Ilkley Lido celebrates 90th anniversary with birthday picnic
An open-air swimming pool is celebrating its 90th year as it reopens for the summer season.Ilkley Lido, which opened in 1935 as part of King George V's Silver Jubilee celebrations, is holding an anniversary birthday picnic on Sunday.As part of the event, local swimmers have shared their memories of taking a dip at the site.Local architect Simon Cape, a member of The Ilkley Pool and Lido Community Group, describes the site as the town's "riviera".
'I was first in'
An indoor swimming pool was added to the site in 1974, and Mr Cape remembers being the first person to jump in.He said: "I was 10, me and my brothers, and a few friends, were the first to get let in and I was barging my brothers out of the way to dive in, so I was the first person in."Mr Cape also remembers the time his father got the indoor pool closed down. "My dad was collecting us from the pool one evening and everyone used to flick the fluffy substance from the ceiling, which would come down like snow, and my dad asked the then pool manager what that substance was, and he said it was fireproofing."My dad said 'do you mean asbestos?' It turned out it was blue asbestos which we had been flicking down with our towels. So my dad rang environmental health that night and it got closed down."The resulting shut down meant the swimming team had to move training to the outdoor pool in March."We had to train at night in the darkness," says Mr Cape. "I remember one night, the coach had us running around the outdoor pool in the cold and the rain to get warm and then dive in. One of my mates had to drag my brother out to save him from drowning."
'Lido months are ones to treasure'
The site was designed by architect Percy D Tempest in an Art Deco design and unique mushroom shape.The outdoor swimming pool, cafe and changing rooms were Grade II listed in 2009. Last year Bradford Council almost closed the pool as part of budget cut but the plans were axed after objections from the community.Becky Malby, chair of Ilkley Pool and Lido Community Group, says swimming in the lido is a "unique experience"."The lido months are ones to treasure. When we were worried about the future of the pool, hundreds of people got in touch to tell us how important it is, and to offer to help the lido to continue to be a fantastic experience for so many," she says.Mr Cape says the group is now looking at ways the site can bring Ilkley's many sporting clubs together."Ilkley is a remarkable town for the amount of sports facilities it has. It's an incredibly sporty place and we see the lido site as central to that," he says."We're now looking to the whole site and thinking about how we can improve it and get it back to its former glory of the 1940s."
'You can't top it'
Jay Robinson has worked as a lifeguard and duty manager at the pool for nine years.He is excited for it to open for the summer season."When we get weather like this, it's a good atmosphere to be around. It gets really busy but working in the sun feels like a holiday," he says."This is the main tourist attraction for Ilkley especially with the health benefits of the cold water. "For the older generation, it's meant to be good for dementia, and for younger ones, the fitness side of it. Temperatures vary from 11 to 20 degrees if you're lucky."You can't top it. The weather, the water, it all comes together."
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