On this day in Yorkshire 1936

“An early morning dip for all” seems to be the motto of the Leeds Baths and Property Committee, who yesterday decided to grant wider facilities for bathing before breakfast.

Beginning on Monday, every municipal swimming bath in the city will open at 7 o’clock in the morning instead of nine.

Before the War early morning bathing was very popular, and hundreds of people used take dips before going to work. For some years now, the baths have not opened until 9 a.m., but for the last two months, Cookridge Street, Armley, Meanwood Road, and Hunslet baths have been open from 7 am. onwards.

The weather during April and May was so cold, however, that the response was not altogether encouraging, but now that warmer conditions are expected, the Baths Committee have decided as an experiment to open all the city baths at 7 a.m. for mixed bathing.

This arrangement will continue throughout the Summer. Upon the result of the experiment will depend next season’s opening hours.

It was stated yesterday that there is no prospect of Roundhay Park open air swimming pool being opened to the public during the present month. Extensive improvements are being made to the pool, but the completion of the work has been delayed because of certain unexpected technical difficulties which have arisen.

An increase of 9,500 attendances, and £132 in receipts over the corresponding period of last year is announced in the report for May of the Corporation Baths and Wash Houses Department.

The attendances in May were 148,229, against 138,729 last year, and the receipts were £2,297, against £2,165.

The increase is actually greater that the figures Indicate, as £4l was received from Roundhay open-air pool (temporarily closed) during the corresponding month of last year.

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