Corporate Cock Up @BrockwellLido
Oh dear. Here we go again. Just as the second heat wave of mid-summer is set to hit South London over the weekend and whaddya know - @BrockwellLido is bloody CLOSED. Again.
This is turning out to be a major corporate cock up for Fusion down in SE24. It’s a repeat of that familiar theme of “chlorine issues.” I make this the fifth occasion this summer that Fusion has proved to be [steady] unfit for purpose.
The awarding of the twenty-five year lease to pimp out the pool on behalf of @lambeth_council appeared to have safety checks built in. It was crucial that a reliable ‘preferred partner’ was selected to take on the huge social responsibility of managing the stewardship of a much loved community facility within South London.
Those meet ‘n greet the bidders sessions back at the Town Hall during February 2003 contained many false promises made by Fusion. The corporate leisure company took on the lido lease with a commitment to maintain the unique ambience and atmosphere established during the Paddy and Casey @BrockwellLido Golden Years.
The stuffy corporate image has slowly, slowly become all pervasive around the poolside. It manifests itself with the removal of the street art put in place by Paddy and Casey, the appearance of corporate branding, and yes, the physical divide between lido lovers and lido café restaurant diners – a wooden fence has actually appeared of late, keeping the riff raff of swimmers away from the café restaurant.
This is the least of the worries within our lido community - we now just want a bloody pool that is open each morning for our daily swim.
Let us not forget that Casey also pitched in with his proposal to run the lido some seven years ago. Another figure worth remembering is that the lido didn’t suffer a single “chlorine issue” in that run of twelve glorious @BrockwellLido Golden Days.
In a year when shutting swimming pools has been something of a recurring theme around these parts, the five closures (and counting) this summer @BrockwellLido have to be viewed in perspective.
It is the inconvenience that hits you the hardest - dragging your backside to Brockwell Park early morning, only to find that Fusion has messed up once again only spoils the routine and rhythm of your day.
Bloody Brixton Rec it is then…
Refunds have been promised by Fusion for the five days that have been missed so far this summer. I’m still waiting to see any return in my bank account.
And so if it’s not the “chlorine issues” that gets you @BrockwellLido then it’s possibly the break-ins (two so far this summer.)
Failing that then it’s the complete incompetence of Fusion as a corporate company to understand exactly what is required to manage a local facility that quite simply *is* the South London summer for folk around here.
09/07/2010 at 2:13 pm Permalink
Fusion are also driving out the independent yoga teachers and Buddhists who have been based at the lido for years. First they upped the rent. Then they have failed to put in proper soundproofing which means just as you’re trying to empty your mind, focus on your breath, you have a thumping baseline and someone in a neighbouring studio yelling directions to their boxercise class, or somesuch, to contend with. Numerous discussions and promises have go nowhere. So the yoga teachers are beginning to move down the road to Yoga Point. Fusion don’t mind because they don’t really want the independents there - they get more revenue from quickie classes for the gym bunnies. And yet part of the contract Fusion signed stated must preserve the quiet character of the studio space next to water and trees that yogis have loved for so long and Casey and Paddy nurtured so well.