Lido Fans Stories or queries

FINCHLEY LIDO –   More! Another wonderful account of this Lido from Charles Collins

Finchley Lido as it was from 1931 until 1992 no longer exists – it is a lost lido. It has little resemblance to the The Finchley Lido Sports Complex. The original Lido was built on a seven acre site comprises a 55 yard by 25 yard main pool and a large kidney shaped children’s pool in attractive natural settings. Although the main pool was of well suited for serious swimmers, it had quite high diving boards and a springboard at the deep end. There was also quite a big water slide on one the side.
On passing through the ground floor area of the ticket office and cafeteria, Lido patrons were presented with the sight large water fountains and doric columns. Behind the top end of the main pool was a peaceful and secluded area with well established trees and shrubs. Finchley Lido had quite an impressive atmosphere. The unplanned natural environment of the pool surrounds were a feature that many liked. However, sometimes patrons were painfully surprised to discover that, at certain times, the ground was littered with thorns. Allowing trees such as hawthorn to grow in an area where people usually went barefooted may not have been a good policy. In the Summer of 1963, I contracted a rare form of hepatitis. Together with four others I received treatment for a destroyed liver at Whittington Hospital, Highgate. That resulted in a long absence (on full pay) from a job I did not enjoy and a stay at a seaside Rehabilitation Centre – not a bad experience. After much research it was discovered that all four of us “victims” had visited Finchley Lido on the same day and had probably been infected by our feet having been pricked by thorns contaminated by rat’s urine. Thus, I can claim that the ways that Finchley Lido influenced my life included it being the cause of my first visit to a Hospital.
My first visit to the Lido was in 1946. I was taken there by both my mother and father. Actually it was one of my first clear memories of going anywhere with both of my parents because my father had been absent due to WW2 service. The family reconciliation aspect probably added to the pleasant experience of the vast expanse of sparkling water and peaceful atmosphere. For someone, like me, living in cramped accommodation by noisy road, Finchley Lido was an extremely nice place to visit.
During the late forties, several of the older men still were still wearing swimming costumes with a vest-like top. Although younger men wore swimming trunks, most of the trunks were not well designed for swimming. The trunks often had small pockets that were useful for keeping locker keys and coins. A style of men’s trunks I remember well (the first that I had that were not home-made) were made of a ribbed cotton material that became heavy when wet. Although impracticable they were regarded as fashionable and included a buckled belt and a small pocket. In those days, before the event of nylon swimming costumes, closely woven wool was a popular material – especially for women. It seems that no swimwear manufacturer was able to do for men what the Jantzen swimwear company had been doing for women since the 1920’s. This was an era when lady’s swim hats had not completely given way to swim caps. Some women wore swim hats that were quite large, made of rubber, had chinstraps and were decorated with heavily embossed patterns. In those days swimming was more of a recreation than it was a sport. Those that could swim, tended to so swim in any direction and also enjoy jumping in and getting out of the pool as much as they enjoyed swimming. Those who were more interested in swimming usually swum breaststroke, sidestroke, old english backstroke or trudgeon crawl. Australian and American crawl stroke was not usually seen. Swimmers tended to express their personality in their swimming style. Those with positive attitudes swan vigourously creating waves and splashes. Ladies often projected their feminine delicacy by gently hand movements between each stroke cycle. Thus, observing the behaviour of people in the pool could be an entertaining past-time.
My enthusiasm for making frequent trips to the Lido resulted in my parent’s allowing me more freedom than they may of liked to allow. Travelling to the Lido from my home involved two bus rides each way, the crossing of a main road and then a short walk. I cannot remember the first time that I travelled there alone. But I do remember being there without my parents at the time that the British water polo team was training for the 1948 Olympics…and I was only eight years old. No big deal as at that time London was much safer place for children. And people were nice. Bus conductors seeing children with rolled up towels on the their way to the pool during the school holidays often “forgot” to ask for the bus-fare and also took trouble to ensure that the children got on or off at the correct stops.
On busy days the attendances at the pool would reach several thousands. Finchley Lido had a unique atmosphere. There was an unusually high percentage of adults. Not all came to bathe, some just wanted to sunbathe. There was a wide cross section. Some well-knowns from the nearby celebrity enclave in Hampstead came on crowded days – maybe to garner attention with fancy swim/beachwear or trophy wives/girlfriends. At the other end of the scale, there were a few social misfits. On occasions, an adult would try to befriend unaccompanied children. Usually it was some shy semi-retarded person who seemed to have difficulty in relating to other adults. I never encountered anyone who fitted the image of a full blown paedophile. Nevertheless the children would generally combine to mercilessly jeer, taunt and insult such people – usually hounding them off of the premises. Yes, London children of my area did have impressive self-preservation skills.
In those days everyone already knew that smoking was bad for the health. Nevertheless advertisers made great efforts to link smoking to sporting prowess. During one of my visits I to the Lido, I saw Raymond Glendenning, who was at that time a very well known sports broadcaster. He was being filmed whilst standing on a diving board speaking to a very physically fit looking lady diver talking about the joys of smoking. This became one of the most popular and enduring cigarette commercials. It was shown in cinemas for many years.
The Lido was situated well back from Finchley High Road. The entrance was like an impressively built house large columns at either side. Entering involved passing a grass verge and a well maintained flower garden. Next to the ticket office was an area that would have been suitable as a restaurant. But it only ever sold ice cream, tea, coffee and bovril when open – and was often closed. After buying a ticket, users of the main pool, used changing areas at the top left side of the main pool. In the earlier days, the tickets were exchanged for a metal disk with a number stamped on it. In later years people needed to remember the numbers of their lockers. It was necessary to locate an attendant when you wished to open or reopen your locker. During the late forties and the fifties, nearly all the staff remained same. The locker attendant was a wiry man – who never seemed to get older than he already was. He had previously worked on the buses. He seemed to enjoy complaining about what he sarcastically called “The Great British Public”. In his opinion people who put him to unnecessary trouble displayed behaviour that was undermining society. It was no simple thing to persuade him to open a locker to obtain warm clothing during cold spells or for money to purchase refreshments at the cafeteria. However, as time went by, I began to find his long rants and opinions about what was wrong were often interesting and amusing. And I think that during quiet days at the Lido, he thought that talking to me was a good way to release the frustrations he felt about life.
