charlton lido

Lidofest: Charlton Lido to host Britain’s first festival in a lido

Darryl Chamberlain
Charlton Lido
Lidofest will take over Charlton Lido on 21 August

Charlton Lido is to play host to what its organisers say will be Britain’s first festival in a lido next month – promising mermaid displays and synchronised swimming demos as well as fancy dress competitions and swim races.

Lidofest, to take place on Saturday 21 August, will also offer free swimming classes for ticket holders as well as DJs and a guest appearance from Alice Dearing, who will be representing Team GB in the marathon swimming race at the Tokyo Olympics.

Clare Ruby, who came up with the idea, said it came to her while doing lengths at the lido one morning. “The lido is such a great space but a lot of swimming events are about doing competitive challenges and I felt a need for something that celebrates all the fun stuff you can do in the water as well as those events,” she said.

“Charlton is perfect for this as it has the main 50-metre heated pool, a splash pool for the kids, terraces for viewing and lots of space for activities. Swimming outdoors at a lido always feels special and it is great to see so many of these beautiful outdoor pools having a resurgence and getting the love they deserve.”

Clare and her Lidofest co-creator Sophie Morgan – who run Swimadelica, an online gift shop for swimmers – say the swimming sessions are part of their ambition to make the activity accessible to all. “We believe swimming is for everyone regardless of your age, ability, race, gender or body shape,” she said.

“There’s something for everyone, from fancy dress competitions, festival glitter face painting, book readings, inflatable races, masters swim coaching, mermaid swimming lessons, synchro displays, swimming with professional mermaids – all for both adults and children.”

10 per cent of profits from the event will go to the Black Swimming Association, which aims to improve diversity in aquatics, and Level Water, which provides one-to-one swimming lessons for children with disabilities; a pay-it-forward option will give ticket-buyers the chance to buy a ticket for someone who would otherwise be unable to attend.

Tickets start at £30 for adults and £5 for children and are available via Eventbrite. For more details, visit lidofest.com.

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Charlton Lido reopening confirmed for 29 March

Darryl Chamberlain
Charlton Lido July 2020
Not long to go…

Swimmers have just two weeks to wait until they can take their first dip at Charlton Lido after coronavirus restrictions are eased.

Better, which runs the pool and gym, will reopen the lido and outdoor fitness classes on Monday 29 March, along with other outdoor facilities in Greenwich borough.

The lido has seen a surge in custom during the pandemic, but was forced to close on 5 January when the national lockdown was introduced.

Swimmers will need to download the Better app to book sessions and are being asked to arrive ‘beach ready’ with their costume on under their clothes. Fitness class customers are encouraged to shower and change at home.

Outdoor adventure playgrounds are also reopening, as are outdoor athletics and fitness classes at Sutcliffe Park Sports Centre. Further afield, outdoor facilities at Thamesmere Leisure Centre and outdoor football at Coldharbour Leisure Centre will also resume. There is also a Better at Home digital membership with online exercise classes, which are free to Greenwich residents.

Richard Gallagher, Better’s partnership manager in Greenwich said: “We can’t wait to welcome customers back to our outdoor facilities again. With swimming, fitness classes, football, athletics and adventure play all available at various locations across the borough, there will be plenty of options available for residents to begin getting active again after lockdown.”

Adel Khaireh, Greenwich Council’s cabinet member for culture, communities and equalities, said: “Our leisure centres are valuable community assets and play a central role in supporting the wellbeing of our residents, and they’re more important than ever after a prolonged period at home.”

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Lockdown 2: Charlton Lido users hope petition will save open-air swimming

Darryl Chamberlain
Charlton Lido pool
Autumn at Charlton Lido. Photo © Neil Clasper.

Last week, we reported that Charlton Lido would be opening during the day all through November. New swimmers have discovered the lido during lockdown, and it is the first time since the pool reopened that swimming has been available during the colder, darker months.

The new English lockdown puts a stop to this from Thursday:

To reduce social contact, the Government has ordered certain businesses and venues to close. These include indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as bowling alleys, leisure centres and gyms, sports facilities including swimming pools, golf courses and driving ranges, dance studios, stables and riding centres, soft play facilities, climbing walls and climbing centres, archery and shooting ranges, water and theme parks.

A petition has been created to convince the government that open-air facilities such as Charlton Lido should be an exception.

Open-air swimming pools should remain open:
●WHO & Gov state that transmission of Covid-19 outdoors is lower
●CDCP states “no evidence that Covid-19 can spread to people through recreational water”
● WHO states that chlorine kills Covid-19

The petition can be found at petition.parliament.uk/petitions/555079.

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Charlton Lido: November pool hours announced and Swim Doctor returns

Neil Clasper

Charlton Lido at dawn

Today brought good news for Charlton Lido swimmers with the announcement that the current opening times will be extended through November. In previous years the timetable has been cut back in winter with the heated pool closed on some weekdays. The centre was one of the first to reopen after lockdown and has been busy since with swimmers taking the opportunity to exercise outdoors.

