I the AJHS SERVICE : : : All editorial material must be sent direct to: Hon. Editor: William Francis, F.lnst.B.M., ! Teh8021 *552 St" °,dbury' War|ey, Worcs. i i Published by The Institute of Baths Management. ; £ ,a Green Lanes. Palmers Green, London, N13 5TY. Vol. 30 No. 9 Tel: 01-886 0023 ! Price 20p Annual subscription £2.40. I All advertising enquiries to the Institute’s London Office. 1 ' ! Contents September 1971 : 1 Commentary 214 Oh Calcutta! 262 Congratulations 216 Derby free swimming baths 264 A message from the President 218 Fifty years on 265 International Aquatic Board President 219 Harry, the reluctant apprentice 266 The Right Hon. Peter Walker, M.B.E., M.P. 220 Protest at Newcastle upon Tyne 269 Eldon Griffiths, M.P., and the Institute 221 The Parks of Worcester 270 Sports Council grants 221 What type of pool? 272 Swimming — French style 222 Fifty years in baths 274 ; Conference programme 223 On the Burntwood scene 276 International speakers at Blackpool 224 Wythenshawe’s £2m. forum 277 Highlights of 50 years 226 The attraction of sub-aqua clubs 278 Pools for people 280 Midland branch in war-time 229 .1 A few of the stalwarts 230 1971 exam results 282 A ‘ new ’ method for teaching swimming 235 Brecon swimming pool 283 The famous Liverpool * steamies ’ 284 The good old days 236 * Madam, your scrap is slipping . ’ 288 Development of the public baths service 238 in Great Britain_________________ A potted history of public baths 290 240 ; Swimming booms: more pools needed 291 ' Sidney Low ; 245 Harry Hyde looks back What’s new in baths? 292 246 A leisure pool for Whitley Bay Round the branches 294 249 Harry Hitchin, golden jubilee year president Obituary 295 250 The ‘ fill ’ and ‘ empty ’ days Berlin’s new health centre 296 252 F. R. Botham reminisces Interviewmanship 298 256 299 Some of the pioneers______ Book review : 258 Bartholomew’s Turkish Baths Letters to the Editor—K. Gutteridge, 260 A. G. Evans, Retired member 300 Myself when young : 261 Advertisers’ index Lll ; Institute’s new general secretary : 213 Commentary and very recently the creation of a national college based block-release THE PAST AND THE FUTURE course and the placing of the national correspondence course in the In looking back on the history of development of any organisation one hands of a professional correspondence Institute. is apt to attempt a summary in a single vivid phrase. Invariably such This broad account has of course omitted numerous minor develop­ drastic condensations must be wrong, progress is seldom homogene­ ments which have collectively played an important part in the operation ous judgments are rarely unbiased and viewpoints depend upon one s of the Institute’s affairs and also the role of various local activities such standpoint. The film scriptwriter’s caption of ‘Fifty Glorious Years’ as as study circles and the London day-release course. The list of develop­ r a description of Queen Victoria’s reign would certainly not be the ments has omitted reference to the way in which the Institute's influence iud gment of the population at the height of her period of unpopularity. Neither would it echo the sentiments of social historians. has grown with its activities. It has also omitted the richly deserved tributes to the various members whose enthusiasm and hard work has How therefore, would one assess the past 50 years of the existence contributed to the success of these various endeavours. of the Institute of Baths Management and its predecessor the National Association of Baths Superintendents? To use the caption "Fifty Years History, however, belongs to the past. Much more important, particu­ of Progress” would conjure up a picture of constant improvement, but larly to the younger members and those aspiring to membership are the this has not been the case, although undoubtedly the Institute has prospects for the future. The Institute long since foresaw the now accomplished great strides. How also does one assess success? By obvious trend towards the construction of multi-purpose sports centres numerical strength? Financial standing? Degree of influence? By the incorporating swimming pools and in consequence several years ago quality or calibre of members, or by our public image? Certainly numeri­ the section of its examinations dealing with entertainments and recrea­ cal strength is meaningless without quality and unfortunately the false tion based upon winter period baths halls was extended to incorporate goal of seeking size in the Illusion that numbers will increase both the whole of indoor recreation in purpose designed facilities. It is now finance and influence is very likely to be attained only at the price of a quite obvious that the future of many of its members will lie in this reduction in quality. In the case of a Trade Union the quest for numerical direction. The Institute