Friendly Yorkshire 

 

Ilkley Lido 

 

 

We got up early and drove to Yorkshire this week. So early in fact we got to Ilkley Lido at 8 am !

Ilkley was recently rated the best place to live in England. And you can see why.

Not many places are built around a municipal park the size of Hyde Park, and where you can walk out of  the high street Boots, (or Griggs with a steak bake), and see remote high moorland on one side and wooded and meadowed fields on the other. Stone walls all tumbling down and cows dotting the landscape.

We parked right outside the lido where for £2.60 we could explore the swimming pool, now renovated at great expense during covid. 

The receptionist seemed to treat everyone as a close friend and so gave us completely new customers an especially fine welcome. People greeted each other going in and then coming out. The receptionist was happy to talk about the temperature to each person in the line.

We walked out of the changing rooms into the grassy sunshine overlooking Ilkley rugby club. And the cricket club, tennis club, bowling club and no doubt lots more besides.

Shaped in curious swirls and extensions I didn't really understand the pool layout so tried random swimming around the different areas of the rather suggestive shape. 

The water was sparkling over the blue painted bottom. The fountain was turned on. A hose played over a kiddy area. Two housewives cruised in circles next to us talking loudly about the recent school meeting. I felt like joining in. I'm sure it would have been welcomed, for Yorkshire is the direct opposite of Norway where I was last month. A place where if you talk to someone on the train you can be thrown off and arrested for being overly friendly and so odd. 

There in the north our conversations were viewed as open to all to join in at any time.

"20.5C" said the man overhearing us on the next sunny bench. "Have you been here before?"

"Good morning" said another to me in the shower, "I'm looking forward to a good breakfast in town after this!"

"Do you swim often?" I asked him. He looked about 85.

"Three times a week with a group of us. We go to the Crescent Hotel, afterwards as a rule. We used to do Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. But this year we do only Monday, Wednesday and Friday..." 

Afterwards we walked into town to have a breakfast too, passing many early shoppers who said good morning to us as they passed.  


 

 




Comments

  1. Ayad & MeJune 29, 2022 at 2:28 AM

    i feel you dear Andy, i feel the Dales... miss all about u & it

    ReplyDelete

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