EAST END’S £25,000 LIDO

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 June 1936, Page 3

EAST END’S £25,000 LIDO

“SOCIAL LIFE CENTRE.” LONDON, May 19. “East London’s Lido,” was the description applied to the new Victoria Park swimming' bath by MT. Herbert Morrison, M.P., leader of the L.C.C., when he declared the bath open yesterday. “This is more than a swimming bath.” he said. “It is East London’s Lido. It will. 1 hope, prove to be a healthy centre of social life for the people of East and North-East London.”

Decade after decade Britain and the world bad been told of the tragedies of poverty, unemployment and slumdon in the East End. Yet the fine people of the East End had survived, with a friendliness, a sturdiness, and an independence all their own. "This’bath has cosl t‘25,00() to const met. It has terraces for onlookers and a cafe for the' general public, as well as for bathers. The Council has provided wide facilities for mixed bathing; we allocated substantial periods during wKi ch free bathing will be allowed; and we have been careful to provide special facilities,for the children..

“Not only does a bath such as this virtually bring lite seashore into Lo'ndon. but the modern refinements which

have been introduced in designing it

enable everyone’ to use it with confidence in its safety. The latest and most efficient type of filtration plant .lias been installed capable of filtering the whole of the '650,000 gallons of water in the bath in five’hours.” Already the Council had nine openair swimming baths. Provided they receive the co-operation of other authorities they were anxious to increase

the number. At least 1,000,000 bathers used the Council open-air swimming baths last year.