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Charlton Lido

ross1ross1
in Not Sports Related
Just read an article on the modernised Charlton Lido and brings back memories. Spent most days in the school holidays, (late 50s and early 60s) there.

Remember one horrible day when they fitted a new spring diving board, I think about 12 feet high. I fell off and landed on paving around the pool. I could not walk for a few days but only had bruising, a couple of weeks later, someone else did the same and I was told they fractured both legs.

They say Charlton fans who are born in Charlton and support our local team are unlucky, I have never felt like that 😁
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Comments

  • Mendonca In AsdasMendonca In Asdas
    ross1 said:
    Just read an article on the modernised Charlton Lido and brings back memories. Spent most days in the school holidays, (late 50s and early 60s) there.

    Remember one horrible day when they fitted a new spring diving board, I think about 12 feet high. I fell off and landed on paving around the pool. I could not walk for a few days but only had bruising, a couple of weeks later, someone else did the same and I was told they fractured both legs.

    They say Charlton fans who are born in Charlton and support our local team are unlucky, I have never felt like that 😁
    My goodness, lucky you’re still alive!
  • letthegoodtimesrollletthegoodtimesroll
    I remember hating going here as a kid. No roof and the water was freezing. What on earth was she thinking taking us there when we could have stayed on the bus and gone to the swimming baths in Woolwich, or gone in the other direction to the swimming baths in Greenwich. 
  • R0TWR0TW
    They was mostly built like that
  • Valley AntValley Ant
    I only went there on very hot sunny summer days. 
    Loved it there.
  • LenGloverLenGlover
    Spent some time at Charlton Lido after exams in 1976 summer.

    It was great.
  • guinnessaddickguinnessaddick
    LenGlover said:
    Spent some time at Charlton Lido after exams in 1976 summer.

    It was great.
    Spent most of that summer in Danson Lido.
  • fadgadgetfadgadget
    Anyone else remember when it was converted into a skateboard park ?

  • GribboGribbo
    Was talking to a friend only this Saturday about the lido as he's just started going there.

    Used to love going up there as a kiddo
  • bolloxbolderbolloxbolder
    Living in Bexleyheath,  it was always Danson or Martens Grove lidos for me. 

    My abiding memory was how cold the water was. 
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  • Clem_SnideClem_Snide
    Eltham Park Lido for me. Was an absolute dump as I recall. The water was ridiculously cold and the changing rooms properly bleak. No idea why I spent so much time there TBH.
  • church-lanechurch-lane
    fadgadget said:
    Anyone else remember when it was converted into a skateboard park ?

    Yep. Used to sneak over and skate at night. Also have loads of memories of swimming there in summers gone by. Kiddie at my primary school, sadly, drowned there.
  • ct_addickct_addick
    Charlton Lido was brilliant.....lived just around the corner......the place to be the summer of '76.....I remember people doing bombs off the diving board and how nobody split their head open getting too close to the edge of the pool is beyond me. Also a sad memory of a kid who drowned when he got a finger stuck in a drain....I was there that day and it will always live with me....the kids name was Drew .....something. Very sad. 
  • AndyGAndyG
    guinnessaddick said:
    LenGlover said:
    Spent some time at Charlton Lido after exams in 1976 summer.

    It was great.
    Spent most of that summer in Danson Lido.
    Me to literally everyday of that glorious summer was spent in danson lido ( the hot dogs were amazing ) genuinely the best summer of my life ! Just left Charlton secondary school and had the summer before starting work in Woolwich Arsenal 
  • soapy_jonessoapy_jones
    Loved the Lidos, Eltham, Charlton and Danson Park.
  • ken from bexleyken from bexley
    Loved the lido, used to dive of the large wooden sprung diving board, and get as near to the side  with bombing as well!. 

    Remember an elderly fellow with one leg, who used to hop along and dive in,!

    Went there during the Sumer holidays, with the kids from Springfield, it was generally quite busy especially on the hot days. 

    Used to sun bath there, but never really caught a tan, probably because my pale skin never turned brown, red, but never turned brown!.

    The top board which seemed very high I jumped off a few times, until I was 16 then did a few dives, but it was painful if you got it wrong!.

    Swam at Woolwich baths which were like a sauna, and swam for the school. when about 15. Plumstead baths is where we went if you did  swimming at my school, remember doing the bronze life savers medal,  had to take pyjamas  and tread water for a few minutes!.... ha ha.
    We had the school  swimming competition there, and the upstairs were full of screaming Herberts, Royal house always won when I was there.... 

