National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
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Taking the Plunge
Cardiff City Council promotes the attractions of The Wales Empire Pool, which has “everything”, including Turkish Baths where the camera happens to turn up on Ladies Day.
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Overview
The Wales Empire Pool, built to provide facilities for the VIth British and Commonwealth Empire Games held in Cardiff in 1958, is here shown off by Cardiff City Council, from its 55 yard pool (suitable for international swimmers like Ian Black and fun-seeking local adults and children) to its lighting, tiles and asbestos sound-proofing. The main attraction, however, is Ladies Day at the pool’s Turkish Baths which are ‘modelled’ by Virginia Jones and Eira Roberts.
Made for Cardiff City Corporation, this film is narrated by John Darran, a BBC Wales Today presenter and Pat David who ran the Pat David modelling agency in Cardiff - Virginia and Eira were probably on her books. The footage of Ian MacIntosh Black swimming in the pool was probably filmed between 1958 and 1960. In 1958 he won 3 gold medals at the European Championships in Budapest and a gold and two silvers for Scotland in the VIth British and Empire Commonwealth Games in Cardiff. That year he was declared BBC Sports Personality of the Year, aged just 17. He went on to represent Great Britain at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.
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