Crowd turned away from new pool

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33452, 6 February 1974, Page 1

Crowd turned away from new pool

Almost 3000 would-be swimmers i Elizabeth II Park pool yesterday when it public for the first time, (inly 1689 of them < Because of a mix-up in times the rest | arrived after the doors had shut at 5 p.m. They waited patiently, some for several hours, in the hope the pool would be opened. By 8.15 p.m., there were still about 500 people, mainly children, waiting' outside the ! pool.

The mix-up had its genesis, in newspaper reports last week which said the pool would be open in the evening only. It was compounded on Monday evening, when, in a television interview, the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr! N. G. Pickering) also said the pool would be open in the evening. Until more staff are em-[

ployed at the pool it will he .open every day of the week,; but only between 9 a.m. and 5 pin. “1 was certainly under a misapprehension at the time.”' Mr Pickering said last evenling. • “I had read the times in [the paper on Saturday evening and they appeared to be [quite logical. They wouldi Shave allowed the workmen; [to clear away the temporary! [seating at the pool during the; I day untroubled by swimmers, 1 , [and, after the workmen had .gone home, the public could [have used the pool without the work going on around them,” he said. “It really is a great shame! ■ so many people have been; : inconvenienced,” said Mr Pickering. The manager of the parkcomplex (Mr F. B. Jenkings)! said it was very unfortunate that the mix-up occurred, but! night swimming at present could be unsafe. ATTENDANTS NEEDED "We would need extra staff before we could take the risk of opening the pool to such concentrated numbers in a short time. The Games have been over for only two days,

attended the Queen it was opened to the got a swim. ■and you can’t pluck trained pool attendants from no-; ; where,” he said. “We will sneak up on it by!, degrees as the staff become! more used to the pool and, 'more attendants are em-; ployed,” said Mr Jenkings. “We would like to get the » pool fully operational as soon . as possible, but we ask the I public to bear with us in the! meantime. If it wasn’t for the i assistance of the contractors. ’ the pool wouldn’t be open at • all. “That there should have j been a mix-up such as this is; - very regrettable,” he said. ’ PEAK CROWD II Mr Jenkings estimated that' tat. one time last evening there: had been about 1000 would-' • be swimmers at the pool.! . “The Press” received several: I;telephone calls from persons” I wanting to "report the pool;! : I staff for not opening up.”j[ II Some of these put the num-; ;ber of those waiting as high J’as 2000. i Apart from the mix-up, the i' ' day had gone smoothly, said! Mr Jenkings. The diving pool! ■ had been closed yesterday. I i but it was intended to open t it today. Of those who had l been in during the dav, 827 t were adults, he said.