These Water Babies Begin at Five Months.

The ‘Water Babies’ of Denaby Main are showing the way to combat the dangers of drowning, which every year claims child victims in the district’s rivers and canals.

Parents with babies as young as five months are flocking to a special family swimming session at Denaby Baths every Sunday – the idea of Baths Manager Mr. Cyril Rich.

Mr. Rich told me this week: ‘We started the family session three or four years ago, and it has really caught on. Last Sunday we had around 220 parents and children in the morning session, starting at 10.15.

‘It is particularly good for young children, because there isn’t as much splashing about, and there’s not so much noise to frighten them.’

Parents approve.

One parent full of praise for the idea is 26-years-old Mrs. Jean Haigh, of 2, Taylor Street, Conisbrough.

The mother of three-years-old Julie an Christine, aged 13 months, Mrs. Haigh said ‘I started taking Julie when she was about 11 months, and Christine began this year.

‘You hear so much every year about children getting drowned, that I thought it would be a good thing to get the children used to the water.

‘Some people think you can start too soon with them,’ added Mrs. Haigh, wife of window cleaner Mr. Stanley Haigh (26).

Both the Haigh children enjoy their weekly dip, like eight-months-old Kendal Bywater, one of the four children of Cadeby Colliery worker Mr. Fred Bywater (32) and his wife, Marjorie (30), of 18, Montagu Avenue, Conanby, Conisbrough.

Kendal started her swimming career at the tender age of five months.

Her mother said, ‘Water has never bothered her – in fact she’s mad to go in, and even has the leg action quite well. I don’t think you can start them too young.’

Of the other Bywater children, Sharon (9) and Kim (8) are both very keen, but Wayne (5) has some doubts about the whole thing.

Among the other water babies are nine-months-old Joanne Sarah, daughter of Mr. Barry Haigh (31), and his wife Mariorie (28); 14-months-old Alan Richardson, of 156, Chapel Street, Wath; and two-years-old John Logan, of 47, Maple Grove, Conisbrough.

And the last word goes to little Julie Haigh. She chirped up, ‘I like to jump in.’