also foresaw the emergence of comprehensive strength automatically pursues both finance and influence as the recreation departments and the need for a ‘new type of animal’, an former comes from membership fees and the latter from the size of the officer equipped with knowledge concerning all types of recreation, block vote and the strength of bargaining power based upon threat of both indoors and outdoors and possibly the arts as well. Consequently industrial action. The Institute however is not a Trade Union. Its maxi­ it initiated the foundation of the new Institute of Recreation Management. mum potential size is limited by a factor largely outside its control, However, its prime objective is the creation of baths managers and the namely, the quantity of facilities. Its success therefore can only stem improvement of their professional competence, and this is the objective from the quality of its membership. Their calibre alone will determine which should be assessed in the light of probable future events. both its influence and its public image. The most obvious conclusion is that any fears of the prospects of It is of course important to pause and ask why? Does it matter if the future requirements for qualified baths managers can be immediately Institute progresses or dies? What is its purpose and what is its value? discounted for two reasons. The emergence of Directors of Recreation Always the existence of any form of society, association, club or pro­ need not be feared. The number of these posts will necessarily be limited fessional body evokes from some of its members a sort of chauvinism and the larger and more comprehensive of these departments the greater arising from loyalty to the group. Members begin to talk of the good of will be the need of the Directors for the services of experts to run the the club, association or Institute as if it was some separate entity with specialised sections of their multi-purpose services. The loss of poten­ e life of its own. An entity to be fostered, protected and strengthened. tial chief officer appointments will be mourned but there will be the compensatory factor that in many cases the salaries as heads of the Of course, any such body is merely the membership at the time. The baths section of such services might be greater than if the department - Institute is merely a device to protect and foster the interests of its had been separate. j k members. In the case or any professional body these purposes emanate [ from the quality and standard of professional expertise which the body The impending reform of the structure of the local government system ' creates. Furthermore, in times of continually rising standards of educa- is now certain but again baths managers will have nothing to fear. In i tion it is necessary for any professional body to continue to raise its this respect they will indeed be very fortunate compared with most of standards otherwise by the act of merely standing still it will be left their local government colleagues. Many of the local government pro­ behind. The Institute has come a long way in this field but it has much fessions with Chief Official or Head of Department status prospects further to go. will be hard hit by the inevitable drastic reduction in the number of local authorities. The hardest hit will be those who for statutory reasons are In the light of the above premises it is possible to review the first employed by every authority and the least affected will be those employed half century. Quite obviously there has not been continuing steady only by a minority of authorities who own particular facilities. Again, I progress but rather a series of quantitive changes giving way to periods within the existing posts of both the above categories the hardest hit ; of qualitative changes followed by lengthy periods of digestion. will be those with the highest percentage of appropriately qualified The main events are easy to isolate. The first annual conference. The officers within their ranks. Undoubtedly, the scale of contraction in the f creation of an examination qualification. The introduction of a national number of separate authorities will be far greater than that experienced IflQfuine 'Baths & Baths Engineering'. A considerable increase in in the London reorganisation. Consequently, the great majority of all both the scope and standard of the examination qualification in 1947 to Clerks and Treasurers of the existing authorities will soon face the u n recognition from the National Joint Council for Local Authority probability of enforced retirement or loss of status. Only approximately Services of the Institute's Testamur as the appropriate qualification one sixth of all local authorities, however, now possess a baths depart­ for a Baths Manager. The inauguration of a paid secretariat and separate ment.