Another staff member was a tallish dignified middle aged lady with dyed jet black hair who had a variety of duties. She sometimes worked in the ticket office, sometimes in the canteen and sometimes as a Ladies locker attendant. I never got to know much about her other than the fact that she was financially able to survive only with seasonal work because she often mentioned overseas trips that she had made during the Winter.
The pool Manger from my first visits up to the early 1960’s was Mr Alison. He was well liked by the staff and members of the public. He was always smartly dressed, usually in a blazer and grey trousers. Although past the age when men were often grey-haired or bald, he had a full head of very blond hair. When the Dutch national swimming team put on a demonstration at the pool, several onlookers mistook Mr Allison for the Dutch Team Manager and commented on how easy it was to recognise dutch people just by their appearance. Mr Allison also managed the a 25 yard indoor pool in Squires Lane, Finchley. He came there during my school swimming session during my last year at school and asked me if I would like to work at one of the pools in Finchley. I declined the offer and instead took a job as a junior salesman in Lillywhites – a Central London Sport’s Store. It was the environment portrayed in the once famous TV comedy series “Are you being Served?” At that time the opportunity to wear a suit and to try to get rid of my London working class accent meant more to me than healthy outdoor work and higher pay. Fortunately, I passed through my pretentious phase in time to get a job the following Summer working as a lifeguard at the Oases Pool in Holborn. Because my pay was based on Life Saving qualifications and not on age, I got paid twice as much as I had been paid at Lilly whites. However, this did not prevent my parents from trying to persuade me to stay where I was – working twice as long for the same pay…just a little diversion that might say something about work attitudes in those days.
But back to Finchley Lido, Mr Alison, the Dutch Swimming Team, etc. The Dutch swimming team event was an exception. Wide grass terraces and the Park like area located at the top of the main pool made the Finchley Lido more suitable for swimming, diving, recreation and sunbathing. The pool surrounds were less well suited for spectators. Outdoor swimming competition venues were more usually at Parliament Hill Lido, Brockwell Park or Uxbridge. However in 1957 swimmers from the Finchley area were invited to compete in a Swimming Gala held on 6^th September 1957. This was organised to commemorate the anniversary of a local event. But I no longer remember what it was. I do know the date because I still have the engraved plaque I won for the men’s 100 yards freestyle on that day. There were free shows for the crowd. The routines involved comedy diving – often in clown suits. I remember seeing someone riding a bike off of the high diving board platform … The plaque was presented by Douglas Bader a war hero. He had no connection with swimming or Finchley. He lost his legs before the WW2 whilst he was engaged in an attention-seeking stunt. And during the war he spend most of his time in a German prison camp. questioning whether a war that had bankrupted the country and destroyed the British Empire had been worth the sacrifice. He had no connection with swimming or Finchley. However, in 1957, even manufactured war heroes were useful ways to distract from questions whether it had been worth the sacrifice.
As I wrote, the width of the main pool was 25 yards – the same size as the length of the nearby indoor pool that came under the same management as Finchley Lido. There were some advantages in electing to swim widths in the shallow end as there was a risk of being injured by people using the diving boards.
During warm weekends, members of Highgate Diving club often came to put on a show continuing to sit on the bike as pedal it as it fell into the water. Another stunt was to jump off of a diving board and onto the springboard before diving into the water. It was very entertaining but also very dangerous stuff. I don’t recall much of a Don’t try this yourself” warning.
Once when I was swimming lengths, I felt a stickiness in the water. When I stopped, I discovered that I had swum into a patch of blood. Someone had jumped off of the top board (probably trying to reach the springboard) and had landed on the concrete surrounds before falling into the water. But that was a rare occurrence. I think that the number of accidents at the pool were low considering its high attendance figures. It was obvious that high diving boards incorporated in a swimming area were a danger. Consequently there was a high level of lifeguards regarding safety  between swimmers, divers.
Because I was known as a keen swimmer, from about the age of thirteen, I was allowed free entrance to the pool. The arrangement was that I should sign a book and nominate a half-hour period of time in which I did lifeguard duty. This was more of a social occasion than it was a duty. It involved walking around the pool keeping the lifeguards company and sometimes doing small errands such as fetching a cup of coffee.
Another way that my trips to the pool became subsidised was because the deeply set drain was often a good source of a lost coin. And after one especially busy day, I found a ten shilling note had attached itself to the grill over the drain. Suction cleaners were not used until the late 1950’s. The swimming pool attendants used to clean the pool bottom with a wide weighted brush. It had a very long handle with a rope attached to it. It took two attendants to manoeuvre it. The object was to sweep debris over the top of a pit. The smaller particles would be sucked through the grill into the pool filter. The larger particles (including coins that had fallen out of swimwear fob pockets) were left in the basket type grill. From time to time the grill was removed by means of a hook and then cleaned.
My visits to Finchley Lido became progressively less frequent because of work commitments. I went to Australia in 1966 and came back for a visit in 1970. By that time the borough of Finchley had gone out of existence. And Finchley Lido had lost almost all of its previous identity. Alan Hime (whom I knew from the time when we were both members of the Stoke Newington Swimming Club) became the manager when Mr Allison retired.

