# London Fields lido to reopen?



## Dougal (May 24, 2006)

Well hackney Council could not finish the work before the May election  and now just say it will be done this summer. Whats the betting that they will fuck it up? 

I think it will leak, or fall down or something.


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## dogmatique (May 24, 2006)

They had an item on beeb London news about this the other week.  Actually, it looks rather fantastic and is very close to completion...


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## Dougal (May 24, 2006)

dogmatique said:
			
		

> They had an item on beeb London news about this the other week.  Actually, it looks rather fantastic and is very close to completion...




Clissold pool looked fantastic. The problem was the water all leaked out as soon as they filled it up. Don't underestimate the ability of HC to produce a cockup out of a cocked hat.


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## rutabowa (May 24, 2006)

it looked very far from being finished last time i looked a couple of weeks ago... they must have speeded up.


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## Dougal (May 24, 2006)

rutabowa said:
			
		

> it looked very far from being finished last time i looked a couple of weeks ago... they must have speeded up.



No work going on today!


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## art of fact (May 24, 2006)

any idea when it will actually be finished?


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## rutabowa (May 24, 2006)

i'm going to nip down tonight and have a look, i have a feeling the news report wasn't entirely honest


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## Dougal (May 24, 2006)

rutabowa said:
			
		

> i'm going to nip down tonight and have a look, i have a feeling the news report wasn't entirely honest




It was a photoshop image on the tv.


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## oicur0t (May 25, 2006)

It is full of water, has been for a week or two. No doubt filling it has caused a drought or something. New roof all around, the mains structure is looking fairly complete...although it still looks like a building site. I reckon a couple of months and it will be done. Just in time for Liberty and I to move out 

During construction all the foxes on the site were very busy in the evening, probably moved on by now.


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## Sir Belchalot (May 25, 2006)

Meant to be open in July.
It's needed as King's Hall was shut last week after a fire.


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## HackneyE9 (May 25, 2006)

i It's needed as King's Hall was shut last week after a fire.


Yeah, I meant to ask about that fire...suspicious timing or what? New pool about to open, expensive and inconvenient but potentially lucrative Victorian pool burns down. Luxury flats, anyone?

(There's a lot of mystery fires in Hackney...especially near convenient transport hubs for the city, a la that fire at the furniture store next to Hackney Central a couple of years ago)


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## Dougal (May 25, 2006)

Hackney might be shite in many respects but frankly I can't see them setting fire to their own buildings.


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## HackneyE9 (May 25, 2006)

Agreed - but do Hackney actuall own the freehold, though? And if it's a write-off, does that even matter? Property speculators know a lot of dodgy men in pubs...


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## Blagsta (May 25, 2006)

My mate used to squat in there.


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## sherriff rosco (May 26, 2006)

I took my littl`un to the outdoor paddling pool all last summer. After the Squatting crew opened it up a few years ago someone seems to have noticed that the kids love it??? Haven`t had a close look at the re-construction but hopefully it`s in line with the original feel of the building..?

I knew some of the squatters there as well.... a small world Hackney is ...eh!

.p.


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## HackneyE9 (May 26, 2006)

Haven`t had a close look at the re-construction but hopefully it`s in line with the original feel of the building..?

Amazingly, yes. Or so it seems. I thought all those nonedescript 1930s fronthouses would go under the bulldozers ball, but they've all been retiled on the roofs and kept. Not sure they were worth preserving, but maybe it was cheaper. Someone's made off with the old London Fields Lido sign off the front, unfortunately.

Depite being a building site at the moment, they appear to have filled the pool with water. I'm guessing this is to check it's permeablility?

PS - talking of signs, anyone notice that about two weeks ago Hackney Council put up a whole load of glossy new signage at every entrance to London Fields - and it was all gone within 48 hours! Unless council took it down themselves 'cos they'd made a fuck up. Thinking about it, even if they had, they're too incompetent to take 'em down that quickly!


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## liberty (May 27, 2006)

oicur0t said:
			
		

> It is full of water, has been for a week or two. No doubt filling it has caused a drought or something. New roof all around, the mains structure is looking fairly complete...although it still looks like a building site. I reckon a couple of months and it will be done. Just in time for Liberty and I to move out
> 
> During construction all the foxes on the site were very busy in the evening, probably moved on by now.


Walking past it this evening and looks like all the water has leaked out.. Maybe they had to give it back due to the shortage


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## lighterthief (May 28, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> Depite being a building site at the moment, they appear to have filled the pool with water. I'm guessing this is to check it's permeablility?


Exactly, then they'll tile it once they are sure there are no leaks.

It's due to open in July this year.

It has the potential to be a fantastic amenity for Hackney, so fingers crossed they don't fuck it up.

Architect image:


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## lighterthief (May 28, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> PS - talking of signs, anyone notice that about two weeks ago Hackney Council put up a whole load of glossy new signage at every entrance to London Fields - and it was all gone within 48 hours! Unless council took it down themselves 'cos they'd made a fuck up. Thinking about it, even if they had, they're too incompetent to take 'em down that quickly!


Nope, the signs are still there.


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## Pot-Bellied Pig (May 29, 2006)

I should imagine it will become a crime hotspot...not that London Fields and Broadway Market isn't already. The local youth already make a good living mugging drunken yuppies on their way home. The Lido will just become a magnet for even more. 
Hackney its' soooooo vibrant.


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## lighterthief (May 29, 2006)

Pot-Bellied Pig said:
			
		

> I should imagine it will become a crime hotspot...not that London Fields and Broadway Market isn't already. The local youth already make a good living mugging drunken yuppies on their way home. The Lido will just become a magnet for even more.
> Hackney its' soooooo vibrant.


Here's a thought - if it's such a problem why don't the local police pull their fingers out of their arses for once and do something about it?


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## GarfieldLeChat (May 29, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> Here's a thought - if it's such a problem why don't the local police pull their fingers out of their arses for once and do something about it?


ha some hope...

one of the higest investment areas in london even more so since the olympic bid but big bucks and extreme poverty don't make good bedfellows...


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## aurora green (May 29, 2006)

Pot-Bellied Pig said:
			
		

> I should imagine it will become a crime hotspot...not that London Fields and Broadway Market isn't already. The local youth already make a good living mugging drunken yuppies on their way home. The Lido will just become a magnet for even more.




....of all the strange things to say about a great new community resourse being re-opened to the public after years of neglect and decay...

Surely a much more important observation would be the massive benefits to the health and fitness of the good people of Hackeney, (one of Londons' most deprived boroughs) that this wonderful facility will provide?


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## lighterthief (May 29, 2006)

aurora green said:
			
		

> ....of all the strange things to say about a great new community resourse being re-opened to the public after years of neglect and decay...
> 
> Surely a much more important observation would be the massive benefits to the health and fitness of the good people of Hackeney, (one of Londons' most deprived boroughs) that this wonderful facility will provide?


Exactly.  It annoys me that our local constabulary have such a negative approach to local issues round here.


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## lighterthief (May 31, 2006)

The lido has taken on increasing importance in Hackney now that the Kings Hall Leisure Centre has been closed due to extensive fire damage.  This means Hackney hasn't got a full size swimming pool - shameful for a borough with over 200,000 inhabitants.


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## GarfieldLeChat (May 31, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> Exactly.  It annoys me that our local constabulary have such a negative approach to local issues round here.


well they were all moved away weren't they for the exceptionaly slippy stairs they have in the police stations and the number of 'falls' young african men had down them... Most highly polished stairs of any police force... 

put a rug on a polished floor, you might as well be setting a man trap...etc


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## lighterthief (May 31, 2006)

I was rather hoping that police attitudes had improved since the infamous dark days of Stoke Newington nick.


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## Divisive Cotton (May 31, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> The lido has taken on increasing importance in Hackney now that the Kings Hall Leisure Centre has been closed due to extensive fire damage.  This means Hackney hasn't got a full size swimming pool - shameful for a borough with over 200,000 inhabitants.



Maybe now they can use the insurance payout to revampt the place! The last time I was there the changing rooms were in a disgusting state.


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## GarfieldLeChat (May 31, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> I was rather hoping that police attitudes had improved since the infamous dark days of Stoke Newington nick.


nah they were all transferred to dalston nick weren't they...

when the car was borken into it was the standard sterotypical reaction from the coppers at the time who used just about every name under the sun but shyed away from racism (but little else) to descibed the person who'd dun it... dispite not having a scooby who had at the time... (they did catch them and prosicute which is a result...tho...) 

if you have ever been in to stokey nick now you'll me meet with a barrage of condesention, rudeness, unprofessional attitude, agression, long waits (disptie there being no one else they are dealing with) general surly attitude and so on indeed i have had more attentative reaction from a mcdonals worker a lot of the time they have a kevin the teenage attitude and have less than no intrest in anyone ...

still they do have the occasional baily coming in to the front porch with a shotgun in tow and blowing their own (the baily not the desk staffs) head off as happened a few months ago... 

all in all police in hackney are fighting a loosing battle and they know it, they would preffer if it was decleared as un policeable and they were moved to other areas...


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## Divisive Cotton (May 31, 2006)

aurora green said:
			
		

> ....of all the strange things to say about a great new community resourse being re-opened to the public after years of neglect and decay...
> 
> Surely a much more important observation would be the massive benefits to the health and fitness of the good people of Hackeney, (one of Londons' most deprived boroughs) that this wonderful facility will provide?



I think people's scepticism is entirely just - because it is based upon experience. Hackney council and its friends have a habit of messing up - isn't there a fairly new outdoor table tennis site in or near London Fields?


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## lighterthief (May 31, 2006)

Divisive Cotton said:
			
		

> Maybe now they can use the insurance payout to revampt the place! The last time I was there the changing rooms were in a disgusting state.


The local paper it say:




			
				Hackney Gazette said:
			
		

> The King's Hall centre...re-opened three years ago after undergoing a £1.7 million refurbishment, along with the Brittania Leisure Centre in Hyde Road, Hoxton.


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## lighterthief (May 31, 2006)

Divisive Cotton said:
			
		

> I think people's scepticism is entirely just - because it is based upon experience. Hackney council and its friends have a habit of messing up - isn't there a fairly new outdoor table tennis site in or near London Fields?


There is - at the Broadway Market end.  Not sure it was a Hackney Council project though, I thought it was some local art/regeneration thing    Whatever, despite my initial scepticism it's surpisingly well-used.


