THE DAILY PLUNGE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 125, 29 May 1930, Page 15

THE DAILY PLUNGE

PATRONS OF THE BATHS TICKETS ABE STILL PUNCHED (By "No-Plunge.") For those who desire to sample the water at Te Aro Baths, the doors are still open each day, and the custodian (Mr. Caluan) is "on deck," sitting behind his glassed-in counter only too pleased to punch a ticket or two. With a scarf wrapped warmly round my neck, the collar of my coat drawn well up, and my hands in my pockets, I took a spin round to the baths yesterday afternoon. The custodian got up from | his seat, shoved up a glass panel, and greeted me, just as he would do anyone. But he didn't have a ticket punch in his hand, and I was quite sure from his look tftat he didn't expect mo to X'roduco a ticket or put down any money on the counter. Nor did I. I want there for that purpose. A few. days ago —I think it was one of th'o coldest experienced so far this year —I heard a man complaining about the cold to a friend in the tram car going home, and this friend to my amazement almost laughed at the idea. "Do you feel cold?" he asked in a tone which annoyed .me. "Why, this morning I was round at the paths, and it was all right, too." "For a swim?" ho was asked. "Of course," this amazing friend replied. "I go all the year round, winter, and summer." I just shuddered, but I know now that he, is just one of forty who have a splash in the baths every day. "Yes, the average daily attendance is about forty," said Mr. Calnan, in reply to a question, "but I think it will begin to fall offi a bit no\y." A number come early in the morning—in fact, two men havo been swimming in the dark lately-^-aud about fifteen or so tako a dip round about lunch timo; othors drift in at different times of the day. There aro about forty, I should say all told, and there are also two ladies, who Lave been coming regularly." Among these forty people are a number of men prominent in the business life of the city, and not a few of them aro well past the forty mark. There is one man sixty-three years of ago who has been going to the baths regularly winter and summer for tho past twentynine years, and thexo are several othors approaching that age who divo in every day and say they feel all tho better for it. . "I really don't know how they do it," I said. "Why, even the shower in tho bathroom in tho morning—and mind you I don't turn it on—sends a shudder through me these days." "No, the water,doesn't look exactly enticing, does it?" said Fr. Calnan. By this'time we were in the baths enclosure. The last rays of tho afternoon sun were shining on the water, but even so the water, rippled by the keen southerly wind, looked far from being pleasant to me. And yot there was one man swimming round, and a, healthy-looking speeimon, but older, drying himself, and ho didn't seem to know that the wind was cold—decidedly cold. '• The custodian hauled up a thermometer ho keeps in tho water, and said tho temperature was 52deg. The lowest reading so far this year had been Sldeg., but he expected that very soon lower readings ■ would bo recorded. In August and September when tho snow on the Eimutakas melted there might be a drop to 47dcg. A pleasant thought! ' Still, until that timo arrives the water in the baths will bo disturbed each day by thirty or forty, with an utter disregard for tlie fact r that it is winter, and they won't care two straws; what the thermometer says. But, I say, turn, on the heat!