Memories

A dozen years ago Griff Rhys Jones fronted a programme called "Restoration" in which buildings bid for funds for renovations. One of the series winners was Victoria baths in Manchester and that's where this towel is from. I came across it while I was sorting through some stuff today - there is a brown mark where the sun has caught it.

To the folk of south Manchester it'll always be High Street baths, even though it's on Hathersage Road, and many of us learnt to swim there. Check out any of the many websites to see how beautiful it is. Wonderful leaded glass and Victorian tiling. Rather than communal changing rooms there were individual cubicles along each side of the pool with curtains for privacy. There was a little café where we'd get Bovril after a swim.

High Street was also used for swimming galas, the gala pool had a balcony so plenty of room for and audience. I remember a scout gala where a friend was swimming the crawl and his trunks slid down - undeterred he carried on with his bare buttocks bobbing up and down.

I have a feeling that a rather gruesome scene in Cracker was filmed there but I might be misremembering which programme it was. Cracker was filmed in south Manchester and the police station at which it was based is a short walk from the baths. That station has been replaced with a new build on the same site.

All that from finding a 40-odd year old towel............

Tonight I shall dine on tellerfleisch in preparation for watching the Superbowl. Proper internationalist me!