Project to collect Droitwich Spa brine bath memories
- Published
Campaigners are looking to collect memories of the brine baths in Droitwich Spa.
The baths, which were owned by the private BMI Droitwich Spa Hospital, shut in 2009.
The group working to develop a new bath in the Worcestershire town, now wants to collect peoples' memories of them from over the last 80 years.
Project coordinator Sue Webber, said they hope it will "spur on interest and enthusiasm" for new baths.
The baths, which opened in the 1830s, used water from a natural salt water spring but closed when BMI said they were no longer fit for purpose.
In 2018, the Save Our Brine Baths (SOBBS) group received outline planning permission from Wychavon District Council to build a new baths near the town's lido but plans have been put on hold due to the pandemic.
On Thursday, it is launching Brine Memories, external to collect stories and memorabilia relating to the town's spa heritage.
The group said a recent survey found the majority of children in the town were not aware of its history and hopes to reverse that.
A team of volunteers is working with the Droitwich Heritage Centre and Westacre School to collect memories with £10,000 funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
It wants to hear from anyone with memories of the St Andrew's Baths, prior to their closure in 1975, and the baths at the private hospital which opened in 1985.
"I think people aged 50 and over, many of them had at least a little contact with the baths either going themselves with their parents or working there when they were youngsters," Ms Webber said.
"Hopefully we will get really good memories which, in turn, will spur on interest and enthusiasm to bring something back which will make Droitwich Spa unique."
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- Published30 May 2018