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## lighterthief (May 31, 2006)

GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> ...if you have ever been in to stokey nick now you'll me meet with a barrage of condesention, rudeness, unprofessional attitude, agression, long waits (disptie there being no one else they are dealing with) general surly attitude and so on indeed i have had more attentative reaction from a mcdonals worker a lot of the time they have a kevin the teenage attitude and have less than no intrest in anyone ...


I certainly won't disagree with you there.






			
				GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> ...all in all police in hackney are fighting a loosing battle and they know it...


Hmmm, an overly pessimistic outlook in my opinion.


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## oicur0t (May 31, 2006)

Yes the pool is now empty again. presumably they were testing whether it leaked or not before they tiled it.

Two massive yellow tanks have appeared outside, they look really cool, like retro comic submarines, but alas I presume they'll be buried or hidden.

The odd thing is that they're replaced some of the brick work and put on a new tiled roof, but some of the old graffiti is still there. I do hope they leave it, it makes it seem really odd and quirky.


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## oicur0t (May 31, 2006)

GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> if you have ever been in to stokey nick now you'll me meet with a barrage of condesention,



I read this as condensation!


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## Divisive Cotton (May 31, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> There is - at the Broadway Market end.  Not sure it was a Hackney Council project though, I thought it was some local art/regeneration thing    Whatever, despite my initial scepticism it's surpisingly well-used.



Good... although the idea of an _outdoor _table tennis court is quite odd to me


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## GarfieldLeChat (May 31, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> Hmmm, an overly pessimistic outlook in my opinion.


 alternativley as a totoally psootive the communtiy removes the need for open policing by dealing with things in it's own way it's not like the police actually prevent crime in hackney or for that matter even reduce crime they process crime would be a better way of dealing with it... unfortunatly for many of the hard working and genunine people who have join the old bill to serve and have ended up in hackney they are now stuck in a loosing pitched battle, with the council at one end and unprecidented levels of violence and poverty at the other... they are stuck between a hard place and a hard place dreaming about a rock... 

They know this and so do the residents, so no matter how much they pull out new incentive schemes they are no going to be able to tackle the root causes  of the problems, essentailly loads of public serivces particualrlly for the youth in deprive areas ahve been wholesale sold off leaving the kids and teens with no where to go, coupled with high numbers of exclusions by defecit of school places (hackney has to bus out around 1500 kids each day to be tuaght in other boroughs along with around the same number not having any place at any education establishment whatsoever for doing nothingother than living in a certain area these are not naghty children or badly behaved children these are non placed children) so you are looking at some where between 1500 and 3000 kids unschooled at any one time these kids are going to get into trouble as most are at best latch key kids... the police have a lot of their time taken up purely sorting out these issues... 

then there's the level of organised drug crime, prostitution and other rackets not to mention the level of shootings, the crack problem which is now larger and more entrenched than the brixton crack problem (except we don't have a tube or a glamourious image...) this issues of violence eminating from shoreditch and the surronding city... 

means the limited police resources are streached to breaking point most of the time...

and yet hackney itself had one of the highest levels of investment of all the london boroughs, most of this money is being creamed off by the council and indirectly by the labour party as it has done since antony bliar was a hackney councillor... the level of corruption is so intrinsically deep that if police were to attempt a big push to sort hackney out they'd have some many people with so many thumbs in pies that we'd run out of jail space ...

it's a borough run by criminals litterally... 

on the other hand it may well be the first to privatise it's police force and or do away with it all together...


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## HackneyE9 (Jun 2, 2006)

Don't think Blair was ever a councillor - just lived on Mapledene Rd in 80s. Charles Clarke was, though. He lived on road next to Blair's, I think.


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## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 2, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> Don't think Blair was ever a councillor - just lived on Mapledene Rd in 80s. Charles Clarke was, though. He lived on road next to Blair's, I think.



Yeh, but why let the facts get in the way of some hysterical ranting about how bad it is to live in Hackney, eh?  

Note to Garf, move to the suburbs mate, there's no crime or bad bwoys in Chingford, honest, and it'll save your blood pressure....


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jun 2, 2006)

Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> Yeh, but why let the facts get in the way of some hysterical ranting about how bad it is to live in Hackney, eh?
> 
> Note to Garf, move to the suburbs mate, there's no crime or bad bwoys in Chingford, honest, and it'll save your blood pressure....


eh?

why would i move out of an area which i have lived in on and off for over 12 years... 

personally i love hackney can't stand hackney council as all sensible hackney residents would agree...

erm he worked for the labour party in for hackney south and shorditch, failed to get directly elected when he stood for borough council http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Blair#Early_political_career 

however you only have to look at the litanny of current and past cabinet memebers who have served or been involved with Hackney council over the years, couplled with the other practices of Hackney council (Ghost voters, Fraudultent housing claims, funding going 'missing', the recent Ocean debarcle, The non waterproof swimming pool, the whole sale sell off of public space, the market situation...) 

Sorry paulie but if this is all peachy with you then woopdedoo however some of the hackney residents are less than impressed by the prolifferation of pocket lining politicitions who consistantly piss over public view inorder to makea fast buck... 

call it hyperbol if you like, personally i see is as having my eyes open to the corruption with in hackney...


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## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 2, 2006)

GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> eh?
> 
> why would i move out of an area which i have lived in on and off for over 12 years...
> 
> personally i love hackney can't stand hackney council as all sensible hackney residents would agree...



cos of the "_the level of organised drug crime, prostitution and other rackets not to mention the level of shootings, the crack problem which is now larger and more entrenched than the brixton crack problem (except we don't have a tube or a glamourious image...) this issues of violence eminating from shoreditch and the surronding city_" which sounds rather alarming whichever way you look at it (altho it isn't the ghetto version of Hackney that i come across most days).




			
				GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> erm he worked for the labour party in for hackney south and shorditch, failed to get directly elected when he stood for borough council http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Blair#Early_political_career


 - so he wasn't a Hackney councillor dur, if you don't get elected, you're not a councillor no matter how much you might want to be.




			
				GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> however you only have to look at the litanny of current and past cabinet memebers who have served or been involved with Hackney council over the years, couplled with the other practices of Hackney council (Ghost voters, Fraudultent housing claims, funding going 'missing', the recent Ocean debarcle, The non waterproof swimming pool, the whole sale sell off of public space, the market situation...)


 in fact, the previous incompetence of HAckney Council was directly responsible for many people i know ending up in the borough cos of the proliferation of squats and empty council properties that were available - i didn't notice anyone complaining too much then about cash for keys and council inefficiency then, other than when they started auditing exactly who lived where and found whole floors of blocks that they didn't even know existed  




			
				GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> Sorry paulie but if this is all peachy with you then woopdedoo however some of the hackney residents are less than impressed by the prolifferation of pocket lining politicitions who consistantly piss over public view inorder to makea fast buck...
> 
> call it hyperbol if you like, personally i see is as having my eyes open to the corruption with in hackney...



No its not all peachy mate, but Hackney isn't quite the crack-smoking, whore-pimping, gun-toting place that you're representing - as with most things in life, its a lot more complicated than that, and in many ways the council have improved - i share your and many other peoples' concerns about property developers moving in and creaming off vast profits at the expense of local people and there is much work being done to highlight this corruption but show me an honest local authority and I'll eat London Fields lido, let alone swim in it.


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jun 2, 2006)

Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> cos of the "_the level of organised drug crime, prostitution and other rackets not to mention the level of shootings, the crack problem which is now larger and more entrenched than the brixton crack problem (except we don't have a tube or a glamourious image...) this issues of violence eminating from shoreditch and the surronding city_" which sounds rather alarming whichever way you look at it (altho it isn't the ghetto version of Hackney that i come across most days).



really do a lot of work for the deprived areas do you?  have access to and work for the legal aid solicitors in hackney do you?  know people on the independant police complaint commities who oversea police proceedures do you?   have you? i mean at what level?  How deep do you deleve into hackney? spoken to local hackney residents about crack trade on certain streets?  why jules and his cronies have done precisely fuck all to address this problem dispite continued requests pleas etc??  spoken to the shoredtich residents about the levels of damage caused by pissed up city punters and the levels of aggression that shop keepers face?  i mean what exactly is your involvement in hackney paulie????

If you think that crack trade and prostitution is glamourious then you need your fucking head checked... 




			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> so he wasn't a Hackney councillor dur, if you don't get elected, you're not a councillor no matter how much you might want to be.


fuck it you pedantry knows no bounds he worked at the council for the labour party didn't get elected are you honestly saying that the stench of 'nu'labour corruption doens't emminate fromt eh town hall like a feastering sore??? 




			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> in fact, the previous incompetence of HAckney Council was directly responsible for many people i know ending up in the borough cos of the proliferation of squats and empty council properties that were available - i didn't notice anyone complaining too much then about cash for keys and council inefficiency then, other than when they started auditing exactly who lived where and found whole floors of blocks that they didn't even know existed


  fact is that this isn't what i was reffering to... the levels of benifit fraud commited by the council themselves claiming for ghosts and double and tripple enteries was far higher than any of the supposed 'sponger's the council attempted to pin their eventual bankruptcy on... so 'your' pal's would have turned up regardless as the corruption by the council weren't the reason for the proliferation of the squats in the first place... 





			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> No its not all peachy mate, but Hackney isn't quite the crack-smoking, whore-pimping, gun-toting place that you're representing



well i suggest you go speak to people then cos i assure the this was the comments comign back from people in central hackney, in the last few months  in the run up tot he council elections there were a number of issues surronding the crack problems in hackney... how did you not know... 




			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> as with most things in life, its a lot more complicated than that, and in many ways the council have improved


not really they have consistantly increased council tax only stopping this year for fear of getting capped reduced service and squandered cash on outragiously corrupt projects such as unwaterproof swimming pools... market redevelopment that no one wanted... setting a personal agenda with a local amenitiy (oceans) and then removing public usage from it ... not to mention the empire (have you been in there since the revamp?  can you tell the difference bewteen the old empire and the revamped one?? anywhere front or back stage??? 

it's not getting better it's getting better at covering up, papering over the cracks, silencing critics with threats etc etc etc... 




			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> i share your and many other peoples' concerns about property developers moving in and creaming off vast profits at the expense of local people and there is much work being done to highlight this corruption


good so stop burrying your head in the sand and trrying to pretend that the council is getting better, when it isn't either you share local concerns and therefore you suspect or as others do have absolute proof of the level of corruption or you support the council actions... 

