Special notice Bec Lido closed for refurbishment until after the New Year one hundred yards www.slsc.org.uk 07985 141 532

Tooting Bec CELEBRATING Lido Centenary review from the South London 100 YEARS Swimming Club Issue 9 2006 MESSAGE FROM THE events too. Xanthe Maggs PRESIDENT (age 9) was judged the most improved swimmer and We wanted this centenary became the first winner of the year at Tooting Bec Lido to Children’s Centenary cup. Of be special, and wasn’t it just! course many of our now 800 Crisp and refreshing in the odd members are not racers, Spring, balmy by July and what and thank you to them for a treat in September, even the graciously giving up the pool rain was warm. And so many space during the races. successful and fun events, in and out of the water. Fascinating history On the swimming front, The other centenary events we’ve had a very full include Tooting Bec Lido’s programme of summer races. fascinating history depicted Councillor Jim Maddan, Mayor of plants the Centenary Oak in the garden at Tooting Bec Lido For the traditional Sunday through original photographs, morning series, 126 different letters and other documents at always something interesting to but the investment of nearly individual swimmers took part, an exhibition put together by look at. Around the café, a half a £million for relining of with the average for each Janet Smith and shown at the new awning, more benches, the pool and improvements to race being over 30. This is a Wandsworth Museum in the and good food and service by the surrounds. This constitutes real challenge for the summer Spring. So many other events Five Star Catering in their first a real commitment from handicap and race team, but are shown here in pictures year here. Wandsworth BC and DC they’ve done an excellent job and reports, rounded off with So, to the future. DC Leisure Leisure to prepare well for all summer, the cups being the Centenary Art Exhibition won the new 8 year contract the next 100 years, which is spread across the ages and in October showing work by to run the Lido and other really what our publicity work abilities of the participants. artists inspired by the Lido Wandsworth leisure centres. this year has been about. We The new children’s series was Hanging out at the Lido has The Lido will be closed from look forward to continue our a great success with many of been great this year. Picnics on now till at least the New Year, successful partnership with them now joining the open the grass, artists at work, so no Christmas races for 2006 them both.

ART OF THE OUTDOOR SWIM It was an inspired idea to celebrate the centenary by sponsoring a host of art events. The work articulated so many of the things that are special about being at the Lido. Those images delved deep beneath the surface to reveal the treasures that lie within the open water. Some of them are shown here.

Childrens’ mural: Year Six at St Leonard’s Primary School transformed the wall behind the Lido Café into an Atlantis vision of sunshine, sea creatures and mermaids.

Glimpse: Fio Adamson’s graphite murals transformed the covered area with sketches of Lido parts that we glimpse while swimming.

Water Music: Angie Brew made music using sounds of the lido, swimming, splashing, diving, jumping, breathing, playing, the trains, the Open Air Art: And a glorious flower rose up on the battered wall Slice: Steve Carey’s underwater mirror fountain, inspiring the formation of the TUC, beside the pool! David Batchelor put together a broad range of added a ghostly sparkle to the deep end and the Tooting Underwater Choir who with members’ work inspired by the Lido, in a pergola beside the café transfixed swimmers with its gently flexing unfathomable success performed for the Mayor for Open House weekend in September. view of the life aquatic. Celebrating with a splash A round up of the year’s centenary events

