Brockwell Lido - chat, news and more
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RubyToogood
RubyTwobikes
Some people have too much time on their hands. I swam at Tooting today, which has a plastic liner, and is invariably way cleaner than Brockwell. The lifeguards were cleaning it today with a big thing which they drag back and forth on a rope. It was practically spotless. Brockwell is vile, green and full of plasters at the moment.
editor
hiraethified
But that's not because of a lack of a lining. That's because of a lack of maintenance.
RubyToogood
RubyTwobikes
I think the lining helps the maintenance enormously.
editor
hiraethified
There's some quite lively discussion about the pros and cons of this plastic lining in the comments here:
Campaigners say no to a plastic pool lining at Brockwell Lido
Campaigners say no to a plastic pool lining at Brockwell Lido
urbanspaceman
Well-Known Member
I don't understand what the problem is. The petition doesn't explain itself:
"fundamentally changing the swimming experience and the look of this iconic feature" (How ? Presumably the liner will be the usual light blue colour)
"Looking down at the floor of the pool as you swim does not need to be a sanitised experience." (Only affects people wearing goggles, and doesn't explain the disadvantages of "sanitised looking", a concept that I find difficult to grasp anyway)
If fitting a liner reduces the need for maintenance, then presumably the pool will need to be closed less frequently (good), and if it's more sanitary, then also presumably the amount of chemicals used can also be reduced (also very good).
"fundamentally changing the swimming experience and the look of this iconic feature" (How ? Presumably the liner will be the usual light blue colour)
"Looking down at the floor of the pool as you swim does not need to be a sanitised experience." (Only affects people wearing goggles, and doesn't explain the disadvantages of "sanitised looking", a concept that I find difficult to grasp anyway)
If fitting a liner reduces the need for maintenance, then presumably the pool will need to be closed less frequently (good), and if it's more sanitary, then also presumably the amount of chemicals used can also be reduced (also very good).
TopCat
Putin fanboy
No detail of why the plastic liner is wrong or how it will affect anything. I just don't get it. Is it just an Anti plastic stance?
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
Well I'm completely and utterly pissed off with the lido - it's just one problem after another. Today it's closed because the water visibility is so bad because it's FILTHY. I pay membership to use it and instead I've had to go and pay to use Tooting who, tellingly, had 2 lifeguards down on their knees with scrubbing brushes cleaning the area around one of the ladders and a cafe where you can buy a normal cup of tea - not a quinoa and kale version at 3x the price that tries to stop swimmers coming in. Yesterday at Brockwell the outdoor showers were broken - there's always some showers broken. Their piece of shit app has 2x broken this week so I can't actually book anything anyway and despite calling 8 times last week and leaving 2 messages on their answerphone I couldn't actually speak to anyone until I went down there. Got there, there were 3 of us queuing with the same issue and a growing queue of people wanting to get in for a swim behind us having to wait whilst the receptionist tried to sort it out. Meanwhile tons of classes are being covered by alternative instructors which means you get there and it's not what you signed up for - but there's no advance warning of this. The whole place is filthy - after the really hot period last week they just didn't bother to clean it, there was all kinds of disgusting crap all over the place. Winter was just as bad - you never knew if it would be open or not with random opening hours that saw the pool closing 4 or 5 times during the daytime for up to an hour at a time (because they didn't have enough lifeguards). Why they didn't just close down half the pool I don't know. I've never come across a more badly managed sports centre - no wonder they lost all their branches in Southwark. I really wish that some other group would take it over frankly. I would defect to Tooting like a shot if it wasn't for the fact that Brockwell is incredibly convenient for me and on my way to work.
editor
hiraethified
Do you mind if I post this up as an opinion piece on Buzz? Maybe that will provide some incentive for them to sort out the place?
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
yeah go on then. I'm at the end of my tether with the place.
editor
hiraethified
I'll post it up tomorrow. Yesterday's piece about the pool lining attracted loads of views and quite a few comments, so I reckon your venting will attract some attention.
It sounds to me like you've got a good case for compensation or a partial refund on your membership.
editor
hiraethified
I decided to post it now - let's see what reaction it gets! Please share!
