Richmond Pools on the Park include a heated outdoor pool run as part of the Spring Health Leisure Centre. To get to the Lido we walked through the busy indoor pool where Lifeguards were being trained and families were splitting their time between the indoor and out door pools.
By the time we arrived the clouds had cleared and the sun was streaming down on the already warm pool. After Uxbridge the warm water was a luxury although in the smaller busy pool we missed the space and freedom Uxbridge had given us. We easily completed our 400 meters and more and it was a struggle to leave the greenery-surrounded pool and head back indoors to get changed. On our way into the pool we had noticed a 70’ style orange pod in the changing room which we were eager investigate after our swim. Watched by bemused children and ignored by their mums, the three of us crowded into the pod which we had named a Dryomatic to be dried by a full body hairdryer and infra red bar heaters. Great fun! Although we got some great film footage of us swimming in the pool we forgot to take a photo apart from on the train to the pool.
Jo the manager at Richmond was one of the most supportive of our challenge and after our luxurious swim we spent some time chatting about the importance of pools both indoor and outdoor. Jo told us about the threatened closure of Saltdean Lido in Sussex and explained how many pools across London and the UK are threatened with closure. Since we had just travelled from such a stunning pool that had been until recently shut down and vandalised for over 10 years the conversation was even sadder.
Thanks to the fantastic support of Richmond Pools on the park the three of us were able to add a further £12.60 to the sponsorship pot and Between the three of us we swam 1267 meters.
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