danced; the bathing belles The Championships were EVENING AQUATHLONS poked gentle fun. And over inspired by the SLSC’s contact This year saw the first annual 2000 people shared in an with members of Finlands’s aquathlon series, run over experience best summed up by ice-swimming community and four summer evenings. Each the Scandinavian high diver in organised by a dedicated involved swimming 11 lengths The Diver, swallowing from the group of members who worked and then running 4 1⁄2 miles high board to the water below so hard to make the event around Tooting Common. The and capturing for all of us happen. evening’s extended light made something of the wonder and the beauty of re-engaging with our primeval inner selves in the simple act of swimming. As Lucy’s firework candles cascaded over her beautiful, DIVE-IN MOVIES final night cake made in the I doubt Tooting Bec Lido has shape of the Lido, it seemed ever seen anything quite like a totally fitting end to a totally it. In its 100 years history, the unforgettable weekend. Lido must have played host Carole Woddis to many unusual sights. But it’s hard to think that anything COLD WATER SWIMMING could have quite matched the CHAMPIONSHIPS change that came over the Lido Over 300 competitors on the last weekend of July. For converged on the Lido in CENTENARY RELAY the Lido a perfect place to host three nights, as the last bather January to compete in the 25 teams converged from clubs these events and each one was was ushered out at 5.30, the UK’s 1st Cold Water across London and the Home a sell-out. Across the series 96 lido was transformed. Swimming Championships. Counties to compete in the athletes – young and old, In the time it takes to say Competitors came from the SLSC centenary relay gala. The accomplished and first timers – `Tooting Bec’, marquees were four corners of the British Isles, freestyle relay comprised four competed for medals and for pitched, a barbecue and bar the USA, Finland, Norway, person teams each swimming the overall title of leading installed and at the far end of Zimbabwe, South Africa four times, and a medley relay male, female and veteran. the `field’, a giant screen was and Australia to do battle in was over the full Lido course. Plans are being hatched rolled into view. temperatures spectators could Yes, that meant one poor soul to re-run this series next year This was the setting for only describe as “parky” had to swim 100 yards and to host a big aquathlon Tooting Bec Lido’s Dive- and competitors as butterfly – ouch! event as part of the pan-London In Movies, organized in “refreshingly sharp”. Honours aquathlons that are run by the association with 30 gold, were taken by British Triathlon Association. Picture House, City Screens, silver and two rather Future Shorts and Cambridge bronze useful teams 100 YEARS, 100 LENGTHS Film Festival. medals from Eton Channel swimmer Nancy For three evenings, as night went College, Douglas proposed that a fitting fell, hundreds of people, some to age with strong send off to the Lido before its with toddlers in tow, camped groupers competition closure would be to run solo, out, picnicked, and fell into and teams from Spencer, duo and relays with competi- silent thrall as the silver screen who swam in Guildford Lido, Otter, tors swimming 100 lengths! took over and Burt Lancaster in individual races Jacks, the Hundreds of club members The Swimmer, Esther Williams over 33 and SLSC, Wandsworth signed up for it – swimming the in Million Dollar Mermaid and 66 yards, and SC, Serpentine, 5.7miles either individually or a thousand extras swam into the freestyle and Croydon Amphibians as part of a team. history and our everlasting medley team events. and numerous scratch Eight swimmers completed memories. teams of Lido fans 100 lengths individually, 7 A magical experience for and friends. duo teams, and 7 five-person audience and volunteers alike. teams. Well done to all The steamy summer provided competitors, and to the 100 the perfect backdrop with SLSC members who celebrated only Sunday night’s sudden the day by being part of the chill reminding us of what 100 x 1 length relay. The day used to be considered the ended with fun, fizzy, cake ‘normal’ English summer. The and fireworks, to say goodbye gods smiled down; the stars before renovations started. seemed logical to keep the training up. Dancing until 5am was on hand for those who wanted to fit in a final cardio session. As the morning sun shone, the carefully selected National Freestyle teams gathered poolside. Australia were favourites and clearly had pedigree. Great Britain too had a chance at gold. The rules stated that if each team could muster a single passport from one of the four swimmers then full residential status was accorded to all. No one minded that Margy became Norwegian, the organiser’s Finnish hus- band became Lebanese, Gavin White rep- resented Newfoundland and that the Irish team weren’t speaking gaelic. The Finnish calling ourselves World Champions. The and the Russians took first and second, Breaking water was minus 2 degrees, kept from with ex-Olympians among them, and Team freezing by tiny jets that kept the surface Australia nicked third place from Team GB. moving. The air temperature was minus 16 Finally, each nation presented a water- the ice? degrees. The SLSC team had a terrific first based performance to celebrate the day. There were several medal winning championships. The SLSC team donned Margy Sullivan is Norwegian. Russian performances, Lucy Neal – our first medal sensational Carmen Miranda outfits and men like wearing tutus. Simon Murie triumph – was surrounded by the press as thanks to Margy’s choreography and owns a leopard skin thong. The things she took silver. Others followed, with Carly DJ Egg’s mixing, a second prize was you discover about people as a member Newman, Sarah Hamer and Rose Levien awarded – beaten only by the Russian of the 35 strong SLSC team in Oulu, all swimming terrifically to beat opponents tutu clad men. It was a truly celebratory Finland, for the 2006 World Ice Swimming from Russia, Latvia, Australia, Ireland and weekend: people from very different Championships. We assembled with even Lebanon. It was a great opening day places came together to celebrate a nearly a thousand competitors, to plunge and spirits were high. It seemed rude not shared passion, where competition wasn’t into a 25 metre freezing pool cut from to drink some. With the following day’s top of the agenda – just simple pleasures the Baltic Sea, to swim for the honour of international freestyle relay to come, it of enjoyment shared amongst new friends.

