MIXED BATHING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20073, 9 October 1920, Page 1 (Supplement)

MIXED BATHING.

TONBRIDGE REFORMER’S NEW SHOCK.

Councillor Donald! Clark, of Tonbridge, in his tour of tho south coast seaside towns, undertaken at tiio invitation of the “Daily Mail,” writes:— When I visited Margate on August Bank Holiday to watch tho mixed bathing there I fully expected that my previously expressed inipression of other seaside towns would have been confirmed. _ But, to my glad surprise', everything I saw at this town was such that no'saint could take exception to it. I only wish 1 could say the same of Bournemouth.

Jljy filirib impression of the mixed bathing here has been in the nature of a very severe shock. I have found among a certain section of the women bathers an utter disregard of that most precious possession, the aura of mystery.

Very few skirted 1 costumes appear to be worn hero. This is an unpleasant contradiction to what I saw at Margate. _ The one-piece, tight-fitting costume is the vogue at Bournemouth. For the purposes of serious swimming 1 admit that such a. Gross is desirable, but I saw practically no real attempts at swimming this morning.

A BOURNEMOUTH HORROR. For the most part the’ women appeared to be in very little water for frivolous enjoyment. It is true that most of the women wetted their costumes, but this chiefly accentuated the tight fit of them. A large number of the bathers of both sexes merely sat in the surf, little caring how they appeared to a serious critic.

I suggest to the local authorities of Bournemouth that it would be of advantage to appoint two inspectors of mixed_ bathing, with full powers to stop anything they considered objectionable. I would have a man inspector and a woman inspector. I would also make it. a condition that no one, especially no woman, should indulge in mixed bathing in a oiitpieco costume. Both men and women bathing together; should he compelled to wear skirted dress.

SUN BATHS. There is one thing about mixed bathing at Ventnor that has struck me very, forcibly, and that is the amount of sun bathing indulged in. It is the practice of those who have finished in the water to throw themselves down on the sand and sun their bodies in full View of everyone. , As a pleasant and healthy end to n bathe I can find no fault with this custom, but I do hold that it should not he practised promiscuously and in public view. Neither from a moral nor an ordinary decent point of view should indiscriminate sun bathing be atlon'ed.

■ UNDER. STATE CONTROL. Mixed bathing has become a public entertainment. Spectators in their thousands pay to sit in chairs and watch it, and the performers, on their part, show no shyness. If any theatre manager dared to show on the stage one-quarter of what can bo witnessed at almost any seaside place bo would find himself in very hot water with (he Lord Chamberlain. Mixed bathing has now gob to such a pitch that I consider that stricter local control should be exorcised ;.r the while thing placed under Government supervision.