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occupied, and sometimes the tenancy reports given are not satisfactory. For example, no Councilor
private landlord - is likely to agree to a mutual exchange where there is a record of rent arrears
or even, in some cases, irregular payments.
From the above it will be seen that Council tenants who need, or wish, to move can quite
often solve their problem by means of a mutual exchange. Nearly all Councils encourage such exchanges,
and have the support of the Government in so doing. It is, however, advisable for tenants
to check the position with each Council (or landlord) concerned before proceeding too far, and they
certainly must not physically move before obtaining written consent; if they do they might be
regarded as trespassers and find themselves homeless. Such a result would be rare, but is by no
means impossible to envisage.
There is frequently much work involved in arranging successful exchanges, but bearing in
mind that two families' problems are thereby solved, the effort incurred is very much worth-while.
LIBRARY SERVICE
The Borough Library Service is responsible for the following facilities, which are greatly
appreciated:-
(1) A personal delivery service of books is made to approximately 160 permanently housebound
people. A library van visits these people fortnightly, taking a Library Assistant
and leaves as many books as are required to last for the next two weeks. Any particular
title in which the reader is interested will be brought at a later visit.
(2) Collections of books are maintained at four homes for old people; namely Westway
Park Old People's Home, St. Vincents, Southway Close Home, and the Centre at
726/728 Fulham Road. These collections are looked after by the Libraries' staff and
changed from time to time as required.
(3) The Libraries have good collections of large-print books produced specially for the
needs of people with poor sight. This Ulverscroft series, as it is known, can be
borrowed from any of the libraries and is also supplied to the permanently housebound
people and the old people's homes.
(4) The Libraries Committee makes a contribution to the National Library for the Blind
which supplies Braille books to the home for the blind maintained by Hammersmith
Borough Council at Wimbledon, and by post direct to blind readers resident in the
Borough.
BATHS AND LAUNDRIES SERVICE
Baths and Laundries Department
The Council through its Baths and Laundries Department provides at four separate establishments,
swimming pools, warm baths and showers and self-service laundry facilities, each of
which is closely associated with the health and welfare of the community.
In a Borough such as Hammersmith with its lengthy river frontage, the ability to swim is in
particular for its children a necessity rather than a desirability and in this the Baths and
Laundry Services provide a valuable contribution.
During 1967, as part of the normal school programme 126,000 school-children attended the
Baths for swimming and life-saving instruction.
The Sunday morning family swimming sessions which commenced in 1966 have proved to be
extremely popular with very little fall in attendances even during the coldest winter months.
Between the hours of 8 p.m.-10 p.m., the swimming pools can be hired for club sessions,
these are invariably booked some time in advance and the club attendance figures of some 46,000
bathers during 1967 show ample evidence of the popularity of club swimming.
Public swimming sessions are also well attended and the attendance figures of 317,124
during the year are an indication of the popularity of swimming as a recreational activity.
1967 again shows a slight reduction in the number of users of the warm bath facilities, but a
total attendance of 315,833 bathers proves that a considerable demand for this type of service is
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