Fancy a festive dip? Lido to open over Christmas

Hardy swimmers will be able to take a festive dip after a charity-run outdoor pool announced it would open to the public over Christmas.

Beccles Lido, in Puddingmoor, Suffolk, will be in operation from 27 December until 4 January, with the water being heated to 25 degrees.

The facility recently reopened after a refurbishment of its plant room, which saw the replacement of its filter tanks, which had been used since 1975.

"We wanted to treat our customers, try to get as many people here, and really spread the Christmas spirit," said general manager, Matt Day.

"We don't make much money over this period, if anything it's more of a community service at this time of year than it is about lining our own pockets," he added.

"We're here for people to enjoy the facility."

Opening over the festive period and heating one million litres of water in a 3.7m-deep pool does prove costly, Mr Day said.

But he added that staying open for the duration of the winter months was actually more financially beneficial than shutting down for the season.

If they were to leave the pool for six months without any chlorination or treatment, for example, they would have to get rid of the water and then replace it.

"We then have to heat it and chlorinate it, so actually, overall, it ends up more economical for us to keep all the water, to keep it heated, and to keep it chlorinated, and to stay open all year round," he said.

"The more people that come during the winter, the more we will be able to keep our prices lower and encourage more people to enjoy cold water swimming."

The complex is able to open to the public all year round thanks to a major refurbishment which was carried out in 2020.

And, with "no especially cold weather expected at this stage" of the year, according to BBC Weather, swimmers are all too happy to take the plunge.

Self-confessed "born again" swimmer Nigel Tebb, from Norwich, who finds swimming to be "meditative", says he will "definitely" be taking a dip over the Christmas period.

"The benefit of coming here now is that you've got the pool to yourself, which is fantastic," he said.

"I don't like swimming in pools where you're rammed and you're swimming nose to tail, that's not particularly enjoyable."

Steve Goymer, also from Norwich, described swimming outdoors during this time of year as "absolutely magical".

"It's brilliant, and it's not as cold as I thought, which is great," he said.

"There's the mist on the water, the sunshine, the blue sky - it's fantastic and I would thoroughly recommend it."

Lynne Price, who visits the lido every Friday, told the BBC she will also be heading to the pool over the festive season.

"It is fabulous, you are out in nature, and so it is lovely to be back, you just feel amazing," she said.

"Yeah, I will definitely [be down here at Christmas]. And the more people that come, then the better it is for the lido."

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