Lido Reflections

22 January 2014 » No Comments

Don’t you just LOVE it when your continuing online unarchiving throws up long since forgotten Brockwell Lido images?

The occasion was the BLU AGM [BLIMEY!] - the date was October 2004.

I probably asked my annual question of:

“Why can’t Lambeth Council offer up a unified payment card for both indoor and outdoor swimming, rather than fleecing residents twice?”

I’ve forgotten which answer I was given by the Council flunkey on this particualr occasion. My notebook [oh yes] is currently running at half a dozen different explanations.

I do get rather doey-eyed over the Golden Days of Brockwell Lido. I think back to Paddy, Casey, Howard, Dog and of course Dangerous. Out of the Blue is my current bedtime reading material of choice.

Again.

Plus there’s a BRILLIANT Brixton Blog piece to fill in the social history gaps over here.

But *these are* the Golden Days of Brockwell Lido.

If you had mentioned back in the day that cold water winter swimming would finally become reality, then you would have met with the same BONKERS response that you now get when you mention… that you have been for a cold water winter swim in the beautiful blue waters of Lake Brockwell.

BRILLIANT sunshine @BrockwellLido. 8 degrees freeze yer dangly bits off water temp pic.twitter.com/Io4CusBfCa

— Jason_Cobb (@Jason_Cobb) January 11, 2014

I’ve blogged endlessly before about how the anrachic ethos of the Paddy and Casey years has now been replaced by corporatism. Trying to re-capture that spirit would lead to a closed lido.

It’s all about a compromise. Thankfully Fusion are proving to be half-decent custodians of the Lido (although they do have their cold shower moments…)

Showers will remain cold until maintenance is called on Monday. Please be patient. It's not the fault of staff but equipment.

— Brockwell Lido Users (@BrockwellLido) January 19, 2014