You response reads like an evasive response from a local councillour attempting to patronise and dismiss local concerns, you are aprt of the market redevelopment are you?? or have you stolen the labour parties 101 useful glib statements to make in akward situations handbook?




			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> but show me an honest local authority and I'll eat London Fields lido, let alone swim in it.


 oh they are no worse than anyone else so it's excuseable ... is that what you are saying...??

so not content with looking at the level of funding which has been going into the town hall and not coming out the other side (far more than nearly any other borough in london even as i said more so since the olympics) it's nothing short of organised theift... so i can honestly say that the majority of councils in london are more decent and honest than hackney... they aren't squandering or 'reallocating specific funding' to other 'areas of interest'...


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## rutabowa (Jun 2, 2006)

the ping pong table on london fields is fucking cool. bit tricky when there's a wind up tho


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## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 2, 2006)

Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> Yeh, but why let the facts get in the way of some hysterical ranting about how bad it is to live in Hackney, eh?
> 
> Note to Garf, move to the suburbs mate, there's no crime or bad bwoys in Chingford, honest, and it'll save your blood pressure....



^^^^ just in case you missed it the first time around  




			
				Garfield Le Chat said:
			
		

> really do a lot of work for the deprived areas do you? have access to and work for the legal aid solicitors in hackney do you? know people on the independant police complaint commities who oversea police proceedures do you? have you? i mean at what level? How deep do you deleve into hackney? spoken to local hackney residents about crack trade on certain streets? why jules and his cronies have done precisely fuck all to address this problem dispite continued requests pleas etc?? spoken to the shoredtich residents about the levels of damage caused by pissed up city punters and the levels of aggression that shop keepers face? i mean what exactly is your involvement in hackney paulie????



Um, lived here for close on 20 years, worked and lived in shortlife housing co-op, lived and worked on local council estates, worked in local child care co-op and many links with youth provision in the borough, involved in various other things that i don't feel a need to blow a trumpet about - so what underpins your credibility then matey?

Your mispelt polemics don't really help your case, your scatter gun approach misses most targets (where did i say crack and prostitution was glamorous? why is it that when you get caught making specious claims, you resort to slippery excuses? accusing me of being a councillor - ha!)

Have you ever thought that your perpetual high-and-mighty pronouncements appear just the tiniest bit arrogant? Have you ever considered that all these low-life scum in your sights might also live in the borough and be a part of the borough and are as much a part of Hackney life as you are? As I said before, if you don't like it, don't live here.


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jun 2, 2006)

Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> ^^^^ just in case you missed it the first time around



so you don't think that telling a long term resident of the place piss of to the suburbs is high and mighty... fairy nuff love... 






			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> Um, lived here for close on 20 years, worked and lived in shortlife housing co-op, lived and worked on local council estates, worked in local child care co-op and many links with youth provision in the borough, involved in various other things that i don't feel a need to blow a trumpet about - so what underpins your credibility then matey?



my work with in the community the work done to attempt change the current poltical pressence in hackney the groups trying to get oceans back up and running and many other things i see no need to willy wave love i'm not the one suggesting that your knowledge is bereft or deficient however you are the one asserting that nayone who doens't like it belongs in the suburbs and they aren't 'local'... also you are attempting to play down the level or the prolification of crack in hackney why is that?  you deny the levels are high?

you ar e the one who introduced the concpet of ghetto hackney i merely mentioned some of it's more serious problems if you wish to reinforce or dispell that myth that's your issue, it won't change the facts, so don't set up strawmen to knock down... just becuase it's not your expeirnce dones't mena it doesn't exist, i can assure you that in the many meetings i have attended that it does exist and people are very concerned about it... 






			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> Your mispelt polemics don't really help your case



you wanna take the piss out of my comments fine you comment on my dyslexcia you're a cunt... simple as 




			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> your scatter gun approach misses most targets


no love just responding to your comments directly there's nothing scattergun about it i don'thave the time or the inclination to go in depth about the long term problems of hackney on a bulletin board, suffice to say that it should be appearent from the info given that there are problems, if you do may i suggest you go back to your communtiy groups and ask for more fucking work rather than getting into a debate on here about it... 




			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> where did i say crack and prostitution was glamorous?



certianly the insinuation of sensationalism is within this sentence ...




			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> but Hackney isn't quite the crack-smoking, whore-pimping, gun-toting place that you're representing



it's intresting that each time you are called on your waffling bollocks you become trivially pedantic and demand clarification for what is painfully obvious... 




			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> why is it that when you get caught making specious claims, you resort to slippery excuses? accusing me of being a councillor - ha!


 sorry but i see little but hackney council press release excuses and flipp flopping in anythign you have said; sadly i see little of your comments as representative of people who have been resident in the borough for a period of nearly (incertain cases) 60 years or the communtiy groups they belong to... 




			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> Have you ever thought that your perpetual high-and-mighty pronouncements appear just the tiniest bit arrogant?


 sorry what pronoucments?? you asked a question and i replied to it, you cannot then complain that i'm getting high and mighty about it by answering your question, stop being a total cock, dearie, and try looking at what is being said... 





			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> Have you ever considered that all these low-life scum in your sights might also live in the borough and be a part of the borough and are as much a part of Hackney life as you are?


who? what? where?

look at the words you have choosen to describe people here i'm talking about the council not the general residents of hackney why have you choosen to interpret this as something different, i have described factual things which have been presented to me and other's i work with in the community are you suggesting that people on your judgement system are in some shape lesser?

you choose the words scum, it's not a word i generally use to describe anyone, nor a charachter refference i would generally use.  I have said no where in any post that the people who are trading crack are not part of the community or that the theift which goes on or any crime for that matter precludes them from the community again you are setting up foolish straw men and using adhomeins in order to attempt to verify a flimsey point...

fo me love it's not about debating things with someone as obviously self important as you words are cheap... it's about doing summit... i don't need to refference who i  work with or what i do in order to get some smug self satisfaciton tbh i'm not into willy waving... 

so keep denying there's an issue with anything i have mentioned, and keep that self satisfied smuggness you are exibiting here and have a whale of a time with it... but please don't attempt to define the parameters of the debate into what your pet subjects are and dismiss others comments ...




			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> As I said before, if you don't like it, don't live here.


 As i have said before why would i leave??

not that you can answer; although judging from your torrent of crappulence above no doubt you'll attempt to tell me my own mind to.

is this your solution your way or the highway, again very inclusive not at all the mentality of the council, oh no different as chalk and cheese... 

your fucking norman tebbit and i claim my £5...


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 2, 2006)

And you're the Hackney Gazette and I claim a £5 shopping voucher.

Look mate, sincere apologies for the needless barb about spelling, not necessary and inexcusable.

As for the rest of it, I just typed a long reply to you and the fecking machine just crashed and ate it so i can't be bothered to do it all again.

Suffice to say that my original comments were sarcastic, which I thought someone who has elsewhere on this thread claimed to be able to read into the meaning of statements from the words of the page, I thought you would have got that? Irony don't work written down.

As for the rest, you asked for my credibility, i gave some and asked for yours, so throw your rattle back, for gods sake. I'm not interested in that sort of discussion.

What gets my goat up is the way that you have so little to say that is good about living here, merely moaning like a daily mail bore and to a degree implicitly blaming the communities for the nuisance they cause to your life. As you will well know, for example, most low level crime in Hackney is centred on young boys causing aggravation to other young boys, and sometimes other people around them. Is it the blame of the cops that this happens? No, not entirely, its a complex mixture of poverty, upbringing, culture, attitudes, all sorts and its a cop out to point your finger at the council and say its all their fault. 

Thats where i agree with you, its about doing something - i generally take the view that having day-long rants about how shite the council are without making any realistic suggestions for what could be done better cos you don't "have the time or the inclination to go into depth" is a cop-out and generally pandering to hysterical reactions.

Enough already, peace mate, have a good weekend, enjoy


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (Jun 2, 2006)

Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> Suffice to say that my original comments were sarcastic, which I thought someone who has elsewhere on this thread claimed to be able to read into the meaning of statements from the words of the page, I thought you would have got that? Irony don't work written down.


nah the irony is that some one in who writes for the daily mail once said to me never use irony written down it doesn't work... 




			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> As for the rest, you asked for my credibility, i gave some and asked for yours, so throw your rattle back, for gods sake. I'm not interested in that sort of discussion.


 well hairy muff but my response was increduluious to yours being dismissive as i saw it of the problems hackney faces... 




			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> What gets my goat up is the way that you have so little to say that is good about living here, merely moaning like a daily mail bore and to a degree implicitly blaming the communities for the nuisance they cause to your life. As you will well know, for example, most low level crime in Hackney is centred on young boys causing aggravation to other young boys, and sometimes other people around them. Is it the blame of the cops that this happens? No, not entirely, its a complex mixture of poverty, upbringing, culture, attitudes, all sorts and its a cop out to point your finger at the council and say its all their fault.



i don't think it is a cop out to say that HC are to blame, they have let many of the local ammienities, youth clubs playgrounds and such fall into misuse mysteriously catch fire overspend under invest etc etc you know the problems and then this combine with the other issues (which i did mention in my first posts) means that along side the enforced no reason exclusion of children from school leads to youth on youth crime which couplled with the levels of poverty and other factors exasserbate the situation. 

the thing whcih get's me is it's not that hackney is a poor borough in terms of funding as ihave said repeatdly it gets some of the hgihest levels of investment in london... but the money isn't spent on sorting these things out.. hence my rage at it... 






			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> Thats where i agree with you, its about doing something - i generally take the view that having day-long rants about how shite the council are without making any realistic suggestions for what could be done better cos you don't "have the time or the inclination to go into depth" is a cop-out and generally pandering to hysterical reactions.


 i think that as we have seen in recent attempts to get not one but 3 different independant people into office (well 2 and one hlaf swppie ) only goes to show that regardless of the council in power the only thign which will change hackney is the community, cos the council are gonna stay there with a mayor who featers their own nests and gives not two figs... 

and in this respect hackney might well do it too, i cerainly has the resorucefull ness to outperform the council and even to remove it's need entierly.... 






			
				Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> Enough already, peace mate, have a good weekend, enjoy


innit


----------



## Dougal (Jun 19, 2006)

Ok, does anyone have any news on the reopening? I need a swim soon!


----------



## lighterthief (Jun 20, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> Ok, does anyone have any news on the reopening? I need a swim soon!


Not officially, no, but it doesn't look like they've started tiling the pool yet and it still looks like a building site.  I reckon they'll be lucky to get it open by the end of July.


