Tinside Lido: The Big Blue One

Friday: Tinside Lido, Plymouth

The Big Blue One

I have been yearning to swim in Tinside lido ever since I was first wowed by the amazing photographs in Kate Rew’s Wild Swim. As far as lidos go, this appeared to be the cream; massive, art deco, unheated, salt water and located right on the edge of the Atlantic ocean. It did not disappoint.

Hubby and I left our yurt in the pouring rain and drove a loaded Hetti down to Plymouth, bargaining with the weather Gods for a sunny afternoon. And sunshine it did, so that we were greeted with a spectacular first sighting of the lido: sparkling, blue, sooo BIG and empty. Empty of people that is, not of water, that would have been a HUGE disappointment.

I could barely contain myself and galloped up the street to the newly installed lift which drops you down to sea level and makes the lido accessible for anyone who cannot manage the steps. The physio in me finds this very pleasing and gives the lido bonus points for accessibility, until the lift won’t work! I then have to gallop down the steps, trying not to look desperate (I am now worried that in the few extra minutes it takes to get there the lido will have filled with a school party of non-lido-appreciating kids) and trying to wait for hubby, who lacks the child-like excitement I have for getting cold and wet.

We pay the lady on reception, and I whizz around like Superman in my changing cubicle to get into my cossie and into the water as fast as I can.

There is one 50m lane that runs across the widest part of the pool, next to the fountain (extra bonus points for a fountain, which promptly get removed when I discover that the turbulence caused by the fountain throws me off course on every length.) There is a stalwart swimmer, breast-stroking up and down next to the lane, and a small but very fast dolphin-like child who does a few speedy lengths to show us up. Other than that, husband and I have the whole pool to ourselves.

It’s gorgeous! Salty, cold, choppy (due to the wind and fountain combo) and it’s so big. I manage 20 lengths in wiggly lines and a bit of underwater exploration around the curve before I am too cold and head for the hot showers. Then we spend an hour or so drinking tea from the “hole in the wall” cafe, wrapped in our down jackets, faces to the sun. 

I love it here, I love the view, I love the lines and the curves, I love the blue of the stripes and the sky and the white of the walls and the clouds. I take my own photos and I discover that it’s not the photographer which makes them look good, it’s Tinside lido.