Bye bye winters season - hello summer season

It is true : robbers broke in during the night from wednesday to thursday and managed to steal the metal railing along the inside of three sides of the pool! Apparently it's worth quite a bit when sold as scrap metal! The police estimated the value of the stolen goods at around £1000! Ironically having the railing replaced would amount to far far more! The mind boggles as to why society has to put up with rogues and people who operate with such dishonesty...

Getting back to a brighter outlook on life, it has to be said that the Lifeguards, as always, tried their level best to make the pool as safe as possible. Ropes normally used for putting in lanes replaced the railing along the inside of three sides of the pool which meant that less confident swimmers had something to grab hold of if needed. Thanx guys!

Improvised railing

Holding on to the railing was only possible on the width in the shallow end of the pool...

Also, the winter season is now officially over ... and as from tomorrow SLSC members will share their beloved Lido with the general public again ...! This also means that I won't be allowed to take photographs ... sad but true ! Not sure what I will do .. probably swim more! Chatting and socialising is still on the agenda too and, who knows, I may very well come up with another form of communicating with my avid blog followers :) I was thinking of posting sounds bites - little interviews or just atmospheric sounds of the Lido .. . the only challenge I am faced with is that "blooger.com" the host of my blog does not cater for sound uploads ... I am however investigating other avenues .. ! so keep your ears close to the ground or more to the point close to the web! I will keep you posted!

Business is usual- with an enforced day off,

many SLSC members enjoyed their swim even more!

I started off catching a few early birds ... like Wendy

Gisela

Nicky

Gail

Ivan getting ready for his impressive pre swim work out ...

now in full swim while Tom and Tim are slowly getting ready to get in

Tim is in!

yes, hello Tom! I know Tim's waiting :) you'll be off in just a moment ... after showing me ....

"The silicon moulded ear plug" that keep all the nasty water out - that's what I'll hopefully get specially made too... soon, well as soon as I get my appointment at St. George's Audiology department! My GP has today sent off the request - so fingers crossed the wait won't be too long...!

Pip gently lowering herself in - she swam her first mile of the season!

Vince, forever the happy chap ... as long as the Lido is open and he can have a swim!

Chris sorting out his goggles before getting in .. count yourself lucky Chris for being able to ...

rest your feet on the only railing left :) the railing on both lengths and the deep end width of the pool got stolen yesterday...

Fernando "bathing" ... I have yet to see him swim :)

Finishing touches are being made in the caf .. open to the public from tomorrow on

Pip watching Chris worshiping then sun

Terry was busy trying to make the pool safe ...

... by attaching foam around the metal hooks the railing was affixed to

and that the robbers left ...

that should do the trick and prevent someone accidentally hurting themselves

poor Nicky didn't feel very well today ...

Terry explaining his protection strategy to Doreen

Rixa tidying her hair

What next Chris?!

Keen runner as well as swimmer, Eamon getting ready to run home?!

Fazlar grabbing a quick breakfast before heading of to work

Billy enjoying his swim

Jonathan still swimming in his winter gear ;)

Surely the water temperature is warm enough by now?!

John, up the deep end of the pool holding on to what's left (of the railing)!

that's all that is left!Like Terry explained to me, it's lucky the crooks didn't screw off the holders as taking those off too would have left holes in the protective membrane that lines the pool and water would have run behind the lining and cause it to bulge and eventually break

Jenny turning around and pushing off again at the deep end - not so easy with the aid of the railing ;)

Barbara arriving at the Lido looking rather shocked and perplexed by the robbery