BY the late 1980s Barrow’s traditional Abbey Baths was starting to show its age and some big decisions were needed on repairs.

The baths, on the Abbey Road site of what is now the Furness Magistrates’ Court, were opened in the First World War and badly damaged in 1941 by bombing in the second world conflict.

The Mail, on November 26 in 1987, noted that the swimming pool was to get new changing rooms but inspections had found three different forms of asbestos – resulting in closure of the pool while it was removed from pipes and lagging.

The closure allowed workers a chance to deal with a water leak in the main pool – which held 96,000 gallons of water.

Taking the dangerous asbestos out of the boiler room was likely to cost £15,000.

The baths then saw around 220,000 visits in a year.