Can anyone remember rubbing for luck the nose of the bronze bust of Bill Burgess as they went into the old Main Street Baths? Burgess was from Rotherham and only the second man ever to swim the Channel. The bust was bronze but the nose shone from being rubbed by thousands of Rotherham kids over the years.
Patty, do you mean Sheffield Road baths? If so, then yes I do recall the bust of him in the foyer at the entrance. In the latter years he was moved upstairs near the vending machine, where you could look down on the pool area.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pattylallacks2
I have fond memories of Sheffield Road baths as in 1991 I swam 5000 metres non stop for Swimathon in aid of childline and the B.S.A.D. My impressive time, well I thought it was, happened to be 1 hour 56 minutes and 10 seconds all completed in the breaststroke. I still have my certificate, medal and red rubber swimming cap proudly hanging on a wall in my 'man cave'. To her indoors, it's the spare room! I believe it was approximately 163 lengths of the baths.
I taught both my children to swim in those baths, again a proud achievement as they both could swim like a fish at 5 years old. Daughter was once offered trials but, just couldn't bring herself to get out of bed on a Sunday morning at 7.00am when the swimming club met!
Swimming is one of the greatest things you can teach your kids, earlier the better. It is not only a life saver but could teach them to possibly help save someone's else's life too, if ever called upon. Biggest benefit is it's a great all round fitness exerciser.......now where's mi speedos?
I didn't know the tradition of rubbing his nose but I remember the bust. I wonder what happened to it. It was a crime to destroy those baths incidentally - just to create another little car park.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pattylallacks2
Burgess was a Rotherham great - the second man to swim the channel (after Webb) :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Burgess
Brin, they moved the bust to Sheffield Road after Main Street Baths closedQuote:
Originally Posted by Brin
Good news. According to the Rotherham Borough Council, the Bust is currently in storage at Clifton Park Museum:
http://www.derbyburgess.ca/histories/twburgess.php
Patty, before my time then, still rubbed his nose though....Quote:
Originally Posted by Pattylallacks2
Quote:
Originally Posted by vaterland_miller
vaterland, correct. You struck a chord with that as I now recall Sota and myself seeing this on display when we visited the museum on Sota's last visit to Rotherham.
That's super news Brin. I keep meaning to visit the museum when I am in the UK - not been in for years so I will look out for it. Thanks.
Sota and myself also tracked down the 6 legged kitten stuffed and on display. It was found in Steel, Peech and Tozers, I think from the 50's. Always remember seeing it as a kid back in the 60's.Quote:
Originally Posted by vaterland_miller
What use to mezmerise me most was the bird's egg collection that they use to have, it was massive and I would spend an age reading all the small hand written labels. Bad thing in a way as it set me off bird nesting as a kid :blue: I suppose it was all a part of growing up.
Alas the egg collection was moved to another museum. What is still on display though is the giant rhinoceros vase which was originally fired in the Rockingham works,Swinton way back in 1826. It is still the largest of it's type in the world and it's still interesting to read how it was created etc and how the Earl of Wentworth came to own it having called in a debt.
Can't believe how little security surrounds it as it must be worth literally thousands of pounds. Does weigh over 50kgs though so would take some lifting it was to be removed.
In a similar vein... does anybody remember (or have a photo) of a stone lion statue (possibly a pair) outside the entrance to the White Lion pub in Masbro', which my dad told me about, and claimed that people used to pat for good luck, on their way to the match. Never seen by me , so probably one for the quite oldies