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.)

From Cymru to Facebook and Dallas

Cymru Am Byth

Quick foreword: this is going to be one of those scatty blog posts which hop from one subject to another like im juggling hot spuds. The mouth and tail and a meeting someplace inbetween.


Facebook. Most of the time its full of self indulgent status 'headlines' and " 'Like' This If You Love Granny " type garbage. Basically it is what you should expect from a website where the majority have nothing to say. Ever. Thankfully not everyone is a self absorbed twit and this is where the site becomes an extremely useful tool. Social media is frighteningly efficient at getting messages across to the masses and because its done in a fun way (as opposed to seemingly lecture, people hate that), the message sinks in.
Of course it doesn't have to be earth shattering news worthy of Moses. It can be a simple statement spread amongst friends, bringing them closer together. You might be already be aware of it but it doesn't harm to pass it along via Facebook/Twitter. Take the 'card' above that I spotted on a friends page for instance. How glad it made me feel! Sure all my friends already knew Welsh was my first language and that as an old Strade schoolboy (Welsh language comprehensive school in west Wales), Welsh is my mother tongue but having things like this pop up at random always feels good. "Dwi'n Siarad Cymraeg ac yn falch o hynny" Translation: I speak Welsh and am glad of that. And yes by all that is Cawl and Ray Gravelle, I am glad I speak it and God help us if this ancient, beautiful language ever dies.
Dai Jakes is actually teaching a few American friends some Cymraeg (Welsh) via Facebook. Oh aye, its a little wish of mine to be able to claim I took some diolch's and da iawn's to the streets of Texas and California. Mr Jakes the pioneer taking the gospels of Burry Port and Carmarthen to the busy sidewalks of Houston and Dallas bars! And I was all set to get my pinny out too but Ann Romney has already spread the Welshcake love so America has been spared the Dai's Youtube Welshcake Extravaganza (be grateful for that at least.)
Duw all this from Facebook? Where will end mun?