I have a distinct feeling that York Hall TUrkish Suite will go the
same way as Rudos. Everyone is cashing in on the resurgent interest
in expensive spa treatments at the expense of the old traditional
style of turkish baths.

=====================================

A few weekends ago I went to Budapest to sample the famous 450 year
old Turkish baths there. There are three main ones - Rudas, Rac and
Kiraly. (Sorry for the lack of accented Hungarian spellings). As
might be well known Hungary has recently joined the European
Community and is now spending vast sums of Euros to upgrade its
tourist facilities. Unfortunately this has meant that the
atmospheric turkish baths - unchanged for centuries, and still with
the patina of use by thousands of customers over the centuries - are
now being gutted and modernised.

Certainly the Rac Baths - the only building left in the now
demolished Jewish quarter by the Castle - has now been so gutted
that it resembles a bombed out shell. Gone are the locker rooms, the
baths themselves, the steam rooms, the dry heat rooms, and
everything else. The only thing that now circulates the windowless
shell is the cold damp air blowing up from the frozen Danube. The
Baths will now be turned into yet another clinical and
sanitised 'spa' devoid of all ancient turkish history.

Unfortunately the Rudas Baths have already been given this treatment
over the last two years. I was there on the opening weekend. We
queued for about 20 minutes - this was a popular re-opening. There
were three security guards at the turnstyles. There was another
outside. Security guards at a turkish baths?!!! The cashier couldn't
understand my request in English for admission for swimming (in the
18'th baths) and to the turkish baths. It seems that modernising for
the tourists does not mean learning English (or even having any
signs in English). Eventually I was sold a credit card size plastic
security pass, and was grudgingly allowed to pass through the first
turnstyle after having my bag searched by a gruff looking security
person. I was then directed to the turkish baths (what remains of
them). There another turnstyle had to be negotiated. No towels or
sheets were offered - luckily I'd brought my own. The changing rooms
were all modernised cubicles just like at any municipal swimming
pool. The cubicle staff were as aggressive as the reception staff.
Each cubical door was locked from the inside by using the plastic
card. This released a key from the outside to be kept tied to one's
swimming costume. Ah - yes - swimming costumes were mandatory -
everything was co-ed now. The ancient turkish baths that used to be
for men only is now for families including screaming kids. Then I
entered the turkish baths proper - and horror of horrors - the whole
building had been gutted and rebuilt with garish red marble!!
NOTHING remained of the original 450 year old baths except for the
roof. EVERYTHING was brand spanking new. And GONE was the etheral
and steamy atmosphere that had endured for so many centuries. Even
the drinking fountains (taps) had been replaced by electronic
proximity devices to turn the water on and off. Needless to say in
the humid atmosphere these failed to work properly. The four pools
of varying temperatures around the main pool had also received the
dreaded red marble treatment. And believe me the newly cut marble
edges were SHARP. Everything was bathed in bright light, and the
coloured glass openings in the 450 year old domed roof had been
removed. The dry heat rooms were tiny and now boasted plastic doors
that didn't close properly. The steam rooms had been removed
entirely. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT. Obviously this is how the Rac Baths
were going to end up. But worse was to come. I wanted to get
something to eat and drink - but nothing was available. To visit the
Cafeteria I had to pass through the second turnstyle, and to do that
I had to surrender the credit card pass. And - no - I couldn't re-
enter the turkish baths. Feeling VERY upset I then decided to visit
the 18'th c. smimming baths. But despite having paid for this with
my credit card pass I was not allowed in. What an rip-off.

I hear that the Gellert Hotel - dating from the late 1800s/early
1900s has also just had a refurbishment - so I hope that they
haven't also gone for the red marble treatment too.

Luckily the 450 year old Kiraly Turkish Baths nearby have yet to be
refurbished. So do visit them before they too get a makeover for the
tourists from the EEC.

CJB.