Peterborough Lido at 80

Peterborough Lido, enjoyed by over 20,000 visitors annually, re-opens for the summer season on 28 May – and this year celebrates its 80th anniversary. Toby Venables talked to Jamie Fenton, Vivacity General Manager of Swimming Pools, and Jon Marsden, Vivacity Director of Sport & Healthy Living, about what’s new, what’s happening on the day and why the place is special to so many local people

Opening day at the Lido – as an event, and a celebration – is a long-established Peterborough tradition. So what can we expect in this 80th anniversary year?
Jamie Fenton: Because we’re celebrating the 80th anniversary, this year is going to be slightly different. We’re going to have some collages of old images from 1936 to the present day on boards around the Lido, giving you a visual history of the place itself. There is also a new play area– we’ve invested over £25,000 in new themed equipment, including a pirate ship – and as a charity we are promoting child swimming and offering free swimming for under 5s at all Vivacity pools across the city. We will also be unveiling the new Walter Cornelius weather vane and memorial plaque, with a special ceremony to mark his achievements.

Walter Cornelius was a much-loved local character, probably best known for his crazy stunts. How will the new weather vane commemorate him?
Jon Marsden: It’s a fantastic memorial, and such a clever idea. In Peterborough there have been calls for years to mark Walter’s remarkable life in some way. At one time there was talk of naming a street after him. He worked at the Lido for many years and was best known for trying to fly across the River Nene, so what better way to celebrate the man than having a weather vane on the Lido, directly adjacent to the river, depicting Walter trying to fly across it? It’s just perfect. It was actually Chris Allan, a long-time friend of Walter’s, who suggested the idea to me on opening day last year. There are lot of people in Peterborough who remember the man with such great affection; he only had to walk through the streets and everybody would say hello. A really important character to this city – I’m just glad we’re able to celebrate his life and have a permanent memorial to him.

What makes the Lido special?
 Jon Marsden: It’s a great day out, it’s a meeting place, it’s a place that families can enjoy, where you can relax on the terraces and read a book, or have a picnic. It’s a really cost effective day out, too, and for those families who perhaps don’t go away on holiday it provides outdoor activity right in the city centre.
Jamie Fenton: With the Lido you can spend an hour in your lunch break, a couple of hours after work or the whole day there – and people do when the weather is good. There’s no time limit on admission. Once you’re in there you have the 50m heated main pool, a 20m teaching pool and the paddling pool for toddlers. There are also the ever-popular sun bathing terraces at the top of the facility where you can sit and relax, the play area on the grass lawn where people can bring their own picnics. We opened the café a couple of years ago, so this is its third season offering hot and cold food, ice cream and drinks – and you can pay a fixed fee of £26 for a family of four which includes entry, a burger, and a drink for all four. It’s a family day out, right on your doorstep. But if people want to bring their own picnics that’s fine too. There are also family events throughout the season: with our one-man zorbs and hand-boats for the toddlers. It’s a lovely place to be, and a great place to relax away from the hustle-and-bustle of busy city life.

‘Lido’ is an Italian word for bathing beach, and in a way I suppose it was meant to recreate that day-out-at-thebeach experience…
Jon Marsden: The Lido was built in 1936 and was a building of its time – quite simple in its design and construction. The way I would describe it is an oasis in the centre of town. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing or where you are, if you want that little bit of peace and quiet to relax, or a nice swim to cool off it’s a great place to keep fit and active in the summer. It is the reason that thousands upon thousands of Peterborough people have used the Lido and continue to return year after year. We have a strong fanbase of individuals who are passionate about outdoor swimming and come rain or shine! It is a wonderful experience to swim outdoors, in the fresh air and the sunshine – a really healthy activity.

Many towns and cities had Lidos, of course, but why is Peterborough lucky enough to have one of the few that survived intact?
Jon Marsden: A lot of councils closed these facilities down in the 1970s and 1980s. Peterborough City Council has just shown vision and a strong commitment to outdoor swimming. There were various times when closing the Lido was considered, but those thoughts were quickly overturned. I know that in the early 1990s there were discussions about the future of the Lido, and due to the level of support that it received from the general public, who did not want to lose it, it has continued to operate every year. Unlike a lot of outdoor swimming pools that are still in operation, it has also received quite significant investment in its infrastructure and equipment. It really is a much-loved facility and one we are very lucky to have.

It certainly seems local people have quite a strong emotional attachment to the place…
Jon Marsden: People have gone there from their childhood days and grown up with it. It’s one of those places where over the years lots of young people have used it as a meeting place – for families, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends – so it does have that strong emotional attachment. We have people in their 60s, 70s and 80s who remember going there when they were children or teenagers, many continue to do so. There is that real nostalgia attached to it – and when the sun shines there’s no better place to be.

Peterborough Lido
Bishops Road, Peterborough, PE1 5BW
The Lido is open 9am-7pm from opening day on 28 May through to 4 September, and offers three heated outdoor swimming pools; a 50m heated main pool, a 20m teaching pool for children and a paddling pool for toddlers. An onsite café offers hot and cold food alfresco and families can enjoy the picnic lawn, sunbathing terraces and the new nautical-themed play area.
Prices
Entry to the Lido is £5.80 for adults and £4.10 for children. Entry for a family of four is just £16.50 or £26 with food (includes a burger and a drink each). Entrance to the Lido is free to some Vivacity gym members and discounted with some Vivacity cards, please ask staff for details.
Supporting children’s swimming
As a charity Vivacity is committed to encouraging child swimming from an early age and ensuring children are safe in and around water. Vivacity now offer all children under 5 FREE swimming at the Lido during the summer as well as at three indoor pools across the city – ask staff for more details.

For information call 01733 864761 or visit www.vivacitypeterborough.com/lido