Page 49 - br-april-2022

April 2022 April 2022

Five lifeguards led by Jason and Phil provide safety cover throughout the summer and the picturesque fishing village of Newlyn to the west. Its beautiful art deco
from June through to September. On a busy day they have to impose a limit of design is inspired by seagulls taking flight. This has been used to great effect and
400 bathers into the pool, letting more in as some leave. Sadly, there have only laid out in such a way as to streamline it from the prevailing winds and tide.
been a few days in this awful summer when they have had to impose this
restriction. The diving platforms are sadly no more thanks to the health and safety brigade
but thankfully apart from a few more recent major refurbishments, the pool
However, I gather that this has not stopped a good number of the locals remains much as it was when it was built all those years ago.
clambering over the wall to take a sneaky swim after the pool has closed for the
day. Ken is quite philosophical about this but did take exception one morning I was greeted at the gate by Ken
when he came in early to find a bevy of beauties and a film crew occupying the Osborn, the technical and training
place. He told this cheeky bunch to climb back over the wall from where they manager. The pool is owned by
came! Cornwall Council and run by
Carrick Leisure, a charitable trust
Apart from this unauthorised activity, there is a lot going on at the pool. Mount and is a grade two listed building.
Bay Harriers run an Aquathon every month and Carrick Leisure now run regular As well as looking after the
kayaking sessions which will carry on after the pool shuts in September. Penzance lifeguards, Ken is in charge of the
water polo club use the pool for training and there are regular coached open general maintenance. This means
water sessions. that he spends three months of the
spring each year using a high
The pool enjoys support from a regular band of locals who use it on a daily basis. I pressure hose to wash away the
met Walter and Chris who swim at the pool or outside in the bay on most days assorted algae and grime before
throughout the year. Walter told me “This is my life and I am completely hooked. painting using at least 45 litres of
You can’t beat this!” white weather shield. It is a
constant battle against the elements with the stormy Atlantic regularly battering
the infrastructure, blistering and lifting the paintwork. Whole areas often have to
be repainted within a few months to keep the building sound. P
When the pool was originally built, it had a rock based floor but nearly twenty
years ago a major refurbishment took place and a concrete base was built which
had to be reinforced in 2011. Also, the pool surrounds were reinforced to make
the present walkway around the pool slightly smaller than the original design.

However, it is still a mightily impressive
size measuring 100 metres by 74
metres taking 1.1 million gallons of
seawater to fill. Ken tells me that it
takes two big tides to fill and one and
a half tides to empty, with seven
large valves being used in the
process.
I was invited to take a swim and descended
the steps to the changing cubicles. There As I looked around the pool, flags
were no doors on the cubicles a product of fluttered gently in the summer breeze
some patrons getting up to no good in the days when they were there. Quickly and I could imagine being on a giant
changed, I was ready to take my swim. I dived into the murky seawater and felt cruise liner. These flags were made of
immediately at home. There was no beastly chlorine here to irritate the eyes, just silk by a lady called Lucy and added
pure seawater. Yes a little cloudy but pure unadulterated seawater! an atmospheric feel to the place. Continued on page 48

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