Title
From St Clements to Dame's Delight
Description
Pat Hanks recalls the differences in gender segregation at different bathing spots in Oxford.
Date
23 July 2023
Transcription
Pat: But St Clements, when we went, there was mixed bathing there. The huts were separate, but the swimming in the pool was the same. I could never understand why.
But right next to St Clements bathing pool, by the Church, there was a little lane goes across a field. And down there you could get to – now, [to the interviewer] do you know what I mean by Mesopotamia? You know Mesopotamia in Oxford? And you’ve been that way, have you, the walk to Mesopotamia? We often did that and we came out at the other end and fed the ducks in University Parks.
And I can remember, too, going in a boat along the Cherwell, and we girls had to get out when we got to the rollers because Parson’s Pleasure was there. And the men would go bathing naked there, so we had to get out, because it went through the bathing place. Then we got on the other side.
There was Dame’s Delight. But we never went there. It was more, I think, university ladies and things went there. We never went there.
But right next to St Clements bathing pool, by the Church, there was a little lane goes across a field. And down there you could get to – now, [to the interviewer] do you know what I mean by Mesopotamia? You know Mesopotamia in Oxford? And you’ve been that way, have you, the walk to Mesopotamia? We often did that and we came out at the other end and fed the ducks in University Parks.
And I can remember, too, going in a boat along the Cherwell, and we girls had to get out when we got to the rollers because Parson’s Pleasure was there. And the men would go bathing naked there, so we had to get out, because it went through the bathing place. Then we got on the other side.
There was Dame’s Delight. But we never went there. It was more, I think, university ladies and things went there. We never went there.
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