Tooting Bec Lido wins Golden Goggles 2006 London has lost 58 lidos and has just 12 places left to swim outdoors. London Pools Campaign sent out a team of swimming detectives to check out the state of the city’s lidos and ponds. Research was gathered, and the Golden Goggles Award was presented to Tooting Bec Lido, voted “best outdoor swim in London”. Peter Robinson, Assistant Director of Leisure at Wandsworth A picturesque night at the Tooting Bec Lido: swimmers and their guests Council received the award, floated 100 candles, which lit up the water at the annual summer barbeque presented by Alastair Campbell. and races, commemorating the centenary in a tranquil vision of lights. OTHER PLACES TO SWIM THIS WINTER... Serpentine Lake, Hyde Park Hampstead Heath Mixed Ponds Street, WC2H 9AG, £3.45 Open every day 6am – 9:30am. Open 7am – 3pm, Open only to Monday – Fri 7.30 am – 8.30 pm, Join the Serpentine Swimming Club Hampstead Heath Winter Swimming Weekends 9.30 - 5.30 for £20 Club, join for £10 London Fields Lido (heated), London Christmas Day Race 9am Charlton Lido, Shooters Hill, SE19 Fields Westside E8, Opening November Parliament Hill Lido, Hampstead Heath Monday – Saturday 8.50am for 6 weeks only. £3 Open 7am – noon. £2 – 10.15am. Tuesdays and Thursdays Doggy Paddle Dash! Hampstead Heath – from 7.30am. Sunday 10.30am – noon While the Tooting Bec Lido is closed On a cold March morning 101 SLSC swimmers set a Ladies’ Pond and Men’s Pond Informal gathering on Christmas Day DC Leisure are allowing SLSC Lido Pass new world record for the largest doggy paddle race. TV Christmas day races at 11am for men Hampton Open Air Heated Pool holders (green passes) to use its other crews and other media covered the successful attempt, and women at the Men’s Ponds Opening times Information line: pools at Leisure Centers at Tooting, which was made to a chorus of barking. The first £70 season ticket gives you access 020 8255 1116, £4 , and Latchmere, but swimmers to arrive at the other side were the Barker to the Lido, Men’s and Ladies’ Ponds, Open Christmas Day 8am - noon some of these leisure centres are also siblings! True genius, even if the Guinness Book of Records decided not to register it. otherwise £2 Oasis Sports Centre (heated), 32 Endell undergoing renovations. Please check.

President Vice Captain Treasurer Press Committee SLSC Finbarr Martin Mat Record Sue Manning Christopher O'Hearn Members COMMITTEE [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Mark Sawyer Barbara Kohler Vice President and Captain Secretary Membership Secretary 100 Yards Margaret Lipsey Margy Sullivan Lucy Scott Doreen Fitch Sally Goble Simon Murie [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]