Lovely memories from Charles Collins

Finchley Open Air pool became a really happy place for me. For someone like me who ived in a substandard house without a bathroom and situated on a noisy
road, the wonderful setting and atmosphere of Finchley Open Air seemed
like Paradise.

 

I joined Hampstead Priory Swimming Club that met at Finchley Road Baths near Swiss Cottage. The Baths building comprised three pools: The  33.3
yard “Fairfax” Pool and a 30 yard “Goldhurst” Pool. And a children’s pool that was about 20 yards. The Fairfax pool was most suitable for
swimmers and the Goldhurst was more suitable for spectators. Swimming races in the Goldhurst pool were difficult because of an unusually shallow shallow end. The coach at Hampstead Priory (My Grainger) was a distinguish old gentleman with a long association with swimming and swimmers … he really inspired swimmers. Unfortunately Mr Grainger died and Hampstead Priory became a focused only on water polo.
I then Joined Finchley Swimming Club. It met at Squires Lane Baths. Again, it was a club with nice people but without serious swimmers. Squires Lane was a
25 yard pool with an inefficient chlorination system. At a school swimming competition, I met a boy who had a nice swimming style. And he told me of the good swimming coaching available at the Stoke Newington Swimming Club that met at Clissold Road Baths.
Travelling to the Clissold Road Baths involved me in 8 bus rides (4 in each direction) but it was worth it. Stoke Newington Club was a real swimming club that
competed in Middlesex County Championships  Southern Counties and also sent teams to the Nationals in Blackpool.

