Finding A Place to Write

Gathering research is one thing, but until now I've put off doing the actual writing. I kept telling myself I don't have enough information yet. Thankfully I realised this is silly. As a one time boss of mine once said when I told him I wasn't ready to take the next step, when will you be?

So, I gave myself a talking to this week and chose to take the next step. Yes, I'm finally getting on with the writing. There's much written already of course, little disconnected bits, all filed away, hoping they'll find the right place to settle in the larger scheme of things. Writing at home is fine, but as yet I haven't disciplined myself to ignore interruptions.

Have you ever noticed that when the time is right things happen? My thoughts strayed to a room, a writers room, with nothing more than a table and chair. And tucked away at the back of my head the answer had been waiting for me.

To cut a long story short, I've found a room in a community house, free of charge, that I've hired for three hours once a fortnight. Imagine that, a room to shut myself away from the world, where I can't do anything else but write. Won't that be exciting? I can't wait to get started.

The First Time

I first came into contact with the old baths in Ashley Street when Mum and I went to watch cousins Victor and John swimming in the Manawatu champs, probably early 1960. Of John I remember very little, but I remember watching Victor in a breaststroke race.

Mum and I sat in the midst of the crowd on the long wooden seating above the dressing sheds, looking down on the pool below. The water, divided on the surface by black lane ropes, sparkled under the bright lights. The sky above was dark and clear enough to see the stars. Up there on the seats I felt drawn to both the black above and the blue below.

Apart from the school swimming sports, I'd never been to watch swimming races before. Being a spectator didn't suit me. I wanted to be down there with the competitors, diving into the water, part of the action.

That night, my first time at the Municipal Baths, a swimmer was born.

Why Didn't the Baths Open On Time

How often have you started reading what promises to be an interesting life story, but felt something was missing? It takes more than just the personal facts of the story to bring it alive. Readers like to know the bigger picture. The story needs to be placed in context of what else was happening in the world or community at that time. 

For, example, in my own research into the story of my local baths, I couldn’t work out why they were late opening for the 1918 – 1919 swimming season -remember, I live down under in New Zealand so the swimming season is October to March.

The answer became evident. A terrible influenza epidemic was sweeping the world after World War 1 and New Zealand, being a small country was hit particularly hard. Of course the swimming pool wasn’t open, when schools and other organisations were closed.

Knowing a bit about what was happening  at the time helps the reader understand your story better. It’s worth making the effort to include the bigger picture to give a better understanding.

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.