I asked, “Before the Sports Centre in early 1980’s, where did Blantyre folks go to swim? Hamilton? Bellshill? EK?”

I remember going to Bellshill baths in the 1970”s every Saturday morning. Memories of that included the huge steps at the entrance to the baths, the plastic changing room crates for clothes, the high dales, particularly cold water and of course the brilliant chips in the cafe afterwards and 5p space invaders games, the first time i ever saw a games arcade machine.

Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said,:

Bobby Bean Dollan Baths EK

Stephen Speirs East Kilbride – many a happy day at the Dollan baths when I was young – and occasionally went to Hamilton. After swimming, we enjoyed sausage roll in the Dollan baths cafe, occasionally a cream doughnut in BHS in EK. Or chips from the Kentucky Fried Chicken that used to be near Hamilton baths

Sharon Morrison Doonin Dolman baths

Gary Doonin Big room changing rooms at Hamilton baths or hitch hike to Dolan baths EK , occasionally Rutherglen

Thomas Barrett Hamilton or EK

Elaine Speirs Hamilton baths. The queue on a Saturday morning was mental.

Dorothy Doherty Hamilton is was great you could spectate and keep an eye on the kids

Marié Rodwell Hamilton old baths

Elizabeth Cushley Weir Hamilton baths x

Gordon Hayburn Hamilton and East Kilbride.

Anne Callaghan Hamilton or East Kilbride

Janis Orr EK or Hamilton

David Hamilton Hamilton baths as a boy, then EK as a teenager, used to hitch hike up and back before school in the morning, quite often I’d be 1st in the pool.

Thomas Fallon Doon the Clyde at the wier or u the Cawder at the falls

Scott Cameron Was always Bellshill baths as my dad grew up in Viewpark

Lynn Delaney EK and sometimes my dad took us to Wishaw.

James Donnelly The quarry, just off Old Ferme Road…remember the scorching hot summer of 1982 well, we were never away from it. Minging, in hindsight

Catherine Sneddon Dolan in ek aswell xx

Alan Baird mostly east kilbride , then hamilton

Sheena Thomson Hamilton baths learned myself how to swim there in the fifties.

Julie Tabor Ek or Hamilton

Carole Mackie Rickard EK mostly but Hamilton too, I’ve never been to Bellshill baths.

Liz Jack Hamilton

Arlene Campbell Dollan ek

Sharon Kerrigan Depended who took me but Hamilton or Dolan, EK

Carol Crombie Hamilton old baths – where you could cut your feet on the broken tiles for free!

Mark Grieve Hamilton baths with my dad every Saturday morning then a soup from the KFC that used to be where the Chinese restaurant is now ,,,then ek baths as a teenager ,,,

Gordon Frew Wishaw & Hamilton

Daniel Anderson Dolan baths

Rab Straiton Doon the cawther!

Brian Slevin Cawder faws

Karen Morton Hamilton and Dolan EK

Rose Lee Hamilton and sometimes Dolan

David Nuttall Rutherglen Paul with my mum n aunties.

Thomas Paterson Hamilton

Henry Hambley I used to go either Motherwell or Bellshill baths for the Turkish Baths or sauna when I worked in the Lanakshire Steel Worksworks.

Davy Thomson Hamilton baths for me

Jan McDonald Hamilton

Gary Law Dolan baths E.K.

Eleanor Connor Hamilton…..

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Elizabeth Grieve Hamilton or the Dolan

Margaret Elma Griffin Hamilton

Paul Donnelly Doon the saunies, the cawder falls and Davy livvies falls

Steven Forrester You missed the springboard and eyes bright red

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Michael Burns Diving to touch the black diamond in Hamilton or walking to the Dollan baths in EK only to get chucked out after 10 minutes 4 dive bombing

Marc Moran Hamilton, Whishaw and Bellshill

Michael Hutchison Colin Laird Clyde falls or the Calder

Marianne Stark Aitken Hamilton then spend your bus fare on chips at the KFC and had to walk hame wi ma brothers

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Kenny Lynn-Miller Rutherglen

Michelle Milligan Sasso Hamilton (remember the old tiles in pool..not good for your feet). EK Saturday morning with my dad who taught me to swim there.