    Greenwich baths were excellent for swimming, but a bit austere, and colder.
  • ME14addickME14addick
    bolloxbolder said:
    Living in Bexleyheath,  it was always Danson or Martens Grove lidos for me. 

    My abiding memory was how cold the water was. 
    I loved swimming in the pool in Danson Park. I lived in Bexleyheath until I was 8 and vaguely remember Martens Grove.
  • johnny73johnny73
    Erith swimming baths was my favourite. Large pool and a proper deep end. I have a recollection of a lido between Erith and Plumstead.
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  • ken from bexleyken from bexley

  • SolidgoneSolidgone
    I love swimming but hated Charton Lido as it was freezing cold. I use to dive in and swim a length thinking I’ll warm up to the water but never did. Absolutely gutted because it was a fantastic venue. 
    I almost lived in the Woolwich pool as you used to go there most days with a freebie ticket from school. 

  • ross1ross1
    Not wanting to bore you, but I meant to finish my accident story.

    I was carried into an office, my mates were told to get dressed and bring my clothes to the office. After we were all dressed and I could not walk, so they told me mates to carry me home, they took in turns to give me a piggyback.

    It took them about 30 minutes to get me home. No medical help and no ambulance was called by the staff at the Lido. Cannot imagine that happening now
  • SoundAsa£SoundAsa£
    edited July 8
    It was Bellingham Baths for me…..loved it there and spent several summers and many hours just hanging out with the in crowd…..around the early to mid 60’s.
    It was hugely popular and a tragedy when it was closed down in 1980. 😟
  • ken from bexleyken from bexley
    ross1 said:
    Not wanting to bore you, but I meant to finish my accident story.

    I was carried into an office, my mates were told to get dressed and bring my clothes to the office. After we were all dressed and I could not walk, so they told me mates to carry me home, they took in turns to give me a piggyback.

    It took them about 30 minutes to get me home. No medical help and no ambulance was called by the staff at the Lido. Cannot imagine that happening now
    That is a story of its time..... If you look at the photos I posted you would never have kids of that age , on a flimsy slide going down into a pool these days I imagine?. Could not find any of   the top diving board, but it must have been 20 feet tall, it seemed like much higher when you were up there I can assure you!. If you cut your finger these days it would be a health and safety issue, especially run by RBG.! . By the way The Woolwich baths were those at the back of the then town hall, and along by the side of the Police station, used to dry our hair on the outside grills of the heaters, no wonder I  am bald on top these days, perhaps we should take  RBG to court!
  • Hal1xHal1x
    edited July 9
    ross1 said:
    Not wanting to bore you, but I meant to finish my accident story.

    I was carried into an office, my mates were told to get dressed and bring my clothes to the office. After we were all dressed and I could not walk, so they told me mates to carry me home, they took in turns to give me a piggyback.

    It took them about 30 minutes to get me home. No medical help and no ambulance was called by the staff at the Lido. Cannot imagine that happening now
    You got off easy,  they could have billed you for chipping their paving slab with your knee.
  • Rob7LeeRob7Lee
    Eltham Lido, spent a couple of summers in there until it closed about 1986.
  • Raith_C_ChattonellRaith_C_Chattonell
    SoundAsa£ said:
    It was Bellingham Baths for me…..loved it there and spent several summers and many hours just hanging out with the in crowd…..around the early to mid 60’s.
    It was hugely popular and a tragedy when it was closed down in 1980. 😟
    Bellingham was my local lido, but the allure of Downham baths where I swam daily was far too much for me to bother with it.

    As you can see none of this getting changed around the edge of the pool malarkey, proper changing rooms, a cafeteria, seating on three sides and a glorious forty yard pool ... which admittedly wasn't competition size whether metric or imperial.  Other than that it was luxury, sheer luxury.

         
  • BournesnrBournesnr
    Raith_C_Chattonell said:
    SoundAsa£ said:
    It was Bellingham Baths for me…..loved it there and spent several summers and many hours just hanging out with the in crowd…..around the early to mid 60’s.
    It was hugely popular and a tragedy when it was closed down in 1980. 😟
    Bellingham was my local lido, but the allure of Downham baths where I swam daily was far too much for me to bother with it.

    As you can see none of this getting changed around the edge of the pool malarkey, proper changing rooms, a cafeteria, seating on three sides and a glorious forty yard pool ... which admittedly wasn't competition size whether metric or imperial.  Other than that it was luxury, sheer luxury.

         
    Still bloody freezing though.
  • stonemusestonemuse
    Went there a lot as was just down the road in Cherry Orchard … agree with others, water was always freezing 
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