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Search forRec arena can help stop Bath being a 'museum'
Thursday, December 04, 2008, 09:11
However, we include the club for at least three very good reasons.
1. The Charitable Trust would go bust if they lost the income the rugby club paid.
2. The rugby club have a robust lease of more than 60 years.
3. They have been there for over 100 years.
Despite that, we do want to have other sports there – football, cricket, baseball for starters. But there are many other uses that the old Bath Recreation Co Ltd determined should (and could) take place there and we are exploring the potential.
In that way there can be other contributors to the structural works that are required to give the city an arena that is deserving of our World Heritage status that adds our century's contribution.
Bath is not a museum, but a 'city for people' and the Recreation Ground should cater for all sport for all people.
The fact that the rugby club use only 28 per cent of The Rec for about half a year is due to the unfortunate decision of the then club committee failing to accept the offer of the WHOLE of The Rec in 1956 when they were offered it for £10,000.
Grenville talks about his first-hand knowledge of these issues; my personal experience is from my late father-in-law who was treasurer of the Recreation Ground Ltd.
Grenville also talks about The Rec being left to the people of Bath. My understanding is that in the late 18th century, Lady Pulteney gave up on the area to 'leave the malaria-infested swamp' hoping the people of Bath would rot in it! I believe it remained grotty until the rugby club and Somerset Cricket came along to give it some TLC!
But the situation is urgent; Andrew Brownsword cannot be expected to carry on losing money and so let's take the opportunity to keep the rugby, bring back cricket, and get other sports to contribute for the benefit of the many, from enthusiasts, businesses, plus supporters as well as the citizens of the Bath area and its visitors.
Come and join us at www.realfriendsoftherec.co.uk.
RICHARD WRIGHT/PETER DOWNEY, Real Friends of the Rec
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