White Rock Baths and Bathing Pool Hastings & St Leonards-on-Sea signatures of swimmers 1957.

Supplied by Lynda Caine

Lynda Caine… mum has given me this. All the people who have signed there names are people from Hastings who used the pool they would all been teenagers then who used the White Rock Baths and bathing pool.

Alan Esdaile… Do you recognise any names?

Chris Baker… Sadly, not one! Mind you, I almost never went except with the school

Graham Sherrington… I remember No Cut Off Jeans!!! the bleach in the water or something with the dye in the jeans.

Nick Warren… Ian MacLean was later the one string box base player with the Fieldstone Boys, before Danny O’Farrell, and he is still around going strong

Chris Chandler… Nick, had lunch with him today!

Nick Warren… Chris, lovely guy

Graham Sherrington… Derek Fitten 5th down on the left?? my sister and Derek where swimmers the GIBB and GABB trophies

David Bastable… I presume that was Brenda?

Graham Sherrington… yes sir

Colin Harmer… A few years younger than Derek Fitten but spent many happy hours training and swimming with him at Bathing Pool and White Rock Baths. He was a ‘larger than life’ character.

Ray Barry… I remember Ginger Powell I think breaststroke was main stroke. Derek Fitton what a guy he was the main man of the Flip Flop display team.

David Bastable… That is amazing!! Thank you So many people I knew and swam with I wonder where they are now. The names I know and swam with are Ian Maclean Tom Mather Ginger Powell Derek Fitton Dick Lingham John Gambrill David Bastable which is me!

Ian Maclean… The Roy Fransen aqua show was a tremendous display of high board crazy diving by very talented divers. Riding bicycles off of the 10 metre board, double dives etc. culminating in Pegleg, a one legged chap,diving from the top of a long step ladder into fire on the water. There were also poolside antics involving the public and the Ducking chair, log rolling displays etc. culminating in a fantastic firework display. Never forgotten, and never to be repeated sadly. I remember all of the names, still in touch with some of them.

Paul Knight… Learned to swim at the White Rock Baths in the late 50s whilst at school

Lynda Caine… (In reply to Dave Bastable ) Mum Pat (Bubbles) at 81 now is living in Dover she has had a busy life as a landlady of quite a few pubs from Hastings to Dorset and then finally retiring but there’s one place what remains in her heart, is growing up in Hastings as she saids in her own words, those were the days.

David Bastable… It was the swimming club trip to Guernsey when I was twelve years old to compete against the local club that led me to move there some forty years ago. I remember Bubbles very well Lynda

Lynda Caine… Dave, yes mum had said you had moved to Guernsey she’s so pleased to hear your comments ,great memories .

Lynda Caine… (in reply to Ian MacLean ) Mum is over the moon to hear your comment and the mention of Dawn after all these years, as she has said great times growing up in Hastings, good friends remembering them always.

David Bastable… Your mum is in the photo I just posted next to Tom Mather

Lynda Caine… Yes mum said thank you Dave as your photo is nice and clear .