Whilst at the 1957 Nationals, I got to know a diver whom you probably know. It was Elizabeth Ferris. I met her again at Finchley Open Air.
Aside from diving she had no clear ambition and hated her secretarial work. At the time I was working for Liilywhites the Sports shop in
Piccadilly Circus. I told her a few things about Lillywhites that she seemed to like including that it was located close to Marshall Street
Baths. She phoned the Lillywhites personel manager and said that I had recommended Lilly whites as an interesting place to work.
She seemed to like it there, she worked in the Export Department and also created a sensation by demonstrating the use of trampolines. The Lillywhites
personnel manager was so pleased with me for my part in her deciding to work at Lillywhites. Elizabeth was still there when I left first to work
at the Oasis pool in the Summer and in Germany during the Winter. Later Elizabeth found her calling and became a doctor.

Charles

Note from Anne – A small world Charles.  Oh yes, I was diving at the same time as Elizabeth Ferris!  Thank you for your memories. And… I was at the 1957 Nationals Blackpool (injured).  We probably bumped into each other and didn’t know!  You were certainly instrumental at guiding Elizabeth early on in her career. She would excel and became a Bronze Medallist at the Rome Olympics and demonstrated her passion within her Medical Career.

I am sure the pools Charles mentions above are familiar with many.

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From Anne – Who’d have thought this?  The HUGE Ducker Pool – Harrow

The HUGE hidden swimming pool opposite Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow

A favourite of Sir Winston Churchill during his schooldays days at Harrow.

I’d have loved to have swum here on a hot summers day!

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Interesting memories from David Brown. A few Lidos have a mention here!

Dear Anne, thank you for your splendid work.
I recall a number of lidos, ‘Some are dead and some are living’ as the Beatles said.

Between 1958-61 we swam at Daws Lane, Mill Hill, NW7 from our nearby school – 55 fahrenheit and cold. It shut about 1980, became a garden centre and is now a school.
The school seems to have retained the original Mill Hill pool buildings.
Lidos seem to have popped up frequently in my life over the years. My Mama tried to teach us to swim at Kingsbury Pool, (on this website),with limited success. Later as a teenager, we used to cycle to swim and jump off the boards at Wealdstone Pool. When I started my first proper job, I used to swim occasionally, at lunchtime, first at Ruislip Lido and then Uxbridge Pool.
Now, living in Bucks, we swim at Wycombe Rye Lido and Chesham Moor open air pool (spring fed!). On holiday, we have been to the Jubilee Pool in Penzance which is wonderful and now has a thermally heated area at one corner.
As a minor footnote, as teenagers we used to cycle up Stanmore Hill to Bushey outdoor pool in the King George Recreation Park. It was not big and was rather narrow, hardly a lido, but busy on sunny days. I spent a fair amount of time “revising” for A Levels there in the 1960’s. I attach a Hertsmere leaflet with some info about it – it shut in 1993

Regards David

Post note from Anne: An account of Mill Hill Pool can be found on Heritage Gateway Link here.
A little more information also on my Search Hub on this website.

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Bramhall Baths Location. Additional info. from Stuart Bedford.
Already mentioned on Lido Search Hub

