I wouldn’t normally post up archive pics over here - that’s what my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds are for.

But I’ve been continuing to plough through my image archive over the past decade or so, painfully tagging and backing up the 200,000 or so snaps that I have seem to have accumulated.

It’s a laborious task, but every once in a while you strike gold.

Did I really go to that event back in 2004?

I must have been buzzing off my tits.

An absolute personal highlight was uncovered this week: The Golden Days of Brockwell Lido, July 2005.

This was a very special period for me; this was a very special period for the lido.

We all knew that the slightly anarchic Paddy and Casey long hot summers would soon come to a close. Lambeth Council was making it impossible for the two South London lovable chancers to make the project work.

Corporate Fusion was just a couple of years a way…

But what GOLDEN DAYS.

I spent early mornings, and then late afternoons down at Lake Brockwell. Plus all weekend as well.

I am so pleased that I have some digital memories of what it was like at the lovely lido during this period.

The ethos was an a celebration of local people gathering without their clothes on, to simply sun worship in the four walls that forms the South London sun trap.

Lifelong friendships were struck up. Most of the swimmers are still persisting in 2016 throughout the winter months…

And so what was different?

The artwork for a start.

You try putting up street art around the lido under the very strict guidance of Fusion…

The poolside seemed a lot cleaner to. The ACE lifeguards combined their day job with weeding during those rare days when it clouded over.

@PeterInTheSwim may disagree, but everybody LOVES a wild lido wisteria that creeps around the pool.

We all knew that this wouldn’t last. Perhaps this is why those lido days were so special.

I wonder if I will be looking back at my current lido archive in a decades time and making the same GOLDEN DAYS observations?

Live to swim.

Swim to live.