Take a dive with me into these Derby Street baths memories

Derby Street baths closed 32 years ago but the people of South Tyneside won’t forget them in a hurry.

Banana slide, Bovril and hot chocolate

As the warmer weather approaches, we decided to take a look back at the place where you would have gone in the past for a splash and a cooling swim.

Some of you loved the banana slide, others remembered going their on school visits or for swimming galas.

It had a wonderful diving board but Shields Gazette readers have previously told us that the water was ‘colder than the North Sea’.

Braced for memories of the foot bath

The foot bath on your way into the water was just as cold.

Others remembered that being in the water was fine. The challenge was the dash back to the changing rooms to get warm and dry before buying a hot chocolate or soup from the vending machine.

Many of you previously shared your memories about learning to swim there, and some even remembered teaching their own children how to swim in the pool where they had previously learned themselves.

We would love your memories of the Derby Street baths and you can share them by emailing [email protected]