Anne hi.
Just ‘found’ your website & hope the pictures will be of interest. From approx 1961 (aged 8) I lived at 21 Ridge Park Bramhall,and certainly remember going to these ‘baths’. The outdoor was cold ‘burrrr’ whilst the indoor was warmer than warm!
I could be wrong (don’t think I am) but do reckon they were to the right of the river (ie on the north side), at the end of an approx 50ish yard road. Maybe I’m wrong, it would be good to establish accuracy.
Does anyone else have recollections of Bramhall Park Baths?
A  few more notes from Stuart…
I must admit that being ‘hardened’ to ‘outdoor’ pool temperatures was & is not to be attributable to me. (ho ho).
The Galleon,Didsbury,
(Lastly owned by the two guys that were from Stockport CB Shop,near The Blossoms).
The ‘Blue Lagoon’ off Mile End Lane,Stockport.(Attended from Stockport Grammar School)
I was taken by My parents in approx 1960 ish to the amazing Portobello Lido (East of Edinburgh). Two slides/a Raft/ & ‘WOW’ a wave making machine, with ( IF? I remember correctly as told Me by My Father) changing rooms/capacity for 700 – & it might well ‘ave been 700 Male AND 700 Females.

Thank you Stuart for your time.  Much appreciated, these mentions will surely trigger memories for the hardened swimmers!

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Queen Anne’s School – Caversham near Reading
A Personal Memory of Anne’s

I was invited to take a few pupils for a diving lesson. It was very happy and thoroughly enjoyed.  Time went on and I returned to the modern indoor pool which had been built more or less in its place.
Ffyler has had change of use, and today is the boarding premises for the Junior pupils.

I often thought of this pool, and the hot summer days that I was there.  Very typically English.  Walking back and forth to the new pool I somehow felt a little nostalgic, looking over the scene and seeing in my mind how it once was!  There is nothing like first memories.
Also, there was a long indoor pool nearer to the lovely buildings of the school, but this was before my time!  Queen Anne’s School is a very striking building and as time went by additional modern buildings and different lay-outs were built within the large grounds.

One of the school’s Swimming Galas 1963.
My thanks to Ann Cohen  – Library/Archives Cover Receptionist, Queen Anne’s School, who sent a lovely set of pictures from the Archival History.

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Peckham Rye Swimming Pool
Lost Lidos Anne’s story…

 

 

Will the campaigners bring the pool back?  There was a huge and very passionate successful campaign going on in 2016.
‘We want to bring our pool back’ was the public outcry.
Crowdfunding raised £63,000 plus the Southwark Council themselves contributed £10,000.

A lovely old unheated pool nestling in a corner of Peckham Rye Park, 50 metres long had existed from 1923, until it was closed in 1984. It was sadly buried not to see the sunshine and family fun, or hear the whoops and laughter any more.  Over 60 years of service it had given the Peckhamites and around.

Well, yesterday April 3rd 2023 my hubby and I jumped on a train and went to Peckham Rye and walked to the old swimming pool site. What a beautiful cosy site.  The pool lies underneath the humps of earth and grass surrounded with glorious trees.  We met Jasmine and Lotte, both very good swimmers eating their regular pizza lunch on top of one of the mounds.  The water fountain struggling to shine bright in the golden warm sun . The girls had no idea what lay beneath them.  They had heard of the campaign but didn’t know when or where.  It seems  our ‘met only yesterday’ bar tender friends serving thirsty customers including a mouth watering meal in our direction at the ‘Angel Oak’ across the road, didn’t realise either.

Well,it was,… after all, 6 plus years ago. All is quiet at the moment, but of course we don’t know of all the pushing, pulling, tugging and planning that may be going on in the background.  It would be good to think there is lots of it.

I do hope the campaigners are successful, but…certainly there is a dearth of public general update at the moment. As yet not even anything to indicate what once was here under the humps. Are walkers that pass by oblivious to its history?  There are no signs to tell.

So…will the beloved pool be on its way to shine like a jewel in the Park once again? Will that fountain come to life gushing and spraying its crystal clear water once again?

An interesting read here from the Architect and Founder Chris, who is awaiting response from Southwark Council.

www.FutureLidos.org

Look to see the story to date…My London News

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A lovely story here from Jake Simpkin, Local Historian, on Southampton Lido – Happy memories
My thanks to Jake. A lovely history of Southampton generally.

See Lost Lidos Page here

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Thank you Tony Jacobs! (Author)
A Book Review of the late Roger Deakin’s ‘Waterlog ‘

I wrote a book review a while ago of Waterlog by Roger Deakin. I’m sure you know that it’s become a bit of a cult classic in the world of wild swimming and nature writing. I had a thought that perhaps you could make use of it on your new stories page.

