Hi everyone

You may all be interested to read my report (below) on our visit to this pool in the summer of 2007 during our lido challenge. It seems almost prophetic now but it was fairly obvious to us even then that the pool was dying on it's feet due to lack of good management.

What was clear to to both Dave and me was that local councils are not always the best people to run swimming pools. There are wonderful examples around the country of groups of enthusiasts getting together using their drive, enthusaism and expertise to run very successful operations. Good luck to the campaign!

Best wishes

Bob

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High Wycombe: Holywell Pool 

Lido 62: Wednesday 15^th. August 2007

We made out way back to High Wycombe and eventually found the pool in a large parkland area immediately behind an Environmental Centre. This was dedicated to a man called Christopher Wallis who had recently died but had devoted his life to environmental issues and had been instrumental in restoring a mill. Diana decided to look around the centre whilst Dave and I found the pool immediately behind. At reception we explained our mission and that it was for Save the Children. The Vicky Pollard look-alike seemed decidedly unimpressed  but said she would sign our form when we had completed our mile. “That will be £4.20 please” she said and Dave handed over £10 thinking that it was £2,10 each. No it was £4.20 each until I chipped in requesting my concessionary rate of £3. It was not the money but the principle of making a charge when we were doing the whole thing for charity. I pointed out that this was only one of 2 pools that had charged us so far to be met with a blank expression. The pool was nice enough being 33 metres in length though there was a green slimy patch half way down its length. What was noticeable was that there was only one other swimmer in the pool, an elderly lady doing a rather sedate breaststroke. Now the weather was not great as there was the odd fall of light rain but it was not that bad. Where were all the swimmers gone in the middle of summer?  You get the feeling that this is one pool that sadly will close mostly because of poor unimaginative management. I mean to say, even the sign to the pool had been turned around the wrong way by your local vandals and nobody had thought to turn it back! We chatted to the young lifeguard after our swim. She was nice and told us that it was relief manager in and playing things by the book. She took a little persuading that a team photo would be OK without the necessary paperwork as there were definitely no children in the pool at the time. A sorry tale.