Comments on: Passmore Edwards Library, Baths and Wash House

By: Sheila+Bearman,+nee+Young.

Sheila+Bearman,+nee+Young. — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 13:54:12 +0000

Our family always used the wash baths on a Saturday morning. Like many, we could only afford 2nd class, but oh so much better than standing in front of the kitchen sink!
As a young girl growing up, I was forever in the library around the corner, which looked to be a similar structure to that of the baths. Both my mother and I were ‘bookworms’ and I loved browsing the bookshelves, bringing home my chosen book which I couldn’t wait to read. Those early years taught me to appreciate story telling, setting my imagination in motion. Hence to say, thanks to that library, many years later I had my first book published, a thriller, set in N. Cyprus.
Kind regards, Sheila

By: Geoff Radnor

Geoff Radnor — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 21:14:37 +0000

My grandfather W. C. Compton had a corner grocery store on Dawes Street, and when I was about 10 he would take me to have a bath on Wells Way. “More Hot Water in number 7!”

By: Jill Chapman

Jill Chapman — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 20:18:49 +0000

I lived in Cobourg Rd SE5 and joined the library when I was 7 (1955). The children’s library was in the basement. Such was my enthusiasm that I eventually became a librarian – the staff were so helpful and encouraging.

By: Karen Tomlin

Karen Tomlin — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 22:16:48 +0000

My mum and I would go to the baths once a week between 1960 and 1966. We would have a shared bath, the taps were on the outside of the cubical and you needed to call out “more hot in number 4 please.” We would also do the washing in the laundry. There you would have a cubical where there was a deep sink and a large washing drum that you used steam for large items. My mum would wash my school skirts and lay them on the top of the washing machine to dry whilst the bedding was being washed. You could use spinning machines and hot cupboards.

Kind Regards
Karen and Joyce

By: Richard Brown

Richard Brown — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 19:44:16 +0000

I remember the baths and the library very well. The library was the first one I ever belonged to ( 1957 ) and most of the local people used the baths —- no bathrooms or even indooor toilets then! Happy days!!

By: Andrew Pearson

Andrew Pearson — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 21:33:10 +0000

In reply to Bill. Wow - a great memory. I've heard people complain about the indignity of having a cubicle with the taps on the outside, and having to call for more hot water, but you certainly used that to your advantage!

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 21:22:21 +0000

I lived in Neate Street from 1940-59, I used the library when I was old enough. As a child I would go down stairs and the lady would help me choose my books. As I grew older I was allowed to go to parts of the upstairs library.

Saturday mornings, once I was old enough, I would make my way down to the baths, usually meeting up with one or two friends on the way. We would pay our money to the cashier and get our soap etc. Once inside, we would wait in the lobby till our number was called, taking notes of the baths being allocated to adults who had tried to cheat us in some way. Shopkeepers at that time often swearing that children had given them a florin (10p) but the children knew it had been half a crown (12½p) – with the poverty in the area we knew exactly how much we had. Knowing which bath they were in, we exacted our small revenge by shouting for more hot or cold in their number once we ensconced in our own cubicle.