The shocking state of Brockwell Lido: broken, dirty and badly run – opinion piece
The shocking state of Brockwell Lido: broken, dirty and badly run – opinion piece
I thought plastic is only an issue if used once only. Disposable water bottles and wrappings on electronic devices etc just go straight in the bin. But a piece of plastic which gets used and reused over a decade isn't an issue in my mind.
shakespearegirl
just worked out taglines
I have a friend on the BLU board, do you mind if I share it with them? I let my membership lapse earlier this year and I’m now inundated with sign up sign up emails from them. I didn’t leave because they were shite but if I was staying in london I would have been tempted to, tbh if it hadn’t of been for Rachel’s classes I probably would have left 10 years ago after my first year of membership
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
if you want - I also have a friend on the BLU board but she puts up with enough of my rants on FB as it is.
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
I feel like an awful traitor! I've always loved it so much. It's just horrible to see it like this.
brockwellswim
Member
We’ve a poll on our Twitter page if anyone wants to vote:
timothysutton1
Brixton resident.
The chair of the Brockwell Lido Steering Committee is a Trustee of Fusion and I have been told the chair of the Brockwell Lido User group BLU does not use the pool.
Both committees have failed to published any minutes this year. After the recent death of the last BLU chair, new members were co-opted onto the committee on a seemingly "friends of friends" basis. Neither of the Lidos two sports clubs have official representation on any of these committees.
A few years back I disclosed that one of BLU's members had only attended one meeting all year, blocking other members joining. I was then banned and the member was promoted to Treasurer.
Lambeth Council and local councillors are fully aware of the situation yet do nothing. The only Tweet I have seen was from Councillor Mary Atkins who was upset she missed her Pilates class.
There are other questionable practices going on. The whole thing needs taking apart and putting back together again.
Both committees have failed to published any minutes this year. After the recent death of the last BLU chair, new members were co-opted onto the committee on a seemingly "friends of friends" basis. Neither of the Lidos two sports clubs have official representation on any of these committees.
A few years back I disclosed that one of BLU's members had only attended one meeting all year, blocking other members joining. I was then banned and the member was promoted to Treasurer.
Lambeth Council and local councillors are fully aware of the situation yet do nothing. The only Tweet I have seen was from Councillor Mary Atkins who was upset she missed her Pilates class.
There are other questionable practices going on. The whole thing needs taking apart and putting back together again.
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Tomas Smith
Member
I heard Tim Sutton aka The Brockwell Swimmer has been banned from BLU because he keeps having hissy fits at their AGM and hassling committee members. He's also been put on notice at Tooting lido so all his posts on their FB group have to be approved by an admin.
His water polo team tried to get rid of him because they were sick of him. He broke his club constitution to stay as chair and made his husband the club secretary and his friend the treasurer so they all left and went to Tooting. Blatant conflict of interest.
The Brockwell Swimmer needs to own up to his own questionable practices. His whole personal 'club' needs taking apart and putting back together again.
Fusion should check if this is a proper community club. It is debatable whether The Brockwell Swimmer represents the interests of its members.
His water polo team tried to get rid of him because they were sick of him. He broke his club constitution to stay as chair and made his husband the club secretary and his friend the treasurer so they all left and went to Tooting. Blatant conflict of interest.
The Brockwell Swimmer needs to own up to his own questionable practices. His whole personal 'club' needs taking apart and putting back together again.
Fusion should check if this is a proper community club. It is debatable whether The Brockwell Swimmer represents the interests of its members.
timothysutton1
Brixton resident.
shakespearegirl
just worked out taglines
I also heard all of the above.
timothysutton1
Brixton resident.
It's called malicious rumour, or liable. I have asked them to be removed.
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
I think it is an aesthetic thing. I do prefer the concrete floor - there's something more raw about it compared to the plastic lining (although I don't know why I say this - every year I get a "lido graze" from scraping some part of my body on it). I like the feel of it and the look of it and the way the light plays across it - today whilst swimming at Tooting I paid attention to the pool lining and I don't find it as lovely. To be honest though from a pragmatic point of view, I'd trade it for the plastic lining if it meant better water quality - the algae problem that's plagued the pool for the last few years is appalling. I was there one afternoon two years ago when they had to shut a quarter of the pool because the water quality was so bad they couldn't see whether or not people were drowning. The "not using plastic" argument I suppose is valid but then it's hardly "single-use".
Tomas Smith
Member
The Brockwell Swimmer doesn't like his questionable practices being talked about. He doesn't want people to know why he was banned for life from BLU, why his water polo team tried to vote him out, why he had to fill his personal club with cronies to stop him being kicked out, why he's been silenced at Tooting..
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