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Brockwell Lido Breakfast Club 2009

lang rabbie said:
Am I right to think that several of those bathing lakes are actually old open-cast coal workings? How deep and how cold are they?
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after consulting my dad (i actually always wanted to ask the same question so cool you asked that just now) -they are either old coal, sand or pepple workings which were renaturised after the work was finished to be used by the public and wildlife again. i always wondered why they are called bagger see (digging lake).



sorry for the derivation of the thread :p
 
I've not even been for my first swim at the lido this year. Foolish. Aiming for Tuesday if the weather holds up.

Tricky, how long was your lido tour last year? 40 miles? Oh and in stalker news, I think i saw you as I passed the Korfball thing at the start of the week, but didn't think you'd know who I was.
 
I've just bought that wild swimming book and thinking of basing my summer holidays around it - maybe a camping/swimming/walking tour of the Wales bit..... not sure why I'm posting this here, now, - typing out loud I suppose. eta.. actually it must be all this talk of a Lido tour....

Anyone gonna be in the lido in an hour and a half's time? :)
 
I visited Kenwood Ladies' Pond on Hampstead Heath for the first time yesterday. It's a bit disconcerting swimming in browny green murk, but possibly the most peaceful place on earth (apart from the fight I had with a moorhen over my picnic).

It was actually considerably warmer than the lido too.
 
RubyToogood said:
I visited Kenwood Ladies' Pond on Hampstead Heath for the first time yesterday. It's a bit disconcerting swimming in browny green murk, but possibly the most peaceful place on earth (apart from the fight I had with a moorhen over my picnic).

It was actually considerably warmer than the lido too.
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We're returning to the boat on the Thames where we had our wedding night in a few weeks (for our anniversary). We swam in the Thames there - and will do so again I suspect. It was also surprisingly warm - if slightly wierd and a bit :eek: not knowing what was underneath you (I always remember those stories of people flushing their pet crocodile/snake etc down the toilet and have this completely irrational idea that some wierd animal/frond of green stuff is going to drag me down!.... :rolleyes::D). Still it was fun and I reckon if we do this wild swimming thing this summer we'll get used to it.

eta - who won the fight?
 
RubyToogood said:
I visited Kenwood Ladies' Pond on Hampstead Heath for the first time yesterday. It's a bit disconcerting swimming in browny green murk, but possibly the most peaceful place on earth (apart from the fight I had with a moorhen over my picnic).

It was actually considerably warmer than the lido too.
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there is defnitely some getting used to involved in swimming in natural water (ie not seeing the ground, underwater plants touching etc)...it can be very addictive once one is used to it though. when i swam in that lake recently i was totally out of practice and as a result it was a bit unrelaxing when i swam right in the middle of the lake and suddenly imagined fish biting me and plants touching -terrifying thoughts :rolleyes:...:D
 
I was swimming up and down there this morning thinking

a. this is great

and b. why don't they fix the clock? It's permanently a couple of minutes past 3.

(hendo posting as ms t. she hasn't been in this year, for shame.)
 
gaijingirl said:
eta - who won the fight?
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Well, overall I think I did, but it scored a few points guerrilla warfare style, by sneaking up on the tsatziki while my back was turned.

Definitely the fear of What Might Be Down There is a big one, but you're not touching the bottom at any point so you're at least not going to impale yourself on anything sharp. I did panic a bit when I ran into a strand of pondweed but it was just the one.

The other thing of course is the cleanliness of the water. I did notice that hardly anyone was putting their head under, and I didn't do so myself. You can't see much under the water anyway, too murky. Which may be a good thing.

Anyway, our ancestors swam in this stuff all the time, and probably drank it too*, and they lived to pass on their genes, so it's a bit feeble of us to be squeamish about it.

*Actually they definitely drank it, as the Hampstead Ponds were originally dug in the 17th and 18th centuries as reservoirs for London.
 
Ms T said:
I was swimming up and down there this morning thinking

a. this is great

and b. why don't they fix the clock? It's permanently a couple of minutes past 3.

(hendo posting as ms t. she hasn't been in this year, for shame.)
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ooh.. shame we didn't see you - gaijinboy, myself and Tricky Skills were having a lovely sunshine chat and watching the cafe owners set up their tent full of crisps, snacks and icecreams. Also sadly missed was Rubytoogood!

Tomorrow morning is a go if the thunderstorms are over... :)
 
gaijingirl said:
ooh.. shame we didn't see you - gaijinboy, myself and Tricky Skills were having a lovely sunshine chat and watching the cafe owners set up their tent full of crisps, snacks and icecreams. Also sadly missed was Rubytoogood!

Tomorrow morning is a go if the thunderstorms are over... :)
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Thinking about coming along tomorrow morning. Can you buy a 'morning swim' on the weekend?
 
brix said:
Thinking about coming along tomorrow morning. Can you buy a 'morning swim' on the weekend?
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No - it doesn't open till 10am on the weekends. The morning swim tickets are for pre-10am swims during the week I'm afraid.



eta.... I'm hoping for really good weather so our swim can segue into the Glastonbury refuseniks picnic - making two picnics in one day!! :D
 
gaijingirl said:
No - it doesn't open till 10am on the weekends. The morning swim tickets are for pre-10am swims during the week I'm afraid.



eta.... I'm hoping for really good weather so our swim can segue into the Glastonbury refuseniks picnic - making two picnics in one day!! :D
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Bugger, can only come for a quick swim and totally broke so don't want to spend a fiver :o
 
Ooh. I may have to come down if it's not too early. The chances of me leaving my bed and getting down to Brixton much before 11 are slim...
 
gaijingirl said:
shame - it's not really worth it for a quick swim - but totally worth it for a lazy few hours/morning/day!! :D
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I wish I hadn't arranged stuff for tomorow now :mad:

I meant to come down today but I seem to have wasted the day faffing :mad::mad:

Must. Get. Myself. Organised. :rolleyes:@self
 
Got work commitments tomorrow morning, so sadly will only be around for a swim, 10 - 11.

This morning was lovely - a brisk swim, strong sunshine and a good old gossip afterwards :cool:

I've tried fresh water swimming (but it's never fresh? :confused:) at the Serpentine and Hampstead. It's just not for me. As well as the irrational fear of what is swimming down below you, my technique involves taking in occasional mouthfuls of water.
 
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