Carol Porter East Kilbride

Sharon Reid School took us to Hamilton to learn to swim, then the Dolan for the dales when we got bigger.

Anne Ellis Hamilton before EK was opened

Lynn Smith Hamilton and East Kilbride

Anton Le Grandier Above the weir at Bothwell bridge

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Sadie Dolan Hamilton x

Anne Grogan Hamilton, we used to go there with the school as well.

Stephen Boyd The falls down the calder

Angela DM EK

Davie Robson Walked to hamilton baths with pals and got a wee snack fae barry Douglas bakers on way home tae springwells

Helen Stewart Hamilton east kilbride and Bellshill

Andy Lynch If anyone has any doubts it was Hamilton baths. Who could afford the bus fare to go anywhere else. Loved going there with my dad and sisters what a treat especially the tablet from the grocers in Almada street. Remember the queing and forming 1/2 spheres in the sandstone with the old pennies which if you where to look are still there. I loved Hamilton baths

Linda Halpin Hamilton was the easiest to get to

John Krawczyk East Kilbride and Hamilton

Elizabeth Lovatt Yes,,

Elizabeth Lovatt Hamilton was easier to get to

Catriona Paterson Hamilton but learned to swim in wishaw baths.

Catriona Paterson Forgot East kilbride Dollan baths.

Andy Paterson Hamilton or Dollan baths

Bonnie Chapman Taking kids to Bellshill

Susan Flannigan Mayes Went to Hamilton with the school with the half door changing rooms facing the pool ! Went to EK later where they had flumes.

Beverley Orr Hamilton and EK.

Jackie Douglas Hamilton

Peter Kelly East Kilbride. Went to Hamilton with the school.

Caroline McDougall Hamilton and East Kilbride

Ian Paterson The public park

Betty Brown Hamilton, the school use to take us in a bus,

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Thea Borland Mcnamee Hamilton or ek

Margaret Sanderson Coatbridge (dad’s home town), Wishaw, Hamilton

John Fallon Jnr Motherwell baths

John Allan Hamilton had ta walk there so wee could get a cup of soup out the shop at the front of them happy days

Isabel Mcneily Definitely Hamilton, with grapes and sweeties in the shop near the bus stop

Maryclare Nelson Wishaw , occasionally Motherwell.

Jacqueline Budris Hamilton then Kentucky for chips. X

Dean Campbell aw the way tae bellshill when ye had the falls

Carole M Castle Hamilton my dad used to take us every Saturday x

Lillias Addison Hamilton, every Saturday morning

Ean Brown Hamilton

Caroline McDougall And the public park

Alison McAlpine I went to East Kilbride with the kids.

Graham Elder I know exactly the crates you mean, and while your picture is nothing like the ones at Bellshill, I expect no photo of this things actually exists. Which is sad. Thanks for reminding me – the stairs, ticket office and separate school changing room all stand out

Eleanor Clark would it not be Hamilton, the old baths.xx

Ian Paterson Up the cawther

Agnes Hynds Hamilton

Frances KellyCsn Hamilton or EK

Catherine Hailes Young Hamilton

Greer Litster We used to walk to Hamilton baths!!

Rab Mccarrol Hamilton, school used to take us there

May Mccarrol We always took you to Bellshill

Michael Mckane dolan in ek

Aileen Farrell Hamilton x

Brian Gallagher Bellshill were the best because of the 12ft pool and the clearer water – Coatbridge baths always had the mixture wrong, and you couldn’t see a thing without goggles

Libby Moffat Hamilton ; with school ,and pals then the Kentucky after good memories x

Stephen Kelly The cawthir

Matthew Neil Dolan baths ek in 70s

Matthew Neil Ek was 14 deep and Olympic size and top dale never open but Davy swinburne slipped past rope and did very fucking high

Stephen Welby The Dolan in EK. Never liked the Hamilton baths… they had an ant problem lol

Ina Sanders when I was 12 it was Hamilton baths