Even on a sweltering day like today the water would have been icy cold! Ultimately a victim of the East Lancashire climate but still have fond memories. I wonder if the water slide was ever approved by the health and safety executive?

Spent many an hour up there as a kid.

And I agree, it was always freezing.

We went once about 1965, I still haven't thawed out.

Don't think I have ever been to Marsden Pool

The only outdoor pools I used to visit was back in the 60s and 70s, Morecambe and Grange.

Wouldn't go near the place if it was open today....

If you want a freezing cold outdoor pool, try the one at Ingleton. I've still got the
lumps in my neck !!!

I once saw David Attenborough there - apparently he was aclimatising for a trip to the Antartic. It was seriously cold in there, regardless of how hot the weather was or had been. But that didn't stop me, my brothers, mates and hundreds of others visiting on a regular basis as children. We were so lucky to have that within a 15 minute walk of home.

Know it's been closed for donkeys years - has it actually been filled in?

CaptainKirk wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 12, 2020 4:01 pm

Know it's been closed for donkeys years - has it actually been filled in?

Filled in and the park landscaped many years ago now unfortunately.

TommyJohnson wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 12, 2020 3:49 pm

Wouldn't go near the place if it was open today....

Assuming you can swim, then why?
Yes- freezing cold most of the time, but in the early 60s always packed with (generally working-class) kids having a great time if the sun was out.

I have a photograph of my sister and myself at Marsden Park pool.Taken circa 1957.

It truly was freezing. Me and my mates developed a jumping in style where your head never went under - which was pretty good from the top board.

You could sneak in on Townhouse Rd, more or less at the bottom of the golf course entrance.

It was best at night for sneaking in as the water didn't feel as cold.
Whenever the Townhouse/Ringstone/Rowland Ave. Gang turned up we'd clear off and call the police.

Once entertained a young lady in there after hours.

Happy days....

Fond memories of going up there and then the walk back along Hazelwood Road and down Barker house road. If you were feeling like warming up you would run back down Rowland Ave, there were some proper nutters who lived on there who delighted in kicking your head in.

.

bobinho wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 12, 2020 5:24 pm

Once entertained a young lady in there after hours.

Happy days....

Breast stroke?

What always made me laugh was the material on the fountain. If you wanted to avoid kids skinning and grazing their knees, you wouldn’t have pebble-dashed it, would you.

Pimlico_Claret wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 12, 2020 6:35 pm

Breast stroke?

No he just plunged right in.

Other than the cold water-- my memories are the basket you put you clothes in and the wasps.

Remember finding loads of foreign notes in the pool, thinking we were going to be rich, drying them out and exchanging them for nothing!

Those were the days when men were men and women were men too.

Loyalclaret wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 12, 2020 10:20 pm

Other than the cold water-- my memories are the basket you put you clothes in and the wasps.

Remember finding loads of foreign notes in the pool, thinking we were going to be rich, drying them out and exchanging them for nothing!

I got stung by a wasp up there. Little bugger.

And one day my mate poured a bottle of that sun-in hair dye stuff over my head. Turned my hair ginger. I had the standard centre parting/curtains at the time, when I got it cut I ended up with a ginger streak right down the middle.

TheFamilyCat wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 12, 2020 10:35 pm

I got stung by a wasp up there. Little bugger.

And one day my mate poured a bottle of that sun-in hair dye stuff over my head. Turned my hair ginger. I had the standard centre parting/curtains at the time, when I got it cut I ended up with a ginger streak right down the middle.

Loved Sun In, gave you the most curious shade of ginger whatever you started off with,loved it in the 6th form back in the 80's.Wouldn't work now, no hair

Went a few times as a kid. Freezing doesn’t come close. Interestingly, now live just outside Ilkley, which has its own Lido. Yet to frequent it.


A video of Marsden below...

https://youtu.be/YTIFKSFLDsk

I grew up on Walton Lane so spent a lot of time at Marsden Park.

If it wasn’t being at the pool during the summer it was taking the sledge up during the winter. If you started at the right spot at the right spot and had good control you could get right across (was a bugger to get back up though)

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 13, 2020 7:17 am

I grew up on Walton Lane so spent a lot of time at Marsden Park.

If it wasn’t being at the pool during the summer it was taking the sledge up during the winter. If you started at the right spot at the right spot and had good control you could get right across (was a bugger to get back up though)

Sounds a lot like my childhood. You could get a real good run on a sledge once you had done it a few times and compacted the snow. My parents now live just opposite the park on Boulsworth Crescent.

Herts Clarets wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:09 am

Sounds a lot like my childhood. You could get a real good run on a sledge once you had done it a few times and compacted the snow. My parents now live just opposite the park on Boulsworth Crescent.

We once (and only once) managed to get from the top, over the bridge and onto the bottom field.

Sounds like there’s a few on here that were from around there. Went to Castercliff until 1988

Like many on here I have fond memories of Marsden open air pool. The cafe. Ice creams, the metal baskets for your clothes.
Seem to recall the springy diving board and if you were feeling a little more brave the higher diving board, once you were up there however there was no turning back unless you were prepared for ridicule amongst the queue below.

Years later, before it being filled in, around the mid 90’s the changing rooms were used for local football teams. We’d get changed in there before walking across the road to play on the dog sh*t covered ringstone crescent.

Used to play footie out in that back grassy area when my sisters were doing whatever sisters do in the pool. No matter how many times the ball got kicked over the wall into Marsden Park there was always some “old codger” who would happily fetch it and throw it back to you. Barbed wire and everything. I love the phrase old codger. Where are they now?

My parents wouldn't go there! Instead they drove us to Ilkley. It was freezing there as well !

Got a pool on my roof now, but mostly i love having a dip in the rivers and lakes.

There is a sauna on a converted houseboat on the vltava. You spend a while in the sauna, then dip in the cut out square plunge pool aka the river.

not for the faint hearted

CharlieinNewMexico wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:40 am

Used to play footie out in that back grassy area when my sisters were doing whatever sisters do in the pool. No matter how many times the ball got kicked over the wall into Marsden Park there was always some “old codger” who would happily fetch it and throw it back to you. Barbed wire and everything. I love the phrase old codger. Where are they now?

Posting on this message board largely complaining about any changes or improvements to the game and intolerant of any critism aimed at the club

also similar memories, going with parents and my sister, I vividly remembering how freezing cold the water was.

Ex-Hallam Road and Rowland Avenue. Some great memories apart from the temperature of the water as well as generally hanging around Marsden Park. Remember heading through the park on Xmas Day on the new BMX. Halcyon times...

Used there as changing rooms when I played for Nelson Stanley in the 70's. I remember being thrown into the pool after one game.....through the ice; kit and boots on and a quick panic to find the hole in the ice to get out. Happy days lol.