PRESS RELEASE
13 January 2016
SIR HOWARD BERNSTEIN SHARES VISION
FOR VICTORIA BATHS
MANCHESTER TOWN HALL EVENT SHOWCASES TURKISH BATHS PLANS
A reception hosted at Manchester Town Hall (11 January) by Sir Howard Bernstein
and Deputy Council Leader Councillor Bernard Priest has given the city’s business
leaders the opportunity to discover the details of Victoria Baths Trust’s plans to
restore and reopen the historic pool’s Turkish Baths. Sir Howard also used the
occasion to recognise the work and achievements of the Trust, made with the
support of the community.
Councillor Bernard Priest, who is also a local Councillor for the Ardwick ward where
the Baths are located, spoke of the important role that Victoria Baths plays in
Manchester, encouraging support for the work that Victoria Baths Trust is doing to
secure the future of the Grade II* listed building.
Sir Howard Bernstein says, “Manchester is continuing to grow and develop thanks
to individuals, groups and businesses that passionately believe in the city. Victoria
Baths Trust is an outstanding example of how much can be achieved when a
community gets behind a project and won’t give up. They have raised £5m to date
and ensured that Victoria Baths is preserved. The next step will be even more
beneficial – the re-opening of the Turkish Baths will provide a unique offer to
Manchester residents and visitors and will contribute to the city’s reputation as a
world class destination. I fully support the Trust in their plans for Restoration Phase
2.”
Restoration Phase 2 will include the creation of a Health Suite and residential
accommodation as well as the restoration of the unique Turkish Baths suite. The
vision is for all of the original tiling, marble slabs and ceramic ceilings of the Turkish
Baths to be preserved so that the public can once again enjoy the authentic
experience as conceived by the building’s architect Henry Price when Victoria Baths
first opened its doors in 1906.
Restoration Phase 2 follows the success of the Trust’s earlier work to restore the
front block of the building, carry out structural repairs to the Turkish Baths and to
replace the roof of the Gala Pool. The Trust has also been painstakingly restoring
each of the beautiful stained glass panels found throughout the building. In
preparation for Restoration Phase 2, the Trust has appointed Fusion Lifestyle as the
leisure operator, and in December 2016 a bid was submitted to the Heritage Lottery
Fund’s Heritage Enterprise Scheme. The decision on whether lottery funding has
been secured is expected in spring.
Jill Earnshaw, chair of Victoria Baths Trust, says, “Victoria Baths faces a positive
future thanks to the dedication of the Victoria Baths team, volunteers, Friends of
Victoria Baths and the community, and it is wonderful that Sir Howard has
recognised this. We are also delighted that he shares our vision to restore and bring
back into use the Turkish Baths as the next stage on Victoria Bath’s path towards
restoration, and are grateful for the opportunity he has given us to share this with the
city’s business leaders.”
For more information on Victoria Baths visit www.victoriabaths.org.uk For further
details on Restoration Phase 2 and how you can become involved in supporting
Victoria Baths Trust email [email protected]
ENDS
For further media information, to set up interviews or to arrange a visit to Victoria
Baths please contact: Laura Sullivan at Fido PR, [email protected] / 0161
832 3588.
Image from the reception at Manchester Town Hall caption: (left to right) Sir
Howard Bernstein (Chief Executive of Manchester City Council), Jill Earnshaw (Chair
of Victoria Baths Trust) and Councillor Bernard Priest (Deputy Leader of Manchester
City Council).
Images of Victoria Baths, including styled shots that give a sense of how the
restored Turkish Baths could look, can be found here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/k7wk70dkbpubmr2/AACAf1SZYpAuIkYodS1RgEaTa?or
ef=e&n=112055212
Notes to Editors
Victoria Baths
Victoria Baths in Chorlton-on-Medlock near Longsight in Manchester, was designed
as a prestigious baths complex by Manchester's first City Architect, Henry Price, and
opened by Manchester Corporation in 1906. The Baths was closed in 1993 and local
people have been working to save it for public use ever since. In September 2003,
Victoria Baths won the BBC’s landmark series Restoration with a massive 282,018
votes. As a result of the win, the Heritage Lottery Fund earmarked £3 million and the
BBC’s Restoration Fund raised nearly £500,000 for the restoration of the Turkish
Baths at Victoria Baths. English Heritage has also supported the project.
The Trust runs public Open Days at Victoria Baths on the second Sunday of each
month from April to November, and welcomes group tours by arrangement. There
are free information packs for Group Tour organisers.
Other key public events at Victoria Baths include Vintage Home and Vintage
Wedding Fairs, the annual Gin Festival, periodic film screenings and the Independent
Manchester Beer Convention.
For information packs or further information on Victoria Baths visit
www.victoriabaths.org.uk or call 0161 224 2020 or email
[email protected]
Background facts

Turkish Baths, such as the one at Victorian Baths, are not Turkish! They are a British
“invention” based on Roman Baths, with three hot rooms of varying heat where the
air is completely dry, separate rooms for washing and a Rest Room or relaxation
room for cooling down

There are only six Turkish Baths still operating in England. The closest to
Manchester are in Carlisle and Harrogate

The Turkish Baths was very popular from time of opening (1906) until the Baths
closed in 1993. It was used by all sections of the community, local residents,
business people and celebrities. Mr Howarth who used to teach swimming at Victoria
Baths used to pop into the Turkish Baths to collect footballers autographs for his
swimmers and once saw Tommy Cooper there, wearing nothing but his fez!

The original Turkish Baths suite will be restored retaining all its historic features. The
new Health suite will be created in the basement area.

Victoria Baths originally featured three pools, private baths, the Turkish Baths, a
laundry and the Superintendents Flat. It has been a long held aim of the Trust to
restore the building with at least one swimming pool and the Turkish Baths back in
public use.