Con Fusion
| Saturday 16 October, 2004 |
The Lido generates enthusiasm from its users usually reserved for a football team. If you can manage a summer weekly regime of a 6.45 early morning swim then a 10am start on a damp and drizzly Autumn Saturday for the AGM of the Brockwell Lido Users (BLU) group is a mere paddle in the shallow end.
 Blah blah blah bollocks, bugger off back to your blog |
It's not without a lot belief, hard work and good luck that the Lido is still standing. With the property developers edging ever closer from East Dulwich towards Brixton, this is a prime spot of land owned by a council looking for ways to 'maximise their funds.' BLU has been central to this, acting as a 'critical friend' for both the Council and Fusion during the previous painful three year consultation period.
Speaking at the meeting this morning was the comically named Peter Kay, Chief Executive of Fusion. Having told us that 'the lease is ready' and with the clock counting down to next summer and 28 weeks of essential repair work needed, why then the estimation that pen won't be put to paper until 'November at the earliest?'
Kay confessed that a delayed summer opening of 'around July' was most likely for next year. Exactly WHAT will be opened remains to be seen. The appeal of the Lido is the unique ambience that has been created by Paddy and Casey. Hippy shit bollocks, yes, but the reality of Lambeth's diverse population partying down at the Lido is an experience that Fusion would do wise to try and maintain.
Unlike the Lambeth Council model which could be characterised as too little too late, Fusion promise to make the Lido self sufficient. And here's the dilemma: Membership payment at the expense as pay as you go; promoting the Lido as part of the Fusion brand rather than a local pool and probably an end to the jazz cigarette laissez faire policy in the top corner as well.
When questions were opened to the floor, a young (ish) articulate and inquisitive, um, ...blogger asked Kay if there was a pricing policy in place for next summer:
'Yes there is.'
'Great – care to expand?'
'It will not be significantly higher than the current prices.'
'So we can expect to pay around a fiver for a swim next summer?'
'Blah blah blah inflation bollocks now bugger off back to your bloody blog, etc'
A critical friend indeed.
The AGM then became tangled up in committee matters and sounded more like a talking shop for a Guardian reading Third Way focus group than semi-naked hedonists who enjoy a summer swim.
After a heated mass debate, the BLU members cooled off skinny dipping in the sub zero temperatures. Yeah, right... You'll be telling me next that the lease will be signed by Christmas.
(click on thumbs to see large image)
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