Anyone in any doubt that those involved in the
refurbishment of the Turkish Baths started out with
the intention of doing the opposite of what the user
group wanted, should go take a look some time. My
visit last Monday to 'Spa London' left me with a
mixture of dumb wonder and resonant anger that they
could have created something so manifestly dreadful. I
have always insisted on calling it York Hall Turkish
Baths and resisted the frivolous rebranding of 'Spa
London'. When I rang some weeks ago to know when the
Turkish was reopening, I was told the 'Turkish' no
longer existed - it was a 'spa' now. It was only last
Monday that I realised how right they were. The old
baths no longer exist and the culture and social hub
that were the baths have gone too and will never
return.
In place of its rich environment of exchange, humour,
banter, encounters with people you would never meet
anywhere else, the treasured sharing of confidences,
group discussions of ailments and medical anxieties,
the lovely giving and taking of schmeissing and
massage, the sheer pleasure to be at ease, naked, in
the company of people from all religions, all cultures
and races, gay and straight, any and all political
persuasions and from all socio-economic backgrounds -
instead of all this, we have the luxury-lite
privileged self-indulgence of Spa London, a
Musak-filled, Aroma-infested world of such terrifying
banality that I could only take it for half an hour
before I ran out.

York Hall is gone and there is nowhere quite like it
but those who wish to have a taste of how it used to
be, should try Docklands Steam, 30a Stephenson Street,
London E16 4SA, 5 minutes from Canning Town and best
on a Sunday (8am-10pm). Luxury it ain't.
Paul



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