Page 55 - BR September 2023 (1)
P. 55

September 2023                      September 2023
 meters from the main road the whole area was oozing with wildlife.  There was an
 impressive barn with occupied House Martin nesting boxes.     PARLIAMENT HILL LIDO

       “Hi, fancy a cup of coffee” Shane Khedoo greeted me with a warm, friendly grin
       when I introduced myself to him at the Parliament Hill Lido. Shane had worked at
       many pools in London since he came here from Mauritius in 1971. He had worked
       as a duty manager at Parliament Hill Lido for 20 years and had actually retired in
       2015 but came back to help out. “I was swimming champion of Mauritius in 1969-
       71” he said and he still cut a fit figure well into his 60s.


                                                      Parliament   Hill   Lido   on
                                                      Hampstead Heath is owned
                                                      and  run  by  the  City  of
                                                      London  and  was  opened
                                                      on  20 .  August  1938.  It
                                                            th
                                                      measures 61 metres long by



 More impressive was the Museum,
 housed  no  not  in  a  pigsty  but  in
 an old chicken shed.  There were   27  metres  wide.  The  pool  is
 magnificent  exhibits  and  Martin   unheated  and  on  the  sunny
 Green  had  inherited  many  fossils   morning  we  arrived  was  a
 and  full  of  archeology  displays.    balmy 20C. It can get up to 24C
 This is well worth a visit and much   on   really   hot   days.   The
 appreciated by members    corporation  also  owns  and
       manages  the  Heath  including
 On  5   September  we  are  back  to  normal  meetings.    We  are  having  a  talk  on   Hampstead Ponds.
 th
 Garden shrubs and trees.  PLEASE NOTE  CHANGE OF VENUE.  We are meeting at
 the old Bere Regis Sports club.             Grade ii listed since 1999, it remains a
                                             fantastic  example  of  its  kind  and
 THE Drax Hall is undergoing repairs.  I look forward to seeing members there and   shows  what  can  be  done  with  the
 do not forget the harvest Supper in October.  I have asked Paul Openshaw to do   support of the corporation. I gather it
 a set of songs and poems after the meal.    spends  £8,000,000  a  year  running  all

 Susan Stone                                 the facilities on the Heath.
                                             Around  10  years  ago  the  lido  was
                                             refurbished  and  a  stainless  steel  liner
                                             installed  making  it  positively  leak

 When you respond to advertisers, do please tell them you saw their   proof.  Shane  told  me  that  after  the
                                             installation  of  the  liner,  the  pool  now
 advert in this magazine  -  it helps them monitor the effectiveness of   has  a  very  fast  circulation  rate  with
                                             the water being treated and returned
 their advert and helps us generate more advertising revenue!!   to the pool every 5 ¼ hours.  And it showed in the clarity of the clear blue water.


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