Victoria Baths, Manchester - Aug 2011 (Permission Visit)

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Many many thanks to Scrappy for organizing this trip, really enjoyed it!

Spot of the history (for those that don't know it )

The baths were opened in September 1906 by the Lord Mayor of Manchester.
For 86 years the Baths provided both essential and leisure facilities. Private baths and a laundry were housed there along with three swimming pools (Men's 1st Class, Men's 2nd Class and a Female Pool) and a Turkish bath. In 1952 the Victoria Baths installed the first public Aeratone (jacuzzi) in the country (really cool looking thing) .

The Baths were closed by Manchester City Council in 1993 and The Friends of Victoria Baths was formed, they soon began to investigate the possibility of running the Victoria Baths independently.
Various fund-raising attempts failed to bring about a restoration of the Baths, although work to prevent the further dereliction of the building started in 1998.
In September 2003, the Baths won the first series of BBC 2's Restoration programme. The building was chosen by a public phone-vote from a short-list of ten buildings in danger of dereliction in the UK. It was awarded £3.4 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the money raised through the phone-voting process. The Prince of Wales visited the baths a month later to help celebrate the win.

And this is what the old girls looks like today

Outside


Lovely emerald green stair cases




This is a close up of the Mosaic floor


One of the 3 rooms in the Turkish baths


The Aeratone




Behind the scenes


Shots of the Pools (one of the pools have been covered up as a dance hall)








Roof shot. Been told I looked quite daft taking this...I imagine there is probably a people shot somewhere!


Love this corridor!


And below the glass floor



That's All Folks

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Here is a few of mine from the day.....

One of the pools


The pool that has now been converted into a sports hall



The Turkish baths


Basement