----------



## Pot-Bellied Pig (Jun 20, 2006)

Yeah even the building site is now a crime hotspot ..it's been broken into so many times the security guard resigned in fear ! 

I reckon the local gang known as The Fields..along with their much loved oppos The Holly Street Boys will love a load of guardian reading Ruperts and Delia's sunning themselves in the pool....and walking home afterwards. 

PS Garf...you wouldn't know a slippery stairs if you saw one.....


----------



## Pot-Bellied Pig (Jun 20, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> Ok, does anyone have any news on the reopening? I need a swim soon!



You all need a good wash if you ask me....


----------



## liberty (Jun 20, 2006)

Set to open at end of July they are even working on it at weekends.. It will cost £5.90 for a swim I'm told and whilst this is ok if you wanted to spend the day there it seems like a lot for a quick one...

All the foxes are a bit freaked as they have had there homes dug up


----------



## Dougal (Jun 20, 2006)

Pot-Bellied Pig said:
			
		

> Yeah even the building site is now a crime hotspot ..it's been broken into so many times the security guard resigned in fear !
> 
> I reckon the local gang known as The Fields..along with their much loved oppos The Holly Street Boys will love a load of guardian reading Ruperts and Delia's sunning themselves in the pool....and walking home afterwards.
> 
> PS Garf...you wouldn't know a slippery stairs if you saw one.....



I know a few folk who are a bit fed up with the Fields. It's sort of ok mugging fuckwit coke heads coming out of the Dove but the boys have gone a bit too far lately.


----------



## lighterthief (Jun 20, 2006)

liberty said:
			
		

> It will cost £5.90 for a swim I'm told...


   Jeez that's steep.  How do you know that?


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 20, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> I know a few folk who are a bit fed up with the Fields. It's sort of ok mugging fuckwit coke heads coming out of the Dove but the boys have gone a bit too far lately.



So you're one of the real _edgy_ hard core Class Warristas then, are you, who welcomes violence as long as its not someone you know getting twatted  

Fucking grow up.


----------



## oicur0t (Jun 21, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> I know a few folk who are a bit fed up with the Fields. It's sort of ok mugging fuckwit coke heads coming out of the Dove but the boys have gone a bit too far lately.



seems better than last year. fewer dubious types around....although there are more ludicrously haired hoxton tourists. so maybe not.

I've not seen any trouble really this summer and Liberty and I spend more time in LF that anyone here I'd imagine beacuse of the dog.


----------



## rutabowa (Jun 21, 2006)

oicur0t said:
			
		

> seems better than last year. fewer dubious types around....although there are more ludicrously haired hoxton tourists. so maybe not.
> 
> I've not seen any trouble really this summer and Liberty and I spend more time in LF that anyone here I'd imagine beacuse of the dog.


i agree, i walk through london fields all the time at, at all times of night, and have never had any problems or seen any "dubious types" either (not sure what "dubious types" look like mind!). i even had a bit of a sleep in there early Sunday morning on the way home with no bother.


----------



## rutabowa (Jun 21, 2006)

Pot-Bellied Pig said:
			
		

> I reckon the local gang known as The Fields..along with their much loved oppos The Holly Street Boys will love a load of guardian reading Ruperts and Delia's sunning themselves in the pool....and walking home afterwards.


What do you know about these gangs?


----------



## oicur0t (Jun 21, 2006)

rutabowa said:
			
		

> i agree, i walk through london fields all the time at, at all times of night, and have never had any problems or seen any "dubious types" either (not sure what "dubious types" look like mind!). i even had a bit of a sleep in there early Sunday morning on the way home with no bother.



the only issue is young whippersnappers zooming through on their scooters. But tbh, badly mulleted hoxtonites have been seen doing this several times this summer too.


----------



## Yossarian (Jun 21, 2006)

Pot-Bellied Pig said:
			
		

> Yeah even the building site is now a crime hotspot ..it's been broken into so many times the security guard resigned in fear !
> 
> I reckon the local gang known as The Fields..along with their much loved oppos The Holly Street Boys will love a load of guardian reading Ruperts and Delia's sunning themselves in the pool....and walking home afterwards.



For someone whose job supposedly involves making the place safer, you certainly seem to find Hackney a far more terrifying place than anybody I know that lives there!


----------



## rutabowa (Jun 21, 2006)

Yossarian said:
			
		

> For someone whose job supposedly involves making the place safer, you certainly seem to find Hackney a far more terrifying place than anybody I know that lives there!


damn right!


----------



## oicur0t (Jun 21, 2006)

It sounds like it's right out The Beano to me.


----------



## Pot-Bellied Pig (Jun 21, 2006)

Thats' becuase I know a lot more than you do about what goes on crime wise and you know nothing at all. Yeah Hackney scares me but for you ignorance is bliss. And you are ignorant.


----------



## rutabowa (Jun 21, 2006)

Pot-Bellied Pig said:
			
		

> Thats' becuase I know a lot more than you do about what goes on crime wise and you know nothing at all. Yeah Hackney scares me but for you ignorance is bliss. And you are ignorant.


that's why I asked you what you know about the Fields Gang and the Holly Street Boys. I am totally willing to be made scared! It can't be secret information surely?


----------



## Pot-Bellied Pig (Jun 22, 2006)

The local Hackney or E8 black yout gangs have risen in both numbers and in the capacity for violence. Membership of these gangs is necessary before you can rise to the upper adult ranks of the Tottenham Boys or Love of Money Crew. There are many more. 
The juvenile gangs range from 11yrs to high teens and are ' trurf orientated ' although membership can be fluid between them and they don't generally fight too much between themeselves.
 The ' Fields ' for instance also have ' The Holly Streer Boys ' who may have multiple membership of the HFC  ( Hackney Fields Combined ') lately a lot of the prominent members are away in Feltham for crack dealing, firearms and attempted murder on another youth who they kicked in the head so hard he has brain damage. The boy who was 14 had spoken to the ' wrong girl and then strayed home from school on the wrong gand area.
What these youth gangs are well involved in also is mugging (jacking). For this they prey mainly on soft targets at night around their area....drunks with phones are good as well as single females with handbags.The area around Broadway market is now a hot spot because the market attracts wealthy young people who insist on getting pissed and talking on their phones on the way to the bus or through the park. The Lido will only increase the traffic. Its' a crime oppurtunity.


----------



## oicur0t (Jun 22, 2006)

Pot-Bellied Pig said:
			
		

> The local Hackney or E8 black yout gangs have risen in both numbers and in the capacity for violence. Membership of these gangs is necessary before you can rise to the upper adult ranks of the Tottenham Boys or Love of Money Crew. There are many more.
> The juvenile gangs range from 11yrs to high teens and are ' trurf orientated ' although membership can be fluid between them and they don't generally fight too much between themeselves.
> The ' Fields ' for instance also have ' The Holly Streer Boys ' who may have multiple membership of the HFC  ( Hackney Fields Combined ') lately a lot of the prominent members are away in Feltham for crack dealing, firearms and attempted murder on another youth who they kicked in the head so hard he has brain damage. The boy who was 14 had spoken to the ' wrong girl and then strayed home from school on the wrong gand area.
> What these youth gangs are well involved in also is mugging (jacking). For this they prey mainly on soft targets at night around their area....drunks with phones are good as well as single females with handbags.The area around Broadway market is now a hot spot because the market attracts wealthy young people who insist on getting pissed and talking on their phones on the way to the bus or through the park. The Lido will only increase the traffic. Its' a crime oppurtunity.



So because soft targets get mugged late at night (yes wandering though a park at 12 o'clock waving a phone around is really stupid), the lido becomes a crime opportunity? I don't see a correlation between people swimming and drunk people on the phone late at night. The park is choc full of "soft targets" all the day and they seem to be doing ok. Should they not be in the park because they are a potential crime victim? I don't get it I'm afraid.

Liberty and I are in the park, both seperately and together about 2 hours a day between us weekdays and at least 3 hours at weekends, at all times of day - throughout the year. Each week we speak to maybe 25-30 other people who use the park regularly. While numbers of patrons of the park has increased as the area becomes more popular, police visibilty has decreased somewhat. I haven't seen any police patrolling the park at all this year. 2 years ago there were mountain biked officers seen every few weeks. Last year they did seem less prevalent. Ok, this is all anecdotal and you have to deal with the effects of these gangs have on people in the community, but debasing an attempt to provide a facility to the community because you feel it is a potential 'crime opportunity' seems particulary short sighted. Perhaps we should only build things like this in Kensington eh? What exactly are Hackney Council supposed to do, have no facilities whatsoever?


----------



## Pot-Bellied Pig (Jun 22, 2006)

I'm not debasing anything...if people want to enjoy the Lido thats' great but they must also be aware of taking measures to protect their property as sadly London Fields is a high crime area and as I have said any increase in the use of the park will of course to lead to more crime...theft and snatches. I totally agree that more police should patrol the park but the govt in their wisdom decided that policing wards with one sgt, 2 PC's and 4 to 6 PCSO's is a great idea. Now splitting them up bewteen early shift and Late shift and allowing for days off and sick probably means you'd be lucky to have two walking around the whole ward.  The cycle squad was a great anti robbery idea but because of money they have been disbanded and the bikes given in most to the ward PCSO's. 
I think if I didn't see the whole picture and being totally disullusioned with the Met and its' inability to fight criminals and protect the public I would otherwise love living in Hackney which as a lot going for it if you compare with some places...but because I do what I do - I get out of that area as fast as my little bandy legs will carry me.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jun 22, 2006)

London Fields was a lot dodgier four or five years ago - and it wasn't THAT dodgy then - before they put in new street lighting on the paths.

Even back then it was just gangs of kids chucking stuff at cyclists, although there was a Hackney Gazette story about some junkie mugging a mum by threatening to squirt a needle over her baby. Syringe just had water in it.

That should feed PotBellied Pigs and Garfield's paranoid paralled universe.

Where's this £5.90 figure come from? If true, that's outrageous and counter-productive.


----------



## Dougal (Jun 22, 2006)

Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> So you're one of the real _edgy_ hard core Class Warristas then, are you, who welcomes violence as long as its not someone you know getting twatted
> 
> Fucking grow up.




I don't know about edgy, and have not been involved in CW for nearly 20 years. I can't say I give a fuck about yuppies getting mugged though. I laugh me.