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The pool opening times are:

  • Monday-Friday: 6.30am to 8.30pm
  • Saturday-Sunday: 9am to 5pm

Advanced booking is necessary, through the website or Better app.

Swim Doctor returns

We’ve also learnt that the centre’s popular Swim Doctor sessions will restart in November – a chance for adults to improve their swimming technique and fitness. Booking opens October 28th via the app or website, with the first sessions starting Tuesday 3rd November at 9:30am, then Friday 7am & Saturday 11am. Spaces will be limited and must be pre-booked.

In other lido news, the pool covers were recently replaced, which has – in this writer’s experience at least – improved the average water temperature, particularly in the mornings.

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Summer hours to stay at Charlton Lido as autumn draws in

Darryl Chamberlain

Charlton Lido pool
Autumn has arrived at Charlton Lido. Photo © Neil Clasper.

Autumn may be making its presence felt, but for the first time since it reopened with a heated pool, Charlton Lido is to keep its summer hours as the nights draw in and the temperature drops.

The pool timetable will stay the same during October, although will be reviewed as the months go on.

In previous years, the winter hours have seen the pool closed at lunchtimes and on a couple of weekdays, but for now the pool remains open from 6.30am to 8pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm at weekends.

What’s more, we hear that new pool covers are being installed this week so the water should be warmer, particularly in the mornings.

There is still no walk-up entry – you’ll need to book online or via the Better app to swim.

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Pubs reopening before swimming pools ‘defies logic’, Charlton Lido boss says

Darryl Chamberlain
Charlton Lido
Charlton Lido has been closed since March

Boris Johnson’s decision to allow pubs to reopen before swimming pools “defies logic”, the boss of the company that runs Charlton Lido said last night.

The prime minister told MPs yesterday that many of England’s coronavirus restrictions would be eased from July 4 – effectively ending the Covid-19 lockdown.

Pubs and restaurants will be allowed to open their doors, so long as they keep the details of who visits them. But swimming pools and indoor gyms “need to remain closed for now”, Johnson said, calling them “close-proximity venues”.

Johnson said he agreed with Dartford’s Conservative MP, Gareth Johnson, who said people should “their patriotic best for Britain and go to the pub”.

The news brought an angry reaction from Mark Sesnan, the boss of GLL, which runs facilities for Greenwich and councils across London and beyond. The organisation, which brands itself Better, was founded out of Greenwich Council’s leisure services department in 1993 and now runs 270 centres, but has been hit hard by the enforced closure.

GLL’s other centres in the borough include the Waterfront Leisure Centre in Woolwich and the Greenwich Centre. It took over Charlton Lido in 2012 after previous plans by Greenwich Council to hive it off as a diving centre failed.

In an email to customers, he said: “The government has made a potentially catastrophic mistake by leaving community leisure centres, indoor gyms and swimming pools off the list of businesses that can re-open on 4th July. Nor given any indication when they might re-open. This needs urgent review and we need to open as early as possible.

“This will be bad for business, bad for jobs and bad for the health of the nation.”

He said the decision would put thousands of jobs at risk, lead to leisure facilities closing and “vulnerable businesses, including many not-for-profit organisations, folding”.

Last month, a report to Greenwich Council’s cabinet said the pandemic had resulted in “serious financial implications for GLL due to the loss of revenue at borough leisure centres. This is the subject of pan-London discussions.” Other boroughs where GLL operate include Camden, Croydon, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

Two weeks ago, Southwark Council paid half a million pounds to bail out its operator, Everyone Active; in Peterborough, the local operator Vivacity has closed altogether.

“It has been proven that conditions such as obesity and diabetes significantly increase the risks associated with Covid-19,” Sesnan added.

“We all enjoy a pint. But if pubs and restaurants can reopen it defies logic that indoor sports and leisure facilities remain closed – particularly public facilities designed to serve local communities. This decision appears misguided and short sighted. We need an opening date for our sector immediately.”

GLL is asking customers to sign a Sport England petition to urge the government to think again.

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Charlton Lido: Winter swimming hours announced

Neil Clasper
Charlton Lido pool
Autumn has arrived at Charlton Lido. Photo © Neil Clasper.

The nights are drawing in, the leaves are turning brown and this week brought another local indicator of changing seasons: Charlton Lido’s winter swimming timetable came into effect. The heated pool is now open:

  • Monday: 06:30-14:00 and 16:00-20:00
  • Tuesday: 06:30-14:00 and 16:00-20:00
  • Wednesday: closed
  • Thursday: closed
  • Friday: 06:30-14:00
  • Saturday: 09:00-17:00
  • Sun: 09:00-17:00

Swim Doctor sessions continue as through the summer, with the exception of Thursdays:

  • Monday: 19:00-20:00
  • Tuesday: 09:30-10:30 and 12:30-13:30
  • Friday: 07:00-08:30 and 09:30-10:30

Thanks to Friends of Charlton Lido for posting the new timetable on Twitter. Find the official website timetable here, and follow Tracy Swim Doctor on Twitter here.

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