I thought I knew about every attraction that South-West London had to offer - from the Museum of Rugby to Centre Court shopping centre, I thought I had it covered. I was wrong - little did I know that a record-breaking feat of engineering was lurking just up the road, in Tooting Bec:
Tooting Bec Lido is the largest freshwater swimming pool in the UK.
Tooting is split into two parts, and Tooting Bec is the part with the massive park, tree-lined avenues and expensive delis. I live in the other part. A lido, for anyone not entirely clear, is basically an outdoor swimming pool. Other lidos/lidoes/lidae can be found all over the country, but you can search far and wide and you won't find one bigger than here in SW17. Tooting Bec Lido is 90m long, according to Wandsworth council, who own the pool and are therefore probably a bit biased regarding its champion status. What I like about facts such as these is that a lot of conditions have to be attached - it's not the largest pool full stop, and they've also had to mention that its a swimming pool, because it's probably a bit smaller than Loch Ness.
Incidentally, the word 'Lido' comes from the Italian resort which sits across a lagoon from Venice. They reached the height of their popularity in the 30s, but have since fallen into decline, with many closing in recent years. I could harp on about how it symbolises that we as a nation have turned our back on outdoor living, and have retreated indoors, shut the curtains and are watching people swim on Sky Plus. The trouble is, it doesn't appeal much to me either - if it's a shade below 20 degrees you look like a polar explorer in training, and as soon as the sun comes out my skin turns crimson. For any other sun-haters reading, Wandsworth council do mention that the lido area has a gazebo to huddle under. While I'm on the subject, you can get a gazebo in Woolworths for £12. Well, I've told everyone else, I might as well tell you.
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