----------



## Sir Belchalot (Jun 22, 2006)

Never had any hassle in the daytime there.  I worked round the corner from there for years and used to go there most lunchtimes.  Have had a couple of incidents cycling through there late at night but have managed to escape o.k.
There's been gangs around that area for years.  I remember being at a squat party around Mentmore Terrace over ten years ago that was under siege for ages from local estate kids throwing bricks etc.  Remember there being lots of scared people inside and a few macho types who wanted to go out and sort them out.  Glad they didn't as I reckon the kids would have called up reinforcements easily enough.  Very grim night


----------



## Yossarian (Jun 22, 2006)

Pot-Bellied Pig said:
			
		

> Thats' becuase I know a lot more than you do about what goes on crime wise and you know nothing at all. Yeah Hackney scares me but for you ignorance is bliss. And you are ignorant.



Bollocks - you've just got a distorted view of the place because of the job you do. If you were to police the community you actually lived in you'd no doubt find enough crime there to scare you as well.


----------



## lighterthief (Jun 22, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> I can't say I give a fuck about yuppies getting mugged though. I laugh me.


What do yuppies look like, just so I know?


----------



## Pot-Bellied Pig (Jun 22, 2006)

Yossarian said:
			
		

> Bollocks - you've just got a distorted view of the place because of the job you do. If you were to police the community you actually lived in you'd no doubt find enough crime there to scare you as well.



Ah nooo, where I live doesn't have one of the worst murder rates in the country nor is it in the top ten for robbery for England nor is it in the top five for anti-social behaviour.
Nor would I ever live and work in the same place....and nor would anyone else I know who does my job for as long as I have. Having some scumbag threatening to set fire to your house is not funny in my position. 
Until you do what I do you will never understand I fear which is understandable in its' self I suppose.


----------



## Pot-Bellied Pig (Jun 22, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> What do yuppies look like, just so I know?



They are usually pissed ater 7pm on a Thursday, talk in loud voices bout real beer and cricket...think that ' edgy ' places are really fun to live around, have no fucking idea what's happening really as they have their eyes closed, talk on expensive phones ride expensive bikes and complain when some poor fucker robs them for crack.  Oh yeah..when they grow up and daddy gives them a cheque they move out of London and buy something nice... 

You know who you are !!


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jun 22, 2006)

Er....back to this £5.90 figure, anyone?


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 22, 2006)

Wouldn't be surprised if it was about £6, that's roughly what the entrance fee was at the new Stokie swimming pool aka the £36million white elephant.

Prob a deliberate attempt to keep the impoverished youth out so all these yuppies that i'm reading about can relax with their mobile phones and not fear anything as they loll in the sunshine with their cappucinos and ice cream sundaes....that is until they leave when flocks of hoodie-wearing, baseball cap adorned, bad bwoys will tear them apart, without mercy and with extreme prejudice


----------



## Pot-Bellied Pig (Jun 22, 2006)

Yeah its' too much for the locals and too little for the YUPPIES... Hello Tarquin and Tallulah reading the Guardian in the park on a nice sunday morning after a croissant and latte in the cafe ! ooooooo Gwaddddddd. That nice man asked to borrow my phone and he didn't bring it back !


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 22, 2006)

Pot-Bellied Pig said:
			
		

> ooooooo Gwaddddddd. That nice man asked to borrow my phone and he didn't bring it back !


----------



## oicur0t (Jun 22, 2006)

the ticket price was suggested to a local resident who inquired about the facility. Don't know if this is something like an all day ticket, or the price of an hour or what.


----------



## Pot-Bellied Pig (Jun 22, 2006)

The price for a rock is £8 in Hackney at the moment....what do you prefer a swim or a real HIGH...ek


----------



## Dougal (Jun 22, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> What do yuppies look like, just so I know?



Around Broadway market they often have the following attributes.

Holding £3 loaf of olive bread
Drink in the Dove or the Cat and Mutton
Are scared of and loathe working class people
They know how to cook polenta
They never ever smoke but like coke.
They are often living in the house you can now never afford
They say darling a lot
They love Polly Toynbee

This list is facetious and is not exaustive.


----------



## oicur0t (Jun 22, 2006)

Pot-Bellied Pig said:
			
		

> The price for a rock is £8 in Hackney at the moment....what do you prefer a swim or a real HIGH...ek



well there you go then. all the local kids will come off crack because it's cheaper to swim!


----------



## lighterthief (Jun 22, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> Around Broadway market they often have the following attributes.
> 
> Holding £3 loaf of olive bread
> Drink in the Dove or the Cat and Mutton
> ...



Dunno, my gf was mugged next to London Fields three weeks ago, walking home from work, and doesn't fit in any of these categories.  I know you're having a bit of a joke, but to assume that mugging somehow happens to people who 'deserve' it is a bit lame.


----------



## lighterthief (Jun 22, 2006)

Pot-Bellied Pig said:
			
		

> They are usually pissed ater 7pm on a Thursday, talk in loud voices bout real beer and cricket...think that ' edgy ' places are really fun to live around, have no fucking idea what's happening really as they have their eyes closed, talk on expensive phones ride expensive bikes and complain when some poor fucker robs them for crack.  Oh yeah..when they grow up and daddy gives them a cheque they move out of London and buy something nice...
> 
> You know who you are !!


Like what I said in my last post


----------



## oicur0t (Jun 22, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> Like what I said in my last post



Yes, it's nice to know that the police think you girlfriend deserved it isn't it? She was using a phone? Stupid cow! Whatever next!?!?! [vomit]

Sorry, but I get pissed off when people go on about this kind of thing, like it's wrong to be on the street and texting someone. It's you fault you got mugged because you were in the wrong place having had a drink. Or you were the wrong type of girl on the wrong street. Bullshit, absolute bullshit. It may not be wise, but it sure aint their fault.


----------



## liberty (Jun 22, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> Jeez that's steep.  How do you know that?


Met someone whilst walking the dog who had just been to a meeting about it


----------



## liberty (Jun 22, 2006)

Pot-Bellied Pig said:
			
		

> They are usually pissed ater 7pm on a Thursday, talk in loud voices bout real beer and cricket...think that ' edgy ' places are really fun to live around, have no fucking idea what's happening really as they have their eyes closed, talk on expensive phones ride expensive bikes and complain when some poor fucker robs them for crack.  Oh yeah..when they grow up and daddy gives them a cheque they move out of London and buy something nice...
> 
> You know who you are !!


You take no account for those of us who live here in a nice place with nice things that have worked bloody hard for everything we have. So there are just toffs and muggers are there? I got a lump of concrete in my back just missing my head after someone tried to get my dog. I am neither a toff, not called Tarquin or was on a mobile phone


----------



## oicur0t (Jun 22, 2006)

Pot-Bellied Pig said:
			
		

> I'm not debasing anything...if people want to enjoy the Lido thats' great but they must also be aware of taking measures to protect their property as sadly London Fields is a high crime area and as I have said any increase in the use of the park will of course to lead to more crime...theft and snatches. I totally agree that more police should patrol the park but the govt in their wisdom decided that policing wards with one sgt, 2 PC's and 4 to 6 PCSO's is a great idea. Now splitting them up bewteen early shift and Late shift and allowing for days off and sick probably means you'd be lucky to have two walking around the whole ward.  The cycle squad was a great anti robbery idea but because of money they have been disbanded and the bikes given in most to the ward PCSO's.
> I think if I didn't see the whole picture and being totally disullusioned with the Met and its' inability to fight criminals and protect the public I would otherwise love living in Hackney which as a lot going for it if you compare with some places...but because I do what I do - I get out of that area as fast as my little bandy legs will carry me.



I understand where you are coming from. It must be hard seeing good ideas wasted, must be like pissing in the wind...everyday and there's fuck all you can do about it. But it still doesn't make it the victims fault! You say you are totally disolusioned with the met and it comes across that you are totally disolusioned full stop, if you think that people who are victims of crime deserve it for being in Hackney. I admire you for being a copper, but it sounds like you have stopped being a useful one. Sorry, I don't mean to have a go, but if you can't see the point then, why do you still do it?

Hackney quite shocks me sometimes with it's pride in itself. I don't know of any london borough that feels this way about itself. It's contageous. You say "I'm from Hackney" and it feels like it means something. Maybe we need police officers to feel this way now and again.


----------



## Dougal (Jun 23, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> Dunno, my gf was mugged next to London Fields three weeks ago, walking home from work, and doesn't fit in any of these categories.  I know you're having a bit of a joke, but to assume that mugging somehow happens to people who 'deserve' it is a bit lame.



I _am _taking the piss regarding the above. As I mentioned in my first post, the gang at the fields have been going way too far lately and are getting away with far too much. knives stashed in the fields, threats and actual violence used to remove valuables from folk, intimidation, it's too much. As you can see from the dickhead copper above, the police have no chance of sorting out any problems because (a) they don't give a fuck as they don't live in the area and (b) have contempt for those that do.

 


I hope your GF is ok now, the problem is that the memory of these things sometimes stays with a person for ages. Give her a hug eh?


----------



## lighterthief (Jun 28, 2006)

Anyway...for those of us looking forward to the opening of the Lido:

I spoke to one of the park warden people the other day and he told me they were aiming for an August opening.  It's beginning to look a lot more finished now - those weird big yellow 'pods' have now been installed, the outbuildings are all up and roofed...


----------



## oicur0t (Jun 28, 2006)

They've started clearing around the outside, looks like it will be returfed. Moving on friday so won't get to enjoy it as a resident


----------



## lighterthief (Jun 28, 2006)

oicur0t said:
			
		

> Moving on friday so won't get to enjoy it as a resident


Bah, unlucky   Where you off to?


----------



## Dougal (Jun 28, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> Anyway...for those of us looking forward to the opening of the Lido:
> 
> I spoke to one of the park warden people the other day and he told me they were aiming for an August opening.  It's beginning to look a lot more finished now - those weird big yellow 'pods' have now been installed, the outbuildings are all up and roofed...




By August the summer will nearly be over!!

I am still looking forward to the opening, I wonder if the pool is water tight? 

Nearly six quid for a swim will stop the numbers of swimmers amounting to much. I bet the pool will be under pressure financially from day one.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jun 29, 2006)

How about £5.90 for non-Hackney residents, seeing as they will have paid nada towards its being rebuilt in their council tax bills?

And say £2.50 for the rest of us, or five swims for a tenner carnet?


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Jun 29, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> How about £5.90 for non-Hackney residents, seeing as they will have paid nada towards its being rebuilt in their council tax bills?
> 
> And say £2.50 for the rest of us, or five swims for a tenner carnet?



