Swimming pool introduces ‘chatting lanes’ for the elderly

Help the Aged has given a warm welcome to the decision by the management of St Albans Swimming Baths to set aside a special swimming lane purely for pensioners who want to stand in the middle of the pool and chat to each other.

Water Activities Co-ordinator Sarah Morrison said; ‘We are simply responding to a growing demand by our most loyal customers. A lot of our older bathers don’t really want to swim at all. They tend to come just for the social side. Now they don’t need to feel self-conscious about sticking to water activities that suit them, such as gossiping, moaning about their husbands, complaining about the council, and laughing very loudly and slowly, you know the way old people do.’

Muriel Fazackerley of Hertfordshire Age Concern, agreed: ‘Swimming baths have long had lanes set aside for faster swimmers, for learners, even for people doing backstroke. But this is the first time that there’ll be one for pensioners who just want to come and have a natter about their grandchildren. We expect a significant reduction in tutting incidents from younger people swerving to avoid them.’

Miss Morrison said she expected other swimming pools to follow suit. However Eastbourne Council have already ruled out the idea, saying that this is the only thing their pool is used for anyway, so frankly there would be no point. ‘We do have different lanes for our elderly chatterers though.’ said the manager; ‘with clear signs indicating ‘Weeing and non-weeing.’

Tobycek

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