November 26, 2011Dear Sir,Elections are only a government promise away. It is a moment of gloom for all of us when we must distinguish between gradations of shoddy and decide the least shoddy. Elections in Bermuda are a time when pride-in-country gives way to desperate surmises: Are Bermudians just incapable of getting anything done properly? Well I’m here to tell you they can. A trip up to Broome Street in Somerset, right behind Somerset Cricket Club, to see the Sandys 360 pool will remind you that Bermudians can do things, when the government is not in the way. As soon as I walked in, the quality of the place screamed: “No direct involvement of the Bermuda Government”. It’s spectacular. To call it a pool is to slight it. There is plenty of gym equipment, the pool is wonderful, there’s a place to enjoy a drink in the sun after a workout and the basketball court can only called serious in every respect.The Government did help with this; but only with money. It was little Bermudians like you and me that did it. The only thing wrong with it is that not enough people use it. The only thing that seems tainted with government laxity is the PR for this place. It’s the best fitness dollar on the island. It is much cheaper and than the private gyms and it has a pool, which they don’t. Anyone who isn’t destitute and lives in Somerset has no excuse for not being in shape.In Australia, towns smaller and poorer than Bermuda have wonderful public pools. But they take swimming seriously in Australia you see, it’s a semi tropical country surrounded by water so it just makes sense. Why 360 is in Somerset is a mystery to me. I have a nasty feeling 360 is not in a more central location because everyone had been told the central parishes would be taken care of by the promised National Stadium pool ...And here we are back where we started. Oh well, good for you Somerset. Well done. Perhaps we should start doing schools the same way. No one else has any ideas. Ah, wait, my history brain is telling me that is the way schools used to be done back when education worked. For those you who are younger than 55, there was a time when public schools worked in Bermuda. No, really, they did, I swear. Yup, run by Bermudians. No foreign experts needed. I’m not lying. Seems incredible but it’s true.JOHN ZUILLPaget