Come on, that's far too sensible for Hackney Council.....


----------



## scifisam (Jun 30, 2006)

Local resident discounts would be fair. Westminster used to have a Rescard which did the same, why not other boroughs? It wouldn't benefit me, as I live precisely ten feet from Hackney. Carnets or season tickets would be great.

I keep checking back to this thread to see if the Lido really is going to open. That would make my Summer.


----------



## scifisam (Jun 30, 2006)

Local resident discounts would be fair. Westminster used to have a Rescard which did the same, why not other boroughs? It wouldn't benefit me, as I live precisely ten feet from Hackney. Carnets or season tickets would be great.

I keep checking back to this thread to see if the Lido really is going to open. That would make my Summer.


----------



## Dougal (Jul 3, 2006)

Only Hackney Council  could still have not opened the lido by this part of the summer.


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 3, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> Only Hackney Council  could still have not opened the lido by this part of the summer.


To be fair there have been workmen crawling over the site since Jan/Feb this year - even on Saturdays - not sure if it could have been done any faster.  It would be a bit silly though if they missed the whole summer season.


----------



## Dougal (Jul 3, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> To be fair there have been workmen crawling over the site since Jan/Feb this year - even on Saturdays - not sure if it could have been done any faster.  It would be a bit silly though if they missed the whole summer season.




To be fair, the fuckers should have never closed the lido down in the first place.


----------



## rutabowa (Jul 3, 2006)

i'm going to put a catapult in my garden to fire people into the lido for free, £2 a go.


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 4, 2006)

The pool is being tiled now


----------



## oicur0t (Jul 5, 2006)

one local resident said that they were going to clean up the old one years ago using all local people who volunteered, but hackney council refused.


----------



## Sir Belchalot (Jul 5, 2006)

It was pretty fucked due to years of neglect.  Doubt the locals could have renovated to comply with all the crap health & safety regulations there are.  If it could have been patched up easily, the squatters would have done it.


----------



## oicur0t (Jul 6, 2006)

Sir Belchalot said:
			
		

> It was pretty fucked due to years of neglect.  Doubt the locals could have renovated to comply with all the crap health & safety regulations there are.  If it could have been patched up easily, the squatters would have done it.



We are talking pre '90 I think.... Hackney agreed at the time, then said no.


----------



## Sunray (Jul 6, 2006)

ahh

Some information

looking good according to this...

http://www.hackney.gov.uk/index.htm...ws-mar-2006-counciltax/xc-news-mar06-lido.htm


----------



## rutabowa (Jul 6, 2006)

Sunray said:
			
		

> ahh
> 
> Some information
> 
> ...


hm, that's the hackney council website though. I still say it won't open in time for summer, hope i'm wrong though


----------



## BarryB (Jul 7, 2006)

rutabowa said:
			
		

> hm, that's the hackney council website though. I still say it won't open in time for summer, hope i'm wrong though



A couple of weeks ago Jules Pipe said the Lido will open in August.

BarryB


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Jul 7, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> A couple of weeks ago Jules Pipe said the Lido will open in August.
> 
> BarryB



A couple on months ago Jules Pipe said that Clissold Leisure Centre would reopen in the summer.

And..........

Hmm, both statements came just before the local elections.

Coincidental? You decide.


----------



## Dougal (Jul 7, 2006)

How long before the water leaks out ala Clissold pool?


----------



## Dougal (Jul 7, 2006)

Just spoke to a recently ex councillor and she said that it's opening on the August bank holiday weekend.


----------



## BarryB (Jul 7, 2006)

Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> A couple on months ago Jules Pipe said that Clissold Leisure Centre would reopen in the summer.
> 
> And..........
> 
> ...



Why dont you read what I wrote? I said Jules Pipe made his statement a couple of weeks ago. The council elections were on May 4 not during June.

BarryB


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 7, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> Just spoke to a recently ex councillor and she said that it's opening on the August bank holiday weekend.


Darn, end of August


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Jul 7, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> Why dont you read what I wrote? I said Jules Pipe made his statement a couple of weeks ago. The council elections were on May 4 not during June.
> 
> BarryB



The link you included was to a page that was last updated onto the council website on 15th May - so it wasn't only a couple of weeks ago, and he was definitely grandstanding prior to the elections about how many lovely leisure facilities us lucky hackney residents have.

Meanwhile, in the real world, the lido _might_ open in August, Clissold remains covered in scaffolding but very few workers are ever visiblly working, and Haggerston baths rots as we speak.


----------



## Sunray (Jul 7, 2006)

I read that its going to have a proper roof, are they adding that?  Suppose I could have a quick look as I'm 5 minutes away, but I can't be arsed.  

Could be used 365, which for 2 million quid would make just about any council look like its got sense, except this is Hackney council.


----------



## Dougal (Jul 7, 2006)

Sunray said:
			
		

> I read that its going to have a proper roof, are they adding that?  Suppose I could have a quick look as I'm 5 minutes away, but I can't be arsed.
> 
> Could be used 365, which for 2 million quid would make just about any council look like its got sense, except this is Hackney council.



What roof? it's an outdoor lido?


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 7, 2006)

As I understand it the lido was due to open this summer without a roof.  This may or may not happen - lots of people seem to have heard that an opening in August is possible.

I thought the plan was then to close it down this winter, and add a retractable roof, which would then allow the (heated) lido to be used all year round.


----------



## BarryB (Jul 8, 2006)

Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> The link you included was to a page that was last updated onto the council website on 15th May - so it wasn't only a couple of weeks ago, and he was definitely grandstanding prior to the elections about how many lovely leisure facilities us lucky hackney residents have.
> 
> Meanwhile, in the real world, the lido _might_ open in August, Clissold remains covered in scaffolding but very few workers are ever visiblly working, and Haggerston baths rots as we speak.



What are you going on about. I never gave a link! I merely reported what Jules Pipe had said at a meeting in my presence.

BarryB


----------



## BarryB (Jul 8, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> As I understand it the lido was due to open this summer without a roof.  This may or may not happen - lots of people seem to have heard that an opening in August is possible.
> 
> I thought the plan was then to close it down this winter, and add a retractable roof, which would then allow the (heated) lido to be used all year round.



You are correct.

BarryB


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jul 8, 2006)

SO....open September, close October.

And £5.90 a swim, BarryB, care to comment on that?


----------



## rutabowa (Jul 8, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> A couple of weeks ago Jules Pipe said the Lido will open in August.
> 
> BarryB


I don't believe him.


----------



## BarryB (Jul 8, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> SO....open September, close October.
> 
> And £5.90 a swim, BarryB, care to comment on that?



I will see if I can get an update to the opening/closing  dates and admission costs.

BarryB


----------



## zuszsa (Jul 8, 2006)

A  very small item in last night's 'Standard'..... Lido open in OCTOBER. Asbestos delay - because you can't predict asbestos apparently.


----------



## Sunray (Jul 8, 2006)

Asbestos eh??

I reckon thats what any builders say when they want some time off and know its not going to be finished on time.


----------



## rutabowa (Jul 8, 2006)

zuszsa said:
			
		

> A  very small item in last night's 'Standard'..... Lido open in OCTOBER. Asbestos delay - because you can't predict asbestos apparently.


well i didn't want to be proved right so quickly, oh well


----------



## Monkeynuts (Jul 8, 2006)

> Lido open in OCTOBER



Only in Hackney What is the point?

You have my sympathies; really, I couldn't live there.


----------



## BarryB (Jul 8, 2006)

Monkeynuts said:
			
		

> Only in Hackney What is the point?
> 
> You have my sympathies; really, I couldn't live there.



No one is asking you to live here.

BarryB


----------



## Monkeynuts (Jul 8, 2006)

I wasn't under the misapprehension that anyone was. I just think the area is very badly served by the council.


----------



## rutabowa (Jul 9, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> No one is asking you to live here.
> 
> BarryB


am i riight that yr a councillor? you have a very bad attitude if you are.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jul 10, 2006)

What's the point in closing it to build a roof, if and when it ever opens? A heated Lido does not need a roof. Spend the money on something else.


----------



## BarryB (Jul 10, 2006)

rutabowa said:
			
		

> am i riight that yr a councillor? you have a very bad attitude if you are.[/QUOTE
> 
> Yes im a Councillor for Haggesrton Ward. Please explain why Ive a "bad attitude". Sorry I mean a "very bad attitude". Ive said I will try to get an update as to when the Lido is opening. Furthermore ive defended Hackney from someone who made an ignorant attack on the borough. So where is the problem?
> 
> BarryB


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 10, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> ...A heated Lido does not need a roof. Spend the money on something else.


I would have thought that if you wanted to open the (heated) lido throughout the year a roof would be essential, if only to stop all the revenue evaporating into the cold winter air.


----------



## Dougal (Jul 10, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> rutabowa said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## rutabowa (Jul 10, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> Furthermore ive defended Hackney from someone who made an ignorant attack on the borough


Saying "no one is asking you to live here" isn't defending a borough. You would say the same thing to someone who was already living here who complained about anything. You have on these boards a good chance to hear what yr constituents, and other people living nearby, think, and convince them that you are representing their best interests, but instead you seem to want alienate and dismiss them. ok maybe it's just a "bad attitude" rather than a "very bad attitude", I think you are missing a trick anyway by communicating in such an abrasive way on such a public forum, when you could be doing yourself a lot of good by being more humble.


----------



## BarryB (Jul 10, 2006)

rutabowa said:
			
		

> Saying "no one is asking you to live here" isn't defending a borough. You would say the same thing to someone who was already living here who complained about anything. You have on these boards a good chance to hear what yr constituents, and other people living nearby, think, and convince them that you are representing their best interests, but instead you seem to want alienate and dismiss them. ok maybe it's just a "bad attitude" rather than a "very bad attitude", I think you are missing a trick anyway by communicating in such an abrasive way on such a public forum, when you could be doing yourself a lot of good by being more humble.



When someone says they really couldent live in Hackney I think im entitled to say that they dont know what they are talking about. There are of course things wrong with Hackney but there is a lot right. It is a very tolerant place for people of all races and nationalities. It has a vibrqant night lives Good parks etc.

As ive said befor the people of Haggerston will judge me by what I do for them.

