PELLS POOL LEWES
 

Taking a train down to Lewes seemed a better idea than a fractuous drive down the busy Brighton M23. 

So much better to stroll over the road from the station and through lovely Lewes, on over the hill to the park and 'Pells Pool', the oldest lido in Britain. 1860

A famous elegant flint wall hid the pool from sight so we walked confused around the perimeter once before returning in time for the padlocked metal doors, that had blocked it on our first lap, to be thrown open and the nice life-guards, cashiers and cafe workers there to be prepared for our arrival. 

What a nice sight it was too. The sun came out and glittered off the sparkling wavelets, and the shouts of little boys jumping in and out, and then in again, made it one of those pools where fun is still the overal intention.  

One or two people stroked self-consciously up and down in the natural spring water, today around 17C, but there was plenty of other space for the other 12 of us as it's one of the biggest lidos of them all. And just £4

It would have been 13 of us in the pool, but one little girl, carefully wetsuited up at great effort by her father, declared herself not at all agreeble to the idea of something-or-other, and started to shout that it was all too much to bear. Eventually her father came to discuss the something-or-other and the importance of not worrying too much about it, but to no avail and she reinforced her dissatisfaction about something-or-other by throwing down her swimming goggles onto the ground theatrically, and raising the volume of her discontent considerably. We watched the discussion but it appeared fruitless and in one smooth action the girl was suddenly whisked up under dad's arm, marched off to the changing rooms, and appeared some minutes later fully-dressed and walking reluctantly to the exit gate.

Swimming in the unheated water might not be for all of us.

 But after a short shock 17C was not too bad and it was a delight to swim next to the grassy lawns full of mums and people with nothing else to do. We lay back against the end brick wall in the sunshine and talked to the lady next to us. "I would go in but I've just had an operation so must take it easy" she said watching her boy and girl. "They don't fight here. Look. Those two over there!"

We walked out past the entry kiosk with its notice saying "Buy your duck food here!" and in ten steps from the exit were met with 30 or so watching ducks waiting noisily outside on their pond.