Charlton Lido to Re-open 29th May 2005 – read details here!
Check out the Charlton Swimming Club movie and open letter to Mayor Ken Livingstone HERE
2005 has got off to a good start with the lido open from 30 May as shown on the Greenwich Leisure website
Charlton Lido in need of medium-term funding
Charlton Lido’s medium-term future is uncertain while no funding source is found for repairs. However while the lido is in need of funding, the swimming club say that closure is not on the cards yet. The Council and the swimming club have a good working relationship that keeps the lido open all year. The Council run the lido for the general public in the 8 weeks of mid-summer. The rest of the year the swimming club use the lido in the mornings, providing their own safety cover, buying their own chemicals for the pool and doing basic maintenance of the site. One year they emptied the pool and painted it. The advantage to the council is that the swimming club are looking after the pool for them – they don’t have to refill the pool each year, and don’t have to provide security. Good to hear about such a mutually beneficial arrangement.
The swimmers pay £5 a week for year round swimming – but be warned it is not heated at all, and there are pictures in the changing rooms of swimmers breaking the ice before jumping in. It is a very atmospheric place – like stepping back into the 1930’s and one of only 3 lidos left in South East London. While the pool tank and plant are in working condition the Council are looking for funds to renovate the buildings. Doug Minde, who works for Greenwich Council, but in his spare time is a channel swimmer and volunteer at Charlton Lido says that even its medium term future is far from certain.
See below for Charlton’s intrepid swimmers taking the plunge with snow surrounding the pool.
Photos by photo©balthazar serreau
Link to Charlton Lido on Greenwich Council website
Link to Charlton Lido on Greenwich Leisure’s website
News story about Charlton Lido on Greenwich Council website
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