SPORT AND RECREATION
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to carrying out other small projects designed to improve the appearance of the city.
During the main bathing season, from the beginning of April to the end of October, thousands from the city patronize the more popular beaches which are patrolled by seventy one fully-trained life-guards of the Urban Services Department. Urban Services staff also clean and regulate beaches while at three of the main ones a contractor provides changing-tents for hire. On certain other beaches the public can rent sites for beach huts for five years or build huts themselves which are allocated annually by ballot. At the large beaches, at some of which there are also cafes or hotels of varying standards, the provision of refreshments is put out to tender.-
The need for more bathing beaches makes itself continually felt, and three new ones and an extension to another were brought into use during the year.
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There is also a number of popular beaches in the New Territories which come under the administration of the District Commissioner, New Territories. On five of these beaches private contractors provide beach tents, changing-rooms and other facili- ties. There is a total of one hundred and fourteen beach huts in the New Territories which are balloted for annually. A cadre of forty fully-trained life-guards was on duty at these beaches during the summer months.
The shortage of land in the built-up areas has meant that the development of parks and playgrounds can only take place in keen competition with other forms of development. Before the war playgrounds were few; after the war these were, at best, dusty and uneven pieces of land or, at worst, soon covered by the ubiquitous squatters. Despite these difficulties, old playgrounds have been rehabilitated and new ones laid out, varying in size from Victoria Park, occupying fifty three acres of land reclaimed from a former typhoon shelter, to small children's playgrounds. Development continues, and apart from the large parks and formal playgrounds, a great deal has been done to improve the appearance of the city by the tidying-up and laying-out of small derelict roadside areas. During the year thirty eight new areas covering fourteen acres were opened up or laid out.