Baths and Bath Engineering September 1934
By Coun. R. D. MENNELL (Oxford).
The appearance of a paper like Baths and Bath Engineering is a sign of the times, a sign that the cult of swimming is of vital interest to the community, and it behoves those concerned, and particularly municipal authorities, to look ahead and see that the layout of bathing places will meet the demands of the fresh air and swimming people 10 and 20 years hence.
Space.
The keynote must be spaciousness, especially surrounding out-of-door baths, and I would suggest a ratio of four land to one of water for a start. We have got to supply space for young people to work off their energy out of water as well as in it. Water by itself is a depressant and must be mixed with air bathing and exercise to get the right amount of stimulation. L ying about in the sun is not enough. We must supply gymnastic apparatus and space where physical culture clubs, and I hope school children, can drill and exercise, a little away from the noise of the public plage.
Ground Covering.
This is a problem that needs more attention. Paving is hard and uninviting; shingle is unkind to the feet and gets into the bath. I believe we must come back to grass, but it must be very carefully chosen. The lawn grasses are too tender and will not stand up to wet bathing costumes. The ground becomes muddy and fouls the bath, or they dry up and dry leaves get into the filtering plant. I think we must go back to tough old indigenous pasture grasses, meadow fescue, rye, cocksfoot, and the like, that if not cut too short with the mower make a strong springy carpet for the feet. Round the bath one must have paving, of course, with plenty of foot troughs to remove dirt.
Colour.
Colour plays an important part in the exhilaration bathing gives. Blues and greens, cream and orange all play their part, and I would advise town councils that run art schools to invite their co-operation in decoration. Bathing places make a good setting for sculpture, and splashes of colour in the form of flowers and trees must not be forgotten; at the same time remembering that petals and leaves can be a nuisance in the filtering plant and the roots of some trees can exert enormous pressure on concrete construction.
Dressing in the Sun.
When finances are limited, it seems a pity to sacrifice the size of the bath and its amenities for the sake of elaborate dressing accommodation.
The old idea of one man one cubicle, with its waiting queue on a hot afternoon, is out-of-date, and it is a mistake to face boxes on to the plage so that doors have to be tight shut, for dressing in the sun has a charm of its own. And all that is wanted is a sheltered spot to undress in and somewhere safe to deposit clothes. In comparing the two systems of the locker and basket, the latter has the advantage of being transferable, that is to say, if there are more men bathing than women the baskets can be used by the men, not so the women ‘s lockers.
Dressing Paddocks.
When space permits, enclosed grass paddocks with the dressing accommodation and offices running round the sides seems to meet the case. The accompanying plan illustrates it; and it will be seen that in times of pressure any number of children can undress on the grass. The simplest and most economical form of this construction is to have a roofed open-fronted shed with seating and pegs running round three sides of the quadrangle. A feature of this principle is that the attendants’ offices overlook both water and clothes. And the attendant can see and not be seen-a powerful check to petty thieving. Clothes will be found to be safe left on pegs, but the basket system could be worked on crowded days. The key to the plan, fig. 1, illustrates the working of it and the importance of bringing to the notice of bathers the foot trough, showers and lavatories on the way to the bath. Economy in attendants is also a feature of this plan by having all the offices together.
The Bath Plan.
Having so often noticed the serious swimmer and diver handicapped by the ” gad about ” and the danger of some innocent being kicked in the stomach, I have provided bays, one for diving and one for playing, with the centre as a swimming track. The floating pontoons or bridges across the bays can be moved to anywhere in the bath so that a polo pitch can be made without interference with the ordinary bather. And two events can go on at the same time at sports.
The Forbidding Sides.
I have always been struck by seeing people struggling to get up the sides of a bath like a mouse fallen into the milk. Why not make it easy by setting back the verge and making a step of the scum channel as shown in fig. 2? It would lessen congestion at the steps and do away with centre ones, allowing another entrant in a race in some baths. The sides of a bath can be higher above the splashing level without interfering with the view of the attendant. It is easy to clean and is a catch for gravel, etc., and finally, what is the matter with it as an extra. foot-washing trough? the bather squatting on the verge as a preliminary to going in. The outlet could easily be controlled to hold enough water.
I plead that this should be at least tried down one side of a bath.
I am indebted to the superintendent (Mr. Stevens) of Finchley Pool for helpful criticism and hope this article will bring a great deal more in the form of correspondence.
Letters to the Editor, Baths and Bath Engineering October 1934
Sir, I am very interested in the excellent article by Goun. R. D. Mennell on ” Swimming Pool Planning ” and especially in his suggestion that a reasonable length of bath should be left for swimmers.
If I may suggest a humorous vein for one moment, water polo might become more entertaining were it played in a bath of the shape shown in Mr. Mennell ‘s sketch.
With regard to the suggested channelling, it would seem that whilst it is difficult to find fault with any of the arguments raised and given in its favour by Mr. Mennell, there would be considerable danger should a swimmer slip when diving or leaving the edge, and also its shape might easily cause a swimmer endeavouring to leave the water by that met hod to fall forward and give him a nasty blow.
The present idea of swimming baths that the bather should leave only by the comparatively safe step seems in these days of compulsory “Safety First” to be advisable.
L . B. JOHNSTON,
Assistant to Managing Director.
The Leeds Fireclay Co., Ltd.,
Wortley, Leeds, 12.
September 10, 1934.
