Steble Street Baths

[Spike]

Was there a public baths at Steble street? I mean not the swimming pool. Were people able to take a bath there? any stories anywhere about them?

Cheers me dears.

[Kev]

There's a bit of info and discussion here Tony that might help: http://www.yoliverpool.com/forum/sho...light=swimming

[Spike]

Thanks Kev

[Kev]

You're welcome

[Ronijayne]

Yes there was. People would line up with their towels rolled under their arms and clutching soap. They waited in the queue and when your turn came one of the 'bath women' would clean the bath and fill it with fresh hot water and call 'NEXT'. If you were too long they would knock on the door and shout 'urry up in there'

[Ronijayne]

The nice lady filled your bath tippy top but the mean lady gave you half a bath full so you did not loiter. Sometimes it was hotter than others too. At home we had a bath you had to fill when I was a kid so we used that but I also went to Steble Street. They used to say not to bring bath cubes or oils (harder to clean) but we did. Some nice smells in there. I remember a corridor with tiles and the doors of the 'bathrooms' Just the bath and pegs for your clothes that I can remember but I was a kid.

There was also a wash house that I remember and our school used Steble street swimming pool once a week too. We all took our 'cossies' and towel plus bathing hat once a week and we were marched to the baths for a swim.

[Spike]

Thanks Ronijayne

Interesting stuff.

I was talking to an older rellie who said they took baths there. Brilliant stuff this.

[burkhilly]

Can you imagine having to go somewhere to have a bath and that was the norm? Obviously I'm from a very well off family because we've always had a bathroom. When did the last place close. does anyone know? I would imagine in the 40s/50s.

[Davec]

Don't know about Stebby - only time I went there was with me nin to the baggy.

I used Lodge Lane for my bathing purposes (the bath seemed massive and the water came up to your armpits).

We lived pretty much mid way between Stebby and Lodgy and I was still going to Lodgy in the 60's.

[Ronijayne]

Don't know about Stebby - only time I went there was with me nin to the baggy.

I used Lodge Lane for my bathing purposes (the bath seemed massive and the water came up to your armpits).

We lived pretty much mid way between Stebby and Lodgy and I was still going to Lodgy in the 60's.

That is what I liked. When you are a kid that water came up to your neck, unless you got the mean lady. I liked my Gran's bathroom too and loved baths there until they told me there was a ghost (in Old Swan) that walked from the last bedroom to the bathroom When I first left home I lived in Princess Road for a while before I came here and the bathroom was HUGE with a massive window which when opened allowed the branches of the tree outside to spring in with it's big perfumed lilac type flowers. Heaven. Friends and rellies (who had perfectly good bathrooms of their own) came round for a bath. Whoever heard of a bathroom filled with lilac branches? It was Liverpools first SPA back in the 60's!!!!

---------- Post added at 09:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:57 PM ----------

Don't know about Stebby - only time I went there was with me nin to the baggy.

I used Lodge Lane for my bathing purposes (the bath seemed massive and the water came up to your armpits).

We lived pretty much mid way between Stebby and Lodgy and I was still going to Lodgy in the 60's.

That is what I liked. When you are a kid that water came up to your neck, unless you got the mean lady. I liked my Gran's bathroom too and loved baths there until they told me there was a ghost (in Old Swan) that walked from the last bedroom to the bathroom When I first left home I lived in Princess Road for a while before I came here and the bathroom was HUGE with a massive window which when opened allowed the branches of the tree outside to spring in with it's big perfumed lilac type flowers. Heaven. Friends and rellies (who had perfectly good bathrooms of their own) came round for a bath. Whoever heard of a bathroom filled with lilac branches? It was Liverpool's first SPA back in the 60's!!!!

[Davec]

I lived in Princes Road myself in 66/67 Roni, first place after just getting married. It was on the block between Northill St. and Upper Warwick St. (an ex Mr. Universe had a gym 2 doors away). You're right about the bathroom, and like all the other rooms the ceiling was about 12 feet high. I'm glad I only had to decorate once, especially with all those plaster friezes.

[Ronijayne]

I lived in Princes Road myself in 66/67 Roni, first place after just getting married. It was on the block between Northill St. and Upper Warwick St. (an ex Mr. Universe had a gym 2 doors away). You're right about the bathroom, and like all the other rooms the ceiling was about 12 feet high. I'm glad I only had to decorate once, especially with all those plaster friezes.

I was on Devonshire Road first at the top near the park. My aunt found it for me but then she found a cheaper one on Princess Road just round the corner from Devonshire Road so it was not much of a move. I felt bad moving as they were very nice and it was just decorated. On Princess Road they had just renovated and I was allowed to pick wallpaper from a choice of 3 and select the paint for the kitchen. It was a lovely house and they guy who owned it lived in London and never came back to Liverpool so he said I should just pay the same rent s the ones who had been there since the 40's and 50's. Only 5 big apartments. Yes, very high ceilings (I do now in NY too, old building) and big old wood fireplace