What is all this fuss about lack of swimming facilities in Brighton and Hove (The Argus, March 26)?

We have six miles of what must be among the best swimming beaches in Europe. And as a Victorian commentator pointed out, the English Channel is never too cold to swim in, which means it can be used all the year round.

Swimming pools were originally introduced in Brighton for those who were "too intellectually or physically enfeebled" - invalids and the like - to take on the challenge of cold rough breakers.

Learning to swim in a pool does not equip anyone with the insight and awareness which is demanded by the vagaries of the tides and waves, nor the mental powers needed to set aside the sensations of hard pebbles or stingingly cold water.

Lacking opportunities for activities which are both physically and mentally demanding, young people will cause trouble. So we should not be surprised to read headlines such as "Thugs post fight on net" (The Argus, March 26).

Providing more swimming pools will not solve this. Making the most of the sea, on the other hand, will channel a lot of the misdirected energy.

  • Henry Law and David Sawyers (daily sea bathers), Queen's Gardens, Brighton