For 40 years, Clare Honeyfield has called Stroud home. In that time, Stroud Lido has been more than just a pool – it’s been a backdrop to family life, friendship, and community. Here, she shares why its future matters so deeply.
Like most Stroudies, I have great memories of summers spent at Stroud Outdoor Pool /Lido.
This month marks 40 years of me moving to Stroud, and it has been such a great place for me to ‘accidentally’ land as a young single mum and knowing literally only my house mate at the time.
And the lido, or outdoor pool as I always call it, has been a big part of that 40 years of moving through life, finding myself and understanding what I’m here for on this glorious planet full of mostly wonderful humans who just want to live a life where we can feel safe, comfortable, feel part of something and have choices around how to spend our (increasingly squeezed) leisure time.
I felt a deep sense of grief when I heard about the outcome of the recent council meeting, and I hope with all of my heart that the officers and elected members responsible are able to find a way forward for budgeted essential works to be carried out in time for the outdoor pool to open for the summer.
My memories of the pool, spanning those 4 decades, include being there with my young family in the 80s and 90s, my boys playing in the fountain and jumping into the pool, and of catching them in the cool, sun-warmed spring-fed water.
As the children grew up, we would meet friends there – odd to think that at one point I didn’t have enough money to buy a swimsuit for myself and a friend gave me a rather baggy yellow and white one piece with old elastic which sagged. Such unselfconscious and different times for me. We’d take a picnic after school, sit on the steps in the sun (and rain) and chat together, as the kids all ran around having fun together. It was such a formative part of their childhood.
I have one particular memory of a pool party there in the early nineties, with a kind of rave vibe, and on each side of the boards, two full sized cast iron bath tubs stacked on top of each other which clapped open and closed to reveal coloured smoke in time with the music. Wild times indeed. A performer climbed the diving board in full size stilts and jumped off into the pool from the top board, carrying a tiny umbrella, landing still standing, head and shoulders above the water in the ‘deep end’ (which is actually the middle).
Pretty sure that would all be illegal now.
Post divorce and living alone, the pool became a place to meet with friends, to take a blanket and lie peacefully in the sun, occasionally dipping in the cool water and maybe swimming the odd length.
I took my grandkids there and sat in the rain and sun as they have paddled in the baby pool.
I really enjoyed, before lockdown and the restricted opening times (but that’s another topic) cycling to the pool after work to lie in the sun with friends until it closed at 7pm. Dipping, hanging out, chatting, snacking.
Above everything I think, the lido is a safe and democratic space, where anyone and everyone can go to exercise, to practice as Uma Dinsmore Tuli refers to it, ‘the radical act of rest’, to socialise, to feel grounded on the earth and for many of us a safe place to lie in the sun – because we don’t all have gardens big enough or private enough to sunbathe.
There are so few spaces which are open to all, affordable, (entry is included in Leisure Centre membership) welcoming to families, and such a major asset for public health. And it’s so iconic, with the art deco boards and 1937 vibes.
As Denise Ballard from Fourteen Lifestyle has pointed out, being spring-fed, the lido has historically operated without the high water and heating costs of modern pools.
So folk of Stroud, my plea to you is to get involved in the campaign to Save Our Lido, sign the petition, email your district councillor, offer your skills and talents, show up at the council meetings at Ebley Mill (look out for announcements on the website and social media channels) come to the Public Meeting organised by the Town Council on Monday 20th April at 6pm in St Laurence Church, and let’s Save Our Lido together.
For teens, for keen swimmers, for families and for generations to come, let’s find a solution and save our summer.
www.savestroudlido.org
