Lost in The Peak District.

 Lost in The Peak District.

The Derbyshire Dales are always a good day out from where I live, not so very far away.
Though now and then getting there across country we get lost.
Since the sun was shining and we had a full tank of fuel I thought to try out the all–season heated
Hathersage Pool .
At 27.5C it could hardly be a tough swim, even in April..

We arrived at 9.45 and wonderful! There was only one swimmer in the sparkling blue pool that
nestles down in the Hope valley. It’s surrounded by Mam Tor, Lose Hill, Kinder Scout and Stanage Edge all visible from the community led pool, saved from closure by the village.

 

 

“Two old people please!” I sad after climbing the steps to the ticket booth.
“Sorry, if you didn’t book then you can’t swim.”
“But there’s only one person in !”
“Yes. He’s 'Schools 9-10' but they're on holiday ”
“So are we.“ 

"No. You have to book.“
 "Can't we really go in?"
At which point he gave up, worn down by our cheek.
“Go on then! £14 please! Come back in 15 minutes.” We scarpered whilst the going was good, to the
café next door for beans on toast and coffee, where cakes were to die for.

 

 

 

Coming back again we changed in the open-air cubicles and as I walked to the pool saw that it was
fully-laned swimming only.
I wondered if slipping in where I stood would be perhaps a minor offence. Suddenly I was aware of
35 large women swimmers turning their heads to look at me as they swam their curious vertical
floating stroke.
I wondered if we had got lost and entered a female only session.
No! Over there were four men powerfully churning up and down in the first lane (entry by strict
completion of 50 lengths in 30 minutes, we learnt later).
Others were also churning in the next wide lane (entry by further testing and certification for that
too). The rest of us were randomly pushed to what remained and subject to the usual “pardon” and
“sorry” as limbs crashed. 

An old fashioned dad and his baby were huddled to one side and seemed to
cause further disarray with the vertical swimmers. One kid was chastised by the lifeguard for
jumping in with a big splash.
We went to get changed in the shaded cubicles chilled by the arctic winds that came direct from the
Pennine glacial tops. But by now there was a queue for the enclosures and I huddled down in the
sun till a man told me to ‘go ahead’ of him lest I perish..
I saw the thin tarpaulin sheet to cover the pool and keep the warmth in and thought that now that fuel
has almost doubled in price, such a thermal blanket needs to be the thickness of a winter duvet.

I got to thinking at what point does a swimming pool become just a gym? Booking required.

Silent swimmers improving their fitness at the expense of families and local young kids wanting to
lark and burn off their fun energy? Apparently the locals don’t use it any more and it’s visitors from
the city nowadays.
There’s a river down at the bottom of the road and we made a note to visit and report back next
month or so. I felt in a way that the swimming pool has lost its way.