When one describes taking a journey, it often involves travelling from one point to another, for a clearly discernible reason. In the year of 1996, environmentalist and author, Roger Deakin, set out on his own particular quest. However, this was not a simple case of going from A to B, but rather a more spiritual discovery, using wild swimming as the medium. Roger embarked on a trip through cold water, to experience life at eye level, in many different environments, including his own section of Suffolk moat.

The book starts with a description of a midnight dip in the rain, complete with inquisitive frogs. Some people might balk at the idea of swimming in dark, green water, accompanied by the unknown. However, from the outset, it is clear that this is not going to be your average leisure centre experience. In fact, this is one of the main themes of the book. A feeling of breaking out from the restrictions that life imposes. A challenge to the everyday norms that we are all expected to follow. Time and again Roger wax’s lyrical on the amazingly positive effects of swimming with nature in tow. Achieving a calmness and peace that should be on prescription. The writing is engaging and at times you feel immersed on the swim yourself. He also touches on his view that the Environment Agency does it’s best to dissuade people from swimming in natural streams and rivers, to suit their own ends, rather than the swimmers’ themselves. This is for the reader to decide as an individual. Many years ago, everyone swam in local rivers and lakes. It is to some of these existing clubs that Roger visits on his odyssey.

There are two particular locations featured in the book that have stayed in my mind. The first is because it just sounded so lovely. Like Mr. Kipling, The Famous Five and Hi-De-Hi, all rolled into one. The second is because it was my childhood venue and although not strictly wild water, it is still only for the intrepid and I have great memories of the place.

Henleaze Swimming Club in Bristol is based in an old quarry, accessed via. a non-descript suburban street. There is something of the Narnia about it. As Roger walks down the alleyway between the terraces, he is amazed as the space opens up before him. He describes verdant lawns, bunting and corrugated changing rooms, all very Gerry-built. It instantly felt like being transported back to the 1940’s and it seemed everyone there was very happy about that. Membership is highly prized and is handed down through generations.

Tooting Bec Lido in South London started out life as a swimming lake. It’s construction was a local government scheme to give employment to those men returning from the Great War. As other lidos appeared in the 1930’s, Tooting was upgraded to the pool we see today. Complete with Art Deco aerator, it’s multi-coloured changing room doors have featured in many a photographic shoot. The temperature of the water is legendary, even in the height of summer. Thought to be fed directly from the polar ice cap, it has been suggested that Tooting Bec Lido is itself responsible for glacial melt, rather than global warming. The hardy, or is that foolhardy, members of the local swimming club have been known to break the ice on Christmas Day, for their annual festive dip. Swimming here under the clouds is the nearest thing many people get to wild swimming, but I’m glad it was featured in the book.

Wild or open-water swimming has become very popular since the publication of Waterlog. I don’t know if the two things are connected, but it is now regarded as the unofficial bible of the movement. I’m sure the late Roger Deakin would be thrilled by this. His own length of moat in Suffolk has become a place of pilgrimage by devotees of the book. One particularly dedicated fan has even visited all the locations featured in it and written his account. It’s called Waterlog Re-Swum and is available to read on-line. However, if you’re more of an armchair traveller like me, then pull up the chaise longue and sink into an aquatic world of peace and tranquillity, with a touch of yesteryear thrown in.

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A wonderful pictorial story of Folkestone Bathing Pool on this link
http://www.warrenpress.net/FolkestoneThenNow/FolkestoneRotundaSwimmingPool.html
A cross channel swimmer’s training ground!
My thanks to Christine Warren of Warren press.

‘The only thing is, I never heard of the Folkestone swimming pool being referred to as a Lido. I realise it fits the description of one, but the water was fresh and chlorinated, and very cold! It was Olympic size, and was where the cross channel swimmers used to train. It was also well used by the various schools to teach children to swim in the shallow end, and for races for the older children. We also had a couple of heated indoor pools in the Marina across the street, also now sadly demolished.

Now they are talking about building a Lido on that same beach, but closer to the harbour – well it would have to be, as they have sold off all the beach area where the swimming pool, boating pool, funfair and rotunda used to be, and they are currently building luxury apartments on the site.’

