BC - RECORDS OF BATH CITY COUNCIL AND BATH & NORTH EAST SOMERSET COUNCIL
- BC/13 - Bath as a Spa, Cultural and Tourist centre: records of Bath City Council and Bath & North East Somerset Council's responsibilities for culture, leisure and tourism
  - BC/13/12 - Records relating to the Thermae Bath Spa
    - BC/13/12/1 - Records relating to the Bath Spa Project (1997-2006)
      - BC/13/12/1/1 - Audio recordings of interviews conducted to aid in the development of displays for the Spa Visitor Centre, Bath

Interview with Bob Whitaker who recalls his children learning to swim in the Cross Bath, Bath.

Reference Number: BC/13/12/1/1/6
Alternative Reference Number: 0779
Level of Description: Item
Title: Interview with Bob Whitaker who recalls his children learning to swim in the Cross Bath, Bath.
Date: c.2005
Extent: Extent: 1 minidisc
Description: An audio recording of an interview with Mr Whitaker, who recalls his children learning to swim at the Cross Bath, Bath, in the mid-1960s.

The interviewer is Giles White and this interview, along with others, was conducted to aid in the development of visitor displays at the Spa Visitor Centre, which opened in August 2006. The location of the interview is not specified.

The recording is 00:02:56 long with Giles White's voice coming in at 00:00:03. A full transcript of the interview can be made available on request.

Bob describes how the teacher would help the children learn to swim with a long pole with a loop at the end of it and how the extremely hot water meant that the children could swim all year round, even if it was raining or snowing. He also talks about his work in 1968 with the University of Bath School of Chemistry and the River Authority to look at the chemical composition, the temperature and the flow of the hot springs. Finally, he describes how the round cavities in the walls of the Beau Street Baths were made by children using coins to make the shapes whilst they waited in line to use the baths.
Existence and Location of Copies: Digitised MP3 versions are available on Preservica via internal access at Bath Record Office.