MARK Westcott’s photograph of Farnham’s open-air swimming baths continues to bring back memories for readers.

John Park thinks he can date the photograph by its contents: “The photo of the Farnham swimming bath rang an immediate bell with my wife. In Bill Ewbank Smith’s Farnham in War and Peace, she remembered and duly found Plate 17, which shows an almost identical view and is dated 1931, the year the new pool opened.

“Close examination of the trees in the background strongly suggests the two pictures were taken, if not on the same day, then during the same summer. If you have, or have access to, a copy of the book, I’m sure you’ll see what I mean.

“1931 is a better bet for the date than ‘late 1930s’ anyway, as the boy on the pool’s edge is wearing a full bathing suit – de rigueur in 1931, outmoded by 1938-9, when trunks were the norm.”

“I believe the boy in the foreground of the photo in a swimming tyre is my father – Robert (Bob) Radford,” says Linda Gibbs.

“He was born in 1925, so I would think this photo was taken in the early 1930s. Could the photo have been taken to mark the opening of the new pool?

“A copy of this photo was on display in Farnham Museum in the late 80s, early 90s and my father pointed it out to his grandchildren. They were amused to think their grandfather was old enough to be a relic in a museum!

“My father must have progressed quickly from the rubber tyre as we have swimming medals from the late 30s and the attached photo (pictured below right) taken in the playground of West Street School in 1938.”

And then Mary Chandler got in touch from Warwickshire: “Your issue of March 5 was sent to me by family living in Bordon. I was so interested in the swimming pool item as I am the daughter of Mr White mentioned in it.

“My father came out of the navy after 22 years’ service and as he wanted an outdoor job he took the post of superintendent of the swimming baths, supposedly for just one season.

“This lasted until he retired and I never remember him having a day off during any summer. In the winter he was a plumber with the council. My mother worked in the ticket office, but most of us had season tickets.

“I belonged to the Farnham Swimming Club and took part in all their galas until I married in 1961 and moved to Coventry. My husband and I had two sons and visited my parents for a weekend every month and so they (now both in their mid-50s) learned to swim there. Before I married and left Farnham I used to cycle to the baths with my father most evenings to test the water for health reasons, also to check the chlorine level, and I had a quick swim while he was busy. I also remember Cecil Marlow who was a victim of polio as a child.

“I am now 82 years old, so not many people will remember me. I am Mary Chandler and I live in Kineton in Warwickshire.”