Your growing up years

[denislawsbackheel]

Swimming badges?
WTF were swimming badges?

I’m talking the late 50s early 60s here chaps.


I did get a nice yellow felt cycling proficiency pennant on a metal mast to fix to my bike handlebars.
No Health and Safety back then.
In an accident it could had an eye out or impaled me.

 

[crazyg]

Swimming badges?
WTF were swimming badges?

I’m talking the late 50s early 60s here chaps.


I did get a nice yellow felt cycling proficiency pennant on a metal mast to fix to my bike handlebars.
No Health and Safety back then.
In an accident it could had an eye out or impaled me.

I got my 25 yards certificate in 1960 at the old Ashton Baths - must admit I don't remember a badge myself. We used to go there once a week from school.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

I got my certificate of course.
Got that at Broadfield Road baths swimming club.
Run by an old sadistic sergeant major type. We were all terrified of him.
Did what we were told though.

 

[idahoblues]

Swimming badges?
WTF were swimming badges?

I’m talking the late 50s early 60s here chaps.


I did get a nice yellow felt cycling proficiency pennant on a metal mast to fix to my bike handlebars.
No Health and Safety back then.
In an accident it could had an eye out or impaled me.

Swimming patches were a big thing!

 

[Dirty Harry]

Swimming badges?
WTF were swimming badges?

I’m talking the late 50s early 60s here chaps.


I did get a nice yellow felt cycling proficiency pennant on a metal mast to fix to my bike handlebars.
No Health and Safety back then.
In an accident it could had an eye out or impaled me.

Did you not even get the old Bronze, Silver and Gold metal pin badges back then mate ?
Free-Pass ?
Funny because as my Mam's getting on, she recently passed on my old sporting medals from the 70's and amongst them was my old Silver one, which was ok considering i fuckin hated swimming back then.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

70s!

I’m talking 50, 60s.
I certainly got the free pass but I don’t remember every trying the others.
Maybe I was just a crap swimmer.
My kids got all the bronze, silver, gold whatsits.

 

[Tuearts right boot]

Haha,the memories....... Making a lifejacket out of a pair of pants whilst treading water........fasten them up and in one movement flick over your head, trap the air inside and somehow tighten up, float on back and rest your head in the now inflated crutch. Dive to the bottom of said baths and pick up a rubber brick then 25 yds breast stoke......character building stuff this swimming badge malarky....

 

[denislawsbackheel]

I wonder if anyone has ever needed to rescue a rubber brick in real life...