BarryB


----------



## BarryB (Jul 10, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> BarryB said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## rutabowa (Jul 10, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> When someone says they really couldent live in Hackney I think im entitled to say that they dont know what they are talking about. There are of course things wrong with Hackney but there is a lot right. It is a very tolerant place for people of all races and nationalities. It has a vibrqant night lives Good parks etc.
> 
> As ive said befor the people of Haggerston will judge me by what I do for them.
> 
> BarryB


I'm not sure what point you're answering here but it's definitely not anything I said in my post.


----------



## rutabowa (Jul 10, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> By all means criticise the Council for what it has got wrong. But the person I was responding to was bad mouthing Hackney as a whole.


no they weren't. what they said, exactly, was "I just think the area is very badly served by the council." no one here has been "bad mouthing Hackney as a whole", I'm not sure where you got that idea from. I think maybe you are conflating attacks on the council with attacks on the borough.


----------



## Dougal (Jul 10, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> Dougal said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 10, 2006)

It's official.


----------



## BarryB (Jul 10, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> BarryB said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Dougal (Jul 10, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> Dougal said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## Dougal (Jul 10, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> Dougal said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## BarryB (Jul 10, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> BarryB said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## Dougal (Jul 10, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> Dougal said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## BarryB (Jul 10, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> BarryB said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## Dougal (Jul 10, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> Dougal said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## BarryB (Jul 10, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> BarryB said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## Dougal (Jul 10, 2006)

So that was 0  councillors resigning then?

It was not an act of god that got the Haggerston pool closed, it was your collegues incompetence and indifference to local peoples needs. 

Did you reconsider your position at all barry?


----------



## Dougal (Jul 10, 2006)

Ah I read that you are a follower, admirer and supporter of Trotsky. That explains your contempt for local people.


----------



## rutabowa (Jul 10, 2006)

these point-scoring arguments don't do anyone any favours. anyway neither of you are scoring points that mean anything to anyone but yourselves!


----------



## Dougal (Jul 10, 2006)

It's pretty simple, London Fields Lido was closed by an indifferent labour council that this fella represents. Haggerston pool was closed to assist funding the design and building of Clissold Pool. Clissold pool had to be shut when amongst other things, all the water leaked out. 

Hackney Council promise to open the Lido again after twenty years shut, it's over budget and late and no one knows if the design will work. 

Barry does not like anyone having any sort of memory for events. If they do it's because they are a tory. It's a wankers MO.


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 10, 2006)

rutabowa said:
			
		

> these point-scoring arguments don't do anyone any favours.


Indeed.


----------



## Dougal (Jul 10, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> Indeed.



It's not points scoring, I'm genuinely non aligned. It's about remembering how the boroughs pools got into this state and who was responsible. Call it democracy if you will.


----------



## BarryB (Jul 10, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> So that was 0  councillors resigning then?
> 
> It was not an act of god that got the Haggerston pool closed, it was your collegues incompetence and indifference to local peoples needs.
> 
> Did you reconsider your position at all barry?



How could I reconsider my position when I wasant even a councillor?

BarryB


----------



## BarryB (Jul 10, 2006)

rutabowa said:
			
		

> these point-scoring arguments don't do anyone any favours. anyway neither of you are scoring points that mean anything to anyone but yourselves!



You are probably right. Perhaps to conclude this discussion can I say that the best thing is that we all work with the Haggerston Pool campaigners to get the Pool open. I met the leading campaigners at the Laburnum Street Party and told them I will work with them (as will the other Haggerston councillors). So lets give it a go.

BarryB


----------



## Streathamite (Jul 10, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> Don't think Blair was ever a councillor - just lived on Mapledene Rd in 80s. Charles Clarke was, though. He lived on road next to Blair's, I think.


may be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure he did 2 years as a councillor, late 70s/early 80s, as his political apprenticeship


----------



## Streathamite (Jul 10, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> Ah I read that you are a follower, admirer and supporter of Trotsky. That explains your contempt for local people.


he also comes across like an identikit blairite nu labour apologist - which my explain local people's contempt for _him_!


----------



## Streathamite (Jul 10, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> As ive said befor the people of Haggerston will judge me by what I do for them.
> 
> BarryB


yes, it's so _very_ difficult for labour to win seats in haggerston, normally....


----------



## Monkeynuts (Jul 10, 2006)

Oh dear - seem to have started up a bit of an argument.

As Rutabowa has said, I wasn't badmouthing Hackney as a whole (not an area on which I am an expert, but I do think it has many things going for it) but expressing my opinion that the council served the area badly.

In truth though, this isn't really an opinion, it's fact. The performance / lack thereof of Hackney Council is a matter of record. The area has certain needs and deserves the best standards of management. We should all agree on that.


----------



## BarryB (Jul 10, 2006)

Red Jezza said:
			
		

> he also comes across like an identikit blairite nu labour apologist - which my explain local people's contempt for _him_!



To answer your 2 postings. If local people had contempt for me they wouldent have elected me. And Haggerston isnt a safe Labour seat. Only a 90 majority in 2002. We had a bigger majority this time but I dont intend to take anything for granted as far as the 2010 election is concerned.

BarryB


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 10, 2006)

Please let's not turn this into another Haggerston/Labour/Hackney Independent/election yawnfest - I'm sure it's been done on another thread.


----------



## Monkeynuts (Jul 10, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> To answer your 2 postings. If local people had contempt for me they wouldent have elected me. And Haggerston isnt a safe Labour seat. Only a 90 majority in 2002. We had a bigger majority this time but I dont intend to take anything for granted as far as the 2010 election is concerned.
> 
> BarryB



A 300+ majority in 2006 though Barry, unless you have forgotten? Or to put another way, over 50% more than the Hackney Independent candidate.

Still, why not quote the statistics that suit your point better eh

...with apologies to Lighterthief.


----------



## lang rabbie (Jul 10, 2006)

What adds insult to injury is that after all these delays, and contrary to all the propaganda put out by Jules Pipe in the spring, the specification for the current building works - that may possibly be finished by October - doesn't even include the much vaunted retractable roof for winter use!    




			
				LB Hackney's hastily rewritten London Fields Lido page said:
			
		

> Ultimately, there will also have a seasonal roof that will increase access to more swimmers during the winter. In October we plan to unveil the short-listed proposals for the roof solution and we will be ready to install the chosen design in autumn 2007.



http://www.hackney.gov.uk/c-londonfields-lido


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 10, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> It's pretty simple, London Fields Lido was closed by an indifferent labour council that this fella represents.


It was my understanding (please correct me if I'm wrong) that the lido was formerly controlled by the GLC.  When the GLC was disbanded in 1986 control passed to Hackney Council; however no additional funding came with it.  I think Hackney council was under Labour control at that point.  Assuming that Hackney council were worse then than they are now at collecting rent and rates (a traditional failing) it's a fairly safe bet they didn't have the money to keep running it; QED it was shut.  

Me?  I'm just glad it's opening again, and I'd hazard a guess that there's quite a few people living locally who couldn't give a flying fuck about rehashing old arguments and apportioning blame for a decision taken almost two decades ago (by people who are now either dead or retired) and *just want somewhere to swim*.


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 10, 2006)

lang rabbie said:
			
		

> What adds insult to injury is that after all these delays, and contrary to all the propaganda put out by Jules Pipe in the spring, the specification for the current building works - that may possibly be finished by October - doesn't even include the much vaunted retractable roof for winter use!


No - there was always going to be a delay in adding the roof.  I think they wanted it open as quickly as possible this summer and I personally thought the roof was supposed to be added this winter, but as you point out it looks like next winter now.

This is the weird bit:

_"Taking full advantage of the heated pool and changing facilities, we will keep the Lido open as long throughout the autumn and winter months as there is user demand."_

<crosses fingers for high user demand>


----------



## Monkeynuts (Jul 11, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> No - there was always going to be a delay in adding the roof.  I think they wanted it open as quickly as possible this summer and I personally thought the roof was supposed to be added this winter, but as you point out it looks like next winter now.
> 
> This is the weird bit:
> 
> ...



Well, if it is adequately heated then the roof is less critical and it'll be usable more or less all year all round. So don't be soft, get down and get in!


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 11, 2006)

Monkeynuts said:
			
		

> Well, if it is adequately heated then the roof is less critical and it'll be usable more or less all year all round.


Well of course - but think about how expensive it will be.






			
				Monkeynuts said:
			
		

> So don't be soft, get down and get in!


Oh, I fully intend to


----------



## Monkeynuts (Jul 11, 2006)

Well, presumably a lot of heat will be lost but who knows. In the same way the dishwater tends to stay warm for a surprisingly long time in the sink, it might not be as bad as you might think.

Probably better to get it open this year and let people use it at the cost of a bit of fuel than delay a year until the wonder roof is done, I think.


----------



## lang rabbie (Jul 11, 2006)

Hackney Labour Party manifesto - April 2006 said:
			
		

> The reopening of the London Fields Lido is symbolic of the transformation of Hackney’s fortunes. No other council in London is in a position *to reopen such a wonderful facility, providing *a 50m Olympic-standard training pool with open air swimming during the summer and *a retractable roof to enable all-year-round use*.



Without wanting to get into a political ding-dong, I think most residents of Hackney might reasonably have understood that to mean that contracts for the roof had been let, not that the council might get around to thinking about options for a roof design after the lido had opened - with the inevitable need for a period of closure while the roof was constructed!


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 11, 2006)

Monkeynuts said:
			
		

> Well, presumably a lot of heat will be lost but who knows. In the same way the dishwater tends to stay warm for a surprisingly long time in the sink, it might not be as bad as you might think.


Time will tell.






			
				Monkeynuts said:
			
		

> Probably better to get it open this year and let people use it at the cost of a bit of fuel than delay a year until the wonder roof is done, I think.


Definitely agree with you on this one.


----------



## Monkeynuts (Jul 11, 2006)

lang rabbie said:
			
		

> Without wanting to get into a political ding-dong, I think most residents of Hackney might reasonably have understood that to mean that contracts for the roof had been let, not that the council might get around to thinking about options for a roof design after the lido had opened - with the inevitable need for a period of closure while the roof was constructed!



It seems rather unfair to single out Hackney on this when many (most? all?) boroughs' record on keeping pools open has been poor, but certainly a number of "other council in London [are] in a position [not] to reopen such a facility" because the facilities were never closed in the first place!

Still, let us just be happy that another pool is opening, and what's more, an open air one.


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 11, 2006)

lang rabbie said:
			
		

> Without wanting to get into a political ding-dong, I think most residents of Hackney might reasonably have understood that to mean that contracts for the roof had been let, not that the council might get around to thinking about options for a roof design after the lido had opened - with the inevitable need for a period of closure while the roof was constructed!


