Tuesday, November 25, 2014

The Beginning of a Journey

It all started with a photo of my old home town swimming baths, a place that I spent many hours in the 60s but is long since gone. I'd just published my first book and was looking for a new project to work on. As things often happen, that photo triggered a little spark, that turned into a flame, a project that has taken hold of me. I need to tell the story of my local Municipal Baths and have it ready by the centenary of the opening of baths in 1917. I have a long journey ahead.



This photo is not the one that sparked my interest in the project that's taken hold of me, but is one of my own, taken on a Box Brownie camera in the early 1960s. It's suffered the indignities of being shoved in a box and transported from place to place over the years - hence the damage. However, it's my own little treasure, the image that will keep me motivated throughout the next four years.

If you're at all interested in swimming, or local history, or researching times and places from the past, I hope you'll join me on this journey. As I immerse myself in the story of the old baths I'm sure I'll have many stories to share with you.