Sunday Observer 5th March 2006

[broomhillsaved]

Thought this was too important to be placed only on Open Water

"Tide turns as the lido is born again"
Half page article by Tom de Castella
page 26 of NEWS

50metre outdoor heated: London Fields Lido will re-open this year after 18 years

[Chris]

Thought this was too important to be placed only on Open Water


Gotta disagree with you there ... moving!

Chris

[broomhillsaved]

Gotta disagree with you there ... moving!

Chris
Are "real" swimmers really not interested in a new 50 metre heated pool, Chris?

[Chris]

Are "real" swimmers really not interested in a new 50 metre heated pool, Chris?

It's outdoor ..... we made a forum especially for these. If it's not gonna be used when you want to post about outdoor pools, I'll close it again!

When I check out the new posts on the forum, I do exactly that:

http://www.swimclub.co.uk/forum/search.php?do=getnew

That way I see all new posts and don't just stick to the forums I might be more interested in.

People will still see it there .....

[NotVeryFast]

Are "real" swimmers really not interested in a new 50 metre heated pool
Depends - will "real" swimmers be able to do "real" swimming in it, or will it just be full of people splashing about? Whenever you see these campaigns to save lidos and they show pictures of them in use, the scenes generally resemble my idea of hell to be honest. Not that this means I'm against them, I'm sure many people enjoy going in them and splashing about, so if they're willing to pay what it costs for them to do that, that's fine with me, I'm just not enthused about them for what I want to use a pool for.

[Wildswimmer]

Depends - will "real" swimmers be able to do "real" swimming in it, or will it just be full of people splashing about? Whenever you see these campaigns to save lidos and they show pictures of them in use, the scenes generally resemble my idea of hell to be honest. Not that this means I'm against them, I'm sure many people enjoy going in them and splashing about, so if they're willing to pay what it costs for them to do that, that's fine with me, I'm just not enthused about them for what I want to use a pool for.

Tooting Bec seems to be used by "real" swimmers doing "real" swimming as well as all those dreadful splashers. And surely it's not beyond the wit of man to rope off lanes for "real" swimming. Particularly as lido pools are much larger than conventional pools.

Bear in mind the reason d'etre of the lido. They are for having a good time in what little sun we see in this grey and dismal land. I'm lucky in that I have a nice swimming river nearby, and I'm only a bus ride from the coast. Those more inland desperately need somewhere to enjoy the water. And never forget, today's newbie splasher may become tomorrow's Duncan Goodhew.

In today's anti-swimming climate, the opening/re-opening of ANY swimming facility, indoors or out, is good news.

What IS real swimming? Although there's no alternative during the winter, I don't find ploughing up and down a pool especially enjoyable. I'm looking forward to the first warm days when I can go down to Frodsham Marsh, dive bare-skinned into the River Weaver, swim out to midstream and have a couple of miles of clear water in front of me.

Wildswimmer Pete

[broomhillsaved]

It's outdoor ..... we made a forum especially for these. If it's not gonna be used when you want to post about outdoor pools, I'll close it again!

When I check out the new posts on the forum, I do exactly that:

http://www.swimclub.co.uk/forum/search.php?do=getnew

That way I see all new posts and don't just stick to the forums I might be more interested in.

People will still see it there .....

i'm all for the open water forum; this seemed to be news of wider import; but fair enough: 122 people have already viewed it, which is excellent.

[NotVeryFast]

There's a picture here that illustrates what I mean:
http://www.savebroomhillpool.org/Photos.aspx
Page 2, the picture titled "pool full of swimmers". It looks more like a pool full of standers to me.

[Wildswimmer]

There's a picture here that illustrates what I mean:
http://www.savebroomhillpool.org/Photos.aspx
Page 2, the picture titled "pool full of swimmers". It looks more like a pool full of standers to me.

That's the shallow end. Also the small subsidiary pool. Go down a couple to the one showing the diving board and the deep end looks clear. I understand Broomhill is around 15 foot deep so you'd need to be very tall indeed to stand around.

Swimming pools are very expensive animals to run, and if you want a pool solely for what some describe to be "real" swimming you'd have to be prepared to pay dearly for it.

All those "standers" are paying their admission fees, and the more fees there are the lower the individual cost.

I actually swim in a private health club's pool, for which I pay £16.50 per month to use off-peak. My old farts' "Swimming only" membership is heavily subsidised by those paying their full memberships at £50 a go.

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/wildswimmer007/stockham_lodge.htm

If you want a completely clear opportunity to swim without interruption then come down with me to the Weaver in a couple of weeks' time when hopefully the water temp will have reached at least 10C and I can swim bare-skinned.* The river is 50 - 100m wide and you've got a couple of miles per length.

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/wildswimmer007/frodsham_sandy_bay.htm

Wildswimmer Pete

* I find it uncomfortable to swim any distance in my wetsuit

[Bogbloke]

Anyway, doesnt having more access to swimming pools (eg having more lidos open) allow the chance for more people to swim regardless if they are 'real' swimmers or not?

We are trying to encourage more people to take up sport in this country in order to keep fit, so does it matter if they 'stand' around in a pool? Some people I bet in this country dont even have access to a local pool. More pools seem to be shutting then opening in this country.

[broomhillsaved]

mike read - world record holder for 33 cross channel swims used to train extensively at broomhill, usually just after the public session had ended;
for years he was allowed to train solo but then H&S decreed he must have someone with him ( sometimes i fear for pete's blood pressure!!)

i used to pick the quieter times to do my miles - aiming for a mile or a mile and a half on each visit; this kind of swimming just isn't possible in a 25 metre pool: accelerating up a 55 yard length of water was magical and left you feeling clean and toned up at the end of your swim


the news that London Fields will be used for Olympic training is a breakthrough, because we have been told that Sport England will not support outdoor pools for this or any other purpose: above all i would like to see this postion challenged; what gives an unelected quango the right to decide that outdoor swimming is not a valid activity?

please lobby the press/MP's etc if you would like to see a tumble turn on this policy!:flash:

[Wildswimmer]

what gives an unelected quango the right to decide that outdoor swimming is not a valid activity?

please lobby the press/MP's etc if you would like to see a tumble turn on this policy!:flash:

And join the River and Lake Swimming Association (RALSA) here:

www.river-swimming.co.uk

It's even completely free. We formed RALSA to champion the rights of all outdoor swimmers, including lido users. The ASA won't, as we recently found out through bitter experience.

We also actively support the London Pools Campaign.

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer]

sometimes i fear for pete's blood pressure!!

Don't worry about that, I have it checked regularly. I also find publically bashing the unelected, unaccountable H&S nutters to be very cathartic. Even better, publically doing things that would cause the average H&S nanny have kittens. Ignoring them is the best possible insult.

Most of all, I'm practicing a policy of not getting mad, but getting even with them. There's a lot in the pipeline being undertaken by a lot of people that I'm not at liberty to reveal. ;)

Wildswimmer Pete