Evening Press Readers' Letters

I am disgusted to hear the council is considering closing Yearsley pool.

Since returning to work after the birth of my son 12 months ago, I have been using the pool during my lunch break once or twice a week.

The reason I took up swimming again was to reduce my weight, improve my fitness and reduce my stress levels, all of which swimming greatly improves.

I am sure it applies to the many other people who use the pool.

Surely the council must realise that if they reduce people's opportunity to swim, and therefore improve their mental and physical health, they are more likely to need expensive medical care from the NHS.

I wonder if they have ever visited the pool? Whenever I go, either on a lunch time or afternoon it is always busy. It is used by the young and old alike. It is especially encouraging to see children learning to swim which may one day end up saving their life. Will the council deny them the chance to learn this life-saving skill?

If it is funding they need, why not raise the admission prices?

Nichola J Hodgkinson,

Heather Bank,

Stamford Bridge,

York.

...I support J M Shippen's letter (Evening Press, December 31) and agree that York should not be without either Yearsley or Barbican pools.

Apart from the obvious keep fit aspect for people who use the pools for health reasons, where are the children going to learn to swim? What about recreational and health options for our children of all ages who are too old for parks but have to use up their excess energy or turn into couch potatoes?

On the opposite page of the Evening Press swimmers were being challenged by BT to raise money for the charity Shelter. How can we if there are no pools? My 12-year-old daughter swims to raise money for the National Asthma campaign.

We need our pools.

Mrs Smurthwaite,

Burnholme,

York.

...LET'S not give up the fight to save Yearsley! The council's weakening.

Now they want to privatise Yearsley for a peppercorn rent of one pound. Who would take it on when all the parking belongs to Nestl? Let's face it, we're all born with wheels these days. If we can't park, we don't go.

Another suggestion, we'll use a local school. Won't that cost money? After all this is supposed to be a cost-cutting exercise.

Besides, the council is not renowned for speed with building projects.

Think of the rising costs of that showpiece white elephant, the Barbican; or more recently my old school Park Grove.

So keep up and at 'em. It's your pool. You pay for it. Fight for it.

Charles Whiting,

St Olave's Road,

York.

...I WRITE to express my concern at the threatened closure of Yearsley baths.

We are constantly being advised to take more exercise for the good of our health and swimming is one of the finest forms of exercise. Therefore it would appear to be a retrograde step to deprive the residents of York of this form of exercise.

Furthermore, with regard to the sporting nature of the exercise, Yearsley pool is one that is suitable for training purposes and has been used by swimmers entering competitions.

To deny contestants this opportunity would be a great shame.

Margaret Noble,

Broome Close,

Huntington,

York.

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