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From Lindsey Dempsey – Epsom Lido  – West Hill

Lido Fans –  ‘Do you know anything about the Epsom Lido, I can’t seem to find anything. I saw it advertised on an old Southern Electric railway poster as one of the many you could visit using the train from London. The poster is titled Open Air swimming for Londoners,I guess about 1930s. There was also one in Ashtead Surrey which I never knew about, even having lived there in the 1970’s, until seeing the poster. Thanks’

On behalf of Lindsey – Peter Reed from Epsom Webmaster contacted Lost Lidos from Epsom and Ewell History

‘I am not sure if the West Hill Swimming Pool was called a Lido but here is a postcard view and a c.1930s photo both courtesy of Bourne Hall Museum.. I have no idea when the pool was built or closed but it is not shown on the 1913 OS map but is on this 1930s OS Map.’

‘My guess is that it closed late 1950s early 1960s but I’m really not sure’

Thank you Peter,  and to Lindsey for setting the trail!

In reference to Lindsey’s mention of Ashtead …

Courtesy of Leatherhead & District Local History Society
The Rose Garden Floral Pool.
Ashtead pools
Must have been so pretty.

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From Mick Slater – Leatherhead – West Wing
‘I remember this pool very well from the early 70’s, spent almost everyday there during the summer holidays, they had a diving board one end, I was envious of the older boys bombing from the top board and I managed to perfect doing bombs and impressing the girls as well. Not a heated pool but great, had a grass area, a kids pool later on , cafe tuck shop. Remember the wooden changing rooms at the shallow end and often played tricks on friends unlocking the door just as they getting changed and opening ! I did break a tooth diving in at the shallow end and the cap is still going strong today !Closed when the leisure centre opened but I managed to be first in the pool when opened to the public. Great memories and long hot summers but can’t find any photos of West Wing unfortunately’

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From Toby:
‘Dear Anne, how are you?  Do you remember me?  I sent you an article last year about my memories of visiting a former lido in Purley Way, Croydon.  I do hope the site is going well.  I guess it’s at this time of year that most of the seasonal lidos are now opening from their winter slumber.

What prompted me to contact you is that I am currently reading ‘The Lido’ by Libby Page.  Have you read it?  I only recently found out about it whilst listening to a book reviews programme on the radio. So far I am really enjoying it.  I don’t usually read fiction and it’s slightly a ‘chick-lit’ book, but I have connected with the book in a way that I hadn’t expected.

I have a little anecdote about Brockwell Lido, which features in the book.  I actually grew up in south London, where the book is set, although I have never swum in the said lido.  My local lidos were
Purley Way and Tooting Bec.  Now that I am living in East Anglia, it felt strange reading about familiar places.
In 1994, I was in love and dating a gorgeous girl called xxxxxxxx.  She was at college studying graphic design.  One day she told me that she had a photography assignment to do and the topic was opposites.  I suggested using lidos as the backdrop and that we could go and visit both in-useand derelict lidos in south London.

One grey, Sunday afternoon, we drove down to Brockwell Park and parked the car in a side road.  The lido was not in use then.  Right opposite was a tall block of flats.  We entered the lobby and climbed right to the top landing.  We were greeted with an amazing sight of the derelict pool, empty except for a green pond in the deep end.  She took her photos and we left.  What’s interesting is that in the book, one of the main characters lives in that very block of flats.  I don’t know whether the author knows the block herself or has just seen it whilst swimming, as the pool is now open again.  The same character is also very much in love and it took me back to a a happy time.  We then went on to another derelict lido in Kennington Park.  Sadly, this is now tennis courts.  On another day, the good people at Tooting Bec let my girlfriend photograph lido life there for free.  That was very nice of them, as it’s quite in demand for photographic shoots and they usually charge.

The only downside to reading the book is that I am now craving that feeling of cold water, underneath an open sky.  I want to wake-up, as happens to the other main character of the book.  Sadly, lidos are
rather thin on the ground in South Suffolk.  I’m hoping to meet a rich widow, who runs a stables and has her own outside pool.  Rather like an episode of Lovejoy, which was filmed in my area.  Wish me luck! It would be interesting to know if the book has increased attendance at Brockwell Lido?

Well, I’ll sign off for now.  I hope I haven’t bored you too much.

Kind regards Toby’

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