Hello peoples,
So I’ve finally managed to get online long enough to put up some pics and try to catch up with what’s been going on!
These shots have come at some price, and my Broomhill experience has become somewhat tainted lol. I seem to be having some rather “tricky episodes” with my car over the last few months, with my final visit to the Broomhill Lido resulting in it being towed away by plod. I have to admit it was my own fault, which is until I can find someone else to blame.
With my fear of all things technical I failed to update my new mobile number and got locked out of my email for the umpteenth time so never received the insurance updates. So when the old bill turned up to chuck me out of the pool and a PNC check revealed my insurance had expired I was towed away. Being a Bank Holiday the recovery firm wouldn’t let me pick my car up for 3 days, it cost me £150 to get it back, now awaiting the court case, 6 points and probably a bigger fine…I’ve condensed what actually happened that morning as with most things in life it wasn’t a straight forward. The old bill were actually very patient with me, waiting over an hour whilst I furiously made phone calls trying to get online insurance, only not to have sufficient funds when the crucial moment came, stressful yes…but hey “shit happens!” I still have two arms, two legs and three heads so it could be worse.
A little bit of history about the pool
The Broomhill Lido opened in 1938. Displaying the fashionable Art Deco style it is 50m long, 18m wide and 4.5m at the deepest end. It is one of 12 Grade II Listed lido’s in England and designed by the Architect E. McLauchlan. The pool was originally heated to 70F, with its boilers being requisitioned for the war effort in 1941…I like interesting facts like that!
After a 13 year campaign from 2002-2015 the pool successfully attracted a £5.3 million funding towards its restoration and re-opening, which is meant to be in the Easter of 2018. The Heritage Lottery Fund announced the good news after the leisure company Fusion Lifestyle submitted a bid. I’m so glad it’s being saved, as these types of pools were once so popular throughout the UK and nowadays seem so rare, plus I love anything Art Deco.
The explores…
One day I hope to turn up to a place and get all the pics I’m “happy” with in one visit, but until then I guess I shall have to settle for multiply trips lol. Luckily the pool isn’t too far away so it wasn’t too bad making several revisits.
I was hoping to catch the lido in a lovely warm winter light with some atmospheric bare trees, but the weather reports never seemed to be accurate so a couple of trips ended up with me not getting my camera out, a couple with me getting chucked out by sec, once by some suited council officers, an architect…but he was ok as I told him where the angry wasp nest was and saved him from getting stung like I had been, and the final time by plod, I was getting pretty fed up by then. I was going to try again this coming winter, yep I will have one of them snug jackets that do up at the back please, fold my arms together nicely, I’m a bloody liability, but after reading that the pool should be re-opened by next Easter I thought I’d better get some pics out to give folks the chance to visit before any restoration begins…that makes such a lovely change to say, restoration not demo.
Ok so on with the pics…
Broomhill Lido 345 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 354 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 227 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 001 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 072 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 106 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 110 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 117 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 122 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 102 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 325 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrShowers into pool
lido 020 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
ipswich lido 149 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
ipswich lido 146 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
ipswich lido 113 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 192 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
ipswich lido 081 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 303 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 230 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 234 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 149 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 171 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Broomhill Lido 201 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
20170429_113638 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrnaughty!…
Well I hoped you had a good giggle at the mess I all too frequently get meself into, so when you’re having a not so good explore take comfort in my mistakes, there’s always somebody worse off, tell yourself that, I do, it keeps me sane???
lolBe lucky, stay safe and try not to get caught
