Western Baths facts for kids

The Western Baths Club is a super cool private club in Glasgow, Scotland. It was started way back in 1876, during the Victorian era. This club is all about swimming and having fun! It's still in the same spot where it began, at 12 Cranworth Street in Hillhead.

The building itself is really special. It was designed by famous Glasgow architects named Clarke & Bell. Because it's so old and important, it's protected as a category A listed building. The Western Baths is one of only two clubs like it left in Glasgow, the other being the Arlington Baths.

In recent years, the club has grown! They added a new building next door. This new part has a modern sports hall and a gym. This means even more cool stuff for members to do. The club is also a founding member of the Historic Pools of Britain, which helps protect old swimming pools.

One of the most unique things about the Baths is what's above the swimming pool. They have old-fashioned trapeze and exercise rings hanging there! It's a really neat sight.

A Look Inside the Western Baths

The Western Baths, often just called "the Baths," has seen many ups and downs over the years. It even closed once and was almost falling apart. But thankfully, it reopened!

Surviving Tough Times

In the 1970s, the Baths faced another big challenge. People called it "the day the roof fell in." A huge part of the old Victorian roof collapsed over the shallow end of the pool. Also, the heating system wasn't working well, and the club was losing money. Many members were leaving.

But a very important person named William M Mann CBE helped save the day. He managed to get money to fix things up. His hard work helped the club survive and keep going. Mr. Mann sadly passed away in December 2019.

Who Manages the Club?

For a long time, the person in charge was called the "Bathsmaster." This was just a fancy old name for the manager of a Victorian swimming club. Over its many years, only a few people held this special title: Campbell, Jamieson, Wilson, and Anderson.

Today, the club still has a manager, but the title is now "General Manager." This person is in charge of everything at the club. Mr. Campbell was actually promoted to General Manager for a while. More recently, Fraser Makeham was the General Manager for almost 12 years. After he left, Mr. Lee Ross, who was the deputy, took over. Now, Mr. Ross is the facilities manager, and Graham Butler McIntosh is the new General Manager.

Why the Baths Are Special

Alison F Blood wrote a book called Kelvinside Days. In her book, she said something very true about the Western Baths. She wrote, "there were of course other baths in Glasgow, but the Western Baths were simply known as the 'Baths' and no one would have thought otherwise..." This shows how important and well-known the Western Baths Club has always been in Glasgow. It's a true piece of history that people still love and use today.