No Heavy Petting

Vintage: Jubilee Pool, Llanelli

Was thinking about the Marina in Swansea earlier and I got to thinking how much swimming pools have changed since I was a young boyo growing up in the 1970's/80's. I was what my grandmother called a "water baby" because I loved swimming and spent a fair amount of time at the Jubilee pool in Llanelli, jumping from top board, 'bombing' friends. (In fact I will go as far as to claim I was one of the first ten year olds in Strade school to actually dive from the highest board.)

But the changes from the 'baths' then to now are are as different as a graceful dive is to a bellyflop.

First off, the water seems warmer in todays sports centers.

Pools of yesteryear always had a foot bath linking changing room to swimming pool. Don't see them these days.

Swimming pools used to have a gutter running around the edges, as well as the occasional handrail.

The "No Heavy Petting" signs have disappeared.

Ditto the frightening grates in the middle of the deep end. I used to imagine all kinds of underwater leviathans inhabited those, convinced a slimy claw would reach out from the darkness if you dared get too near and pull you to your doom.

Leisure centers used stink of chlorine which would linger on you all day. Coming home on the bus you could always tell if someone had visied Jubilee pool. The potent stink has gone, along with hamburgers. Ah yes in Llanelli baths they didnt sell regular beefburgers, you got hamburgers (which were rather tasty if my tastebuds remember rightly.)

Under the Surgeon's Dice

Is that you Sharon?

After seeing yet more photographs of the rich and shameless and their plastic surgery (which really ought to be rebranded as 'grotesque surgery') in todays morning papers, I can only come to the same conclusion that I always did: attempting to defy the ageing process will turn you into something resembling a cross between a Garbage Pail Kid and a Boglin (Google them if you were born after 1990.)
Are these blockheads so blinded by (a frail) vanity that they cannot see the bubbling mess in the mirror staring back at them? Can anyone be so deluded? Why of course they can, but such is the fear of losing that touch of glamour, these wealthy oiks wont ever see past the illusion of the stunning 25 year old staring back in their reflection. Key word being ILLUSION. That older, more decrepid hag, peering over the 25 year olds slender shoulders, is brushed away and foolishly ignored.
The folly of the ever greying famous is that they truly believe money is able to halt time and while they wait for the code of the grand design of immortality to be cracked, they plaster over the wrinkles with botox bulldozners and pad out their pensioners skin with crooked sounding 'stay young' procedures. I won't name and shame the worst offenders because evidently they have no shame but im hopeful one or two will stumble across the Dai Jake's Book sometime and realise the sobering truth: most folks are not dazzled by your staggering beauty or fooled by con tricks to evade old age.
No, the majority only want to look at you with morbid curiosity. Like the times we used to watch public executions and circus freaks. Sad really, but then you'll never understand that. Botox made you deaf. Enjoy your new life as a gargoyle. Toodle pip!

Shopping In 1971

In 1971 your shopping cost ~

Petrol 7.5p litre
Large white sliced loaf 10.5p
Bottle of Scotch £3.08p
Colour tv licence £12
(The b/w licence was abolished like the colour one should be too).
Average house price £5,970
Mars bar 4p
Prescription charge 20p (since been abolished in Wales).
Cinema ticket 40p
Pint of beer 12p

Average weekly wage for full time workers:

Men £32.90
Women £18.30