendly bunch of guys.

Hello again. Have been talking to my younger brother Alan Edwards who played junior water polo as there was five years between him and Colin. He says that Roy Massey and Alf King (goalkeeper) were both policemen and he remembers Roger Hargreaves and Ron Harris who also played. Alan was a swimmer and was Schoolboy Champion. I have asked Janice (Colin's wife) if she met you at Alfriston Church - she did not and neither did Alan. I have never been to Alfriston so who it was I don't know. Alan says that Arthur Ayres did do a Channel swim and got to within three miles of the coast but had to give up because the tide beat him. Maybe someone could confirm this.

Can I make it quiet clear, I knew Arthur quite well and had a lot of respect for him, he was a well liked sort of guy and would help anyone. But I am talking before 1956/7 time, I believe he may have gone to large lakes training as it was getting very popular, and more people were joining the sport, in fact I believe they formed some sort of ass'n, but I dropped out of the scene, and lost touch with what was going on, so if he attempted the Channel it was after 1957. The last time I saw Arthur I believe was at the Gosford 1956/7. No, no woman at the church, the guy was with a party, something like a back-packers ramble. One Sunday the swimming crowd took up three whole rows of the Empire Cinema, there was a part in the film when it began to rain, so Phil Judd put up his umbrella I can't remember at anytime over those years of there being an argument of any sort.

Just asked my brother and he seems to think Arthur may have attempted the Channel swim but was not sure if he completed it.

I would love to know for sure as to what lies beneath as it would mean that it would be a place of Historic Value and bulldozing it would be out of the question. Our council should look into this. Not to mention the possibility of it being a resting place of the dead from the Alvis.

Annewiggy, Whitefriars, spoke to my friend this morning, he says he was a great friend of Arthur Ayres, they went together to a solicitors to sign an agreement to exonerate the owners from any accident of them swimming in the lake you mentioned, but my friend then found a lake at Napton on the Hill that he preferred, he also confirmed that the Livingstone was definitely used as a morgue, and so was the Priory baths. He also said he swam as a boy of 13 at the Livingstone when officially opened by the Mayor in 1936, he tells me that he is still swimming at the Coventry pool and it is not due to close until 2019 if then. Baz, believe it was only a morgue.

I learnt to swim at livingstone road baths, then coventry baths. I remember my teacher there was called Harry Moffat. Anyone remember him? I went to manor park school in cheylesmore, then Stoke park. Both schools had pools but no longer do.

Hi Shepesky, Harry Moffat was my tutor too.

I visited Livingstone baths yesterday in the hope of photographing it, or at least introduce myself to the foreman in charge. However, the place was completely boarded up with no activity for weeks according to a passer-by. Does anyone have any details who has the contract to demolish? I'm tempted to contact the City Council, but as they are so inept with basic enquiries, I thought I'd ask here first.