The original lido consultation leaflet:







...says, "Hackney wants to ensure that the design for the new Lido is future-proofed to facilitate potential future development, such as adding a retractable roof to extend the opening months."  You'll also see that it was stated that the opening times were intended to be late March to early October. 

But you're right - this was all spun heavily in the run up to the elections.  Which issues aren't?


----------



## Monkeynuts (Jul 11, 2006)

Shouldn't council communication be apolitical? I.e. the officers are employees rather than elected...


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Jul 11, 2006)

So in the space of, lets see, 4 days, the opening day has slipped from August bank holiday, according to our local councillor Barry B (from what Jules told him in post 108), to sometime in October, according to our fragrant mayor Jules. And it will stay open as long as there is a demand for it. Possibly. And a roof might get stuck on. Perhaps.

I can see Clissold part II emerging here. I really hope this is not the case but on past form you have to worry. I reckon that if the Lido doesn't open in time, then we should push for a public ducking of Pipe and cronies - if they float, they're clearly witches and should be burnt, otherwise let God sort them out.

edited for spelling.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jul 11, 2006)

I repeat - what's the point of a bloody roof? (Not to mention the words Labour Council, Clissold, Hackney, swimming pool and roof in the same sentence.)

With a heated pool, you don't need a roof. Full stop. Look at Oasis in Camden.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Jul 11, 2006)

The roof is to stop crack squirrels jumping down from the trees and nicking mobys from the Broadway Mkt yuppies apparently.....


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 11, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> With a heated pool, you don't need a roof. Full stop. Look at Oasis in Camden.


Of course you don't _need_ a roof, but I bet it's cheaper to heat an indoor pool in winter than an outdoor one.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Jul 11, 2006)

You could always heat it up with the hot air that comes out of the Town Hall.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jul 11, 2006)

Cheaper than the cost of a retractable roof? I doubt it. Look at the problems retractable roofs have caused football stadiums, and Wimbledon's belated decision to finally build one, let alone Clissold's problems with a normal bloody roof.


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 11, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> Cheaper than the cost of a retractable roof? I doubt it. Look at the problems retractable roofs have caused football stadiums, and Wimbledon's belated decision to finally build one, let alone Clissold's problems with a normal bloody roof.


It would have been cheaper still if they hadn't decided to reopen the Lido in the first place.  What must they have been thinking?  Pouring all that money into a community facility - it beggars belief, it really does.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jul 11, 2006)

No.

I just think the point of a Lido is that it's open air. And if the water's heated, you don't need a roof. It's what - ten yards from the changing room to the water? 

How much do you think a retractable roof is gonna cost, Lighterthief?


----------



## Monkeynuts (Jul 11, 2006)

For some reason I have a vision of...


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 11, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> How much do you think a retractable roof is gonna cost, Lighterthief?


I have no idea.






			
				HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> And if the water's heated, you don't need a roof.


I'm not sure how many times I need to say this before it sinks in, but I have never said it _needs_ a roof.  It's just that heating a 50m outdoor pool in winter will be expensive.

In an ideal world the Lido will be so popular that it remains busy enough to be profitable all year round without a roof - but there's no harm in having an option to hand in case it isn't, is there?


----------



## Streathamite (Jul 11, 2006)

BarryB said:
			
		

> To answer your 2 postings. If local people had contempt for me they wouldent have elected me.



if you REALLY don't think there have been people who've been elected by people who hold them in contempt, then really, you are too politically naive to vote, let alone hold office.
Mind you, anyonhe who believes that holding elected state office, under our current system, is in any way compatible with being a 'revolutionary' in any way shape or form....left the shores of reality too long ago to ever return!


> And Haggerston isnt a safe Labour seat. Only a 90 majority in 2002. We had a bigger majority this time but I dont intend to take anything for granted as far as the 2010 election is concerned.


and if you knew anything about the electoral history of Hackney - which, assuredly, you do not - you would have known that barely a decade ago haggerston was considered a VERY safe seat, as well as being demographically a near-perfect 'fit' for the classic labour seat. If it - like all those other Labour council seats under threat in hackney - is now vulnerable, the only people to blame are you and your colleagues and predecessors. Who lost those votes?

ladies and gentlemen...birth of a blairite, death of a socialist....


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 11, 2006)




----------



## BarryB (Jul 11, 2006)

Red Jezza said:
			
		

> if you REALLY don't think there have been people who've been elected by people who hold them in contempt, then really, you are too politically ignorant to vote, let alone hold office.
> Mind you, anyonhe who believes that holding elected state office, under our current system, is in any way compatible with being a 'revolutionary' in any way shape or form....left the shores of reality too long ago to ever return!
> 
> and if you knew anything about the electoral history of Hackney - which, assuredly, you do not - you would have known that barely a decade ago haggerston was considered a VERY safe seat, as well as being demographically a near-perfect 'fit' for your classic labour seat. If it - like all those other Labour council seats under threat in hackney - is now vulnerable, the only people to blame are you and your colleagues and predecessors. Who lost those votes?
> ...



You seem to forget that Labour have just been relected in Hackney with a loss of only one seat. Next time round as well as retaining the seats we have if I have anything to do with it we will be making a concerted attempt to take the north Hackney seats from the Tories and Lib Dems. You seem to forget that its not all that long ago that wards such as Haggerston and Hoxton were won by the Lib Dems. But facts are alien to you.

BarryB


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jul 12, 2006)

Hey, Barry, how about a 'sorry'?

As in, 48 hours ago I told you it would be August, now at best it may be October.

A little humility would go a long way.


----------



## Dougal (Jul 12, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> Hey, Barry, how about a 'sorry'?
> 
> As in, 48 hours ago I told you it would be August, now at best it may be October.
> 
> A little humility would go a long way.




Hell will freeze over before barryb understands the concept of humility in relation to himself. We are just ignorant plebs see.


----------



## scifisam (Jul 12, 2006)

Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> So in the space of, lets see, 4 days, the opening day has slipped from August bank holiday, according to our local councillor Barry B (from what Jules told him in post 108), to sometime in October, according to our fragrant mayor Jules. And it will stay open as long as there is a demand for it. Possibly. And a roof might get stuck on. Perhaps.



Has it? I only see August opening dates on the web. The October date mentioned in this thread was referring to the roof.


----------



## lang rabbie (Jul 12, 2006)

scifisam said:
			
		

> Has it? I only see August opening dates on the web. The October date mentioned in this thread was referring to the roof.



No - it's official:

http://www.hackney.gov.uk/c-londonfields-lido

Hit the refresh button on your browser - the Council seem to be rewriting the page every few days!


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Jul 13, 2006)

scifisam said:
			
		

> Has it? I only see August opening dates on the web. The October date mentioned in this thread was referring to the roof.



From the link above:

_"The London Fields Lido will however be open for swimming from the beginning of October when we will look forward to welcoming residents to the Capitals only heated outdoor Olympic-sized pool."​_
So you're wrong there. I also liked this bit:

_"The original programme was always a tight schedule and while the builders have overcome the issues on site and are *working additional shifts to complete the work*, our top priority has always been to do justice to this wonderful facility by getting it open and keeping it open; getting things right first time."​_ (Unlike Clissold)

Those additional shifts would explain why, when i cycled by on Tuesday afternoon ~4.30pm, the place looked like a building site (unsurprisingly but worringly far from looking finished) and after a reccie round the whole perimeter, i spotted the grand total of ONE builder in there, half heartedly throwing some lumber about.


----------



## BarryB (Jul 13, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> Hey, Barry, how about a 'sorry'?
> 
> As in, 48 hours ago I told you it would be August, now at best it may be October.
> 
> A little humility would go a long way.



In post 108 I said "A couple of weeks ago Jules Pipe said the Lido will open in August". Thats it.  E9 if you actually bother to read my post you will see that I was reporting what Jules Pipe said  at a meeting. Thats all. So there is nothing for me to apologise for. 


BarryB


----------



## Sunray (Jul 15, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> No.
> 
> I just think the point of a Lido is that it's open air. And if the water's heated, you don't need a roof. It's what - ten yards from the changing room to the water?
> 
> How much do you think a retractable roof is gonna cost, Lighterthief?



What country are you living in??


----------



## Sunray (Jul 18, 2006)

Saw on the Hackney gazette head line thing out side the shop yesterday saying they had given up for this year. 

Didn't buy the paper so don't know the details.


----------



## zuszsa (Jul 18, 2006)

Sunray said:
			
		

> Saw on the Hackney gazette head line thing out side the shop yesterday saying they had given up for this year.
> 
> Didn't buy the paper so don't know the details.




Think that story was about Clissold?  While not wanting to appear over optimistic, it does seem that London Fields Lido will open in October - and I will be one of the first to jump in.  By the way Barry B - you were going to check out the admission charges-any progress?


----------



## Dougal (Jul 21, 2006)

He will be back when he wants your votes.


----------



## lighterthief (Jul 23, 2006)

Dougal said:
			
		

> He will be back when he wants your votes.








Like any politician   Can we leave the electioneering out of this thread please?  It's about the lido, not the Haggerston vote.


----------



## BarryB (Jul 23, 2006)

zuszsa said:
			
		

> Think that story was about Clissold?  While not wanting to appear over optimistic, it does seem that London Fields Lido will open in October - and I will be one of the first to jump in.  By the way Barry B - you were going to check out the admission charges-any progress?



Havent forgotten. Just havent been able to obtain the info yet.

BarryB


----------



## lighterthief (Sep 14, 2006)

Peeked in yesterday and the pool is fully tiled and full of water - looks amazing.  Most of the major work appears to be have been completed, lots of tidying up the small details going on - installing bike racks, painting, laying surfaces etc.  Posters up all around London Fields trumpeting the October opening.


----------



## zuszsa (Sep 14, 2006)

*searches high and low for swimsuit and goggles*


----------



## Divisive Cotton (Sep 27, 2006)

have heard that the lido opening has been put back to April (but yet to be confirmed)

did anybody see the special feature they did on the Clissold Park swimming pool on London Tonight the other day?


----------



## lighterthief (Sep 27, 2006)

Hackney Council and GLL still sticking to their 'October' opening.  We shall see.


----------



## TopCat (Oct 6, 2006)

Fucking hell... 

It's as predictable as it is depressing.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 6, 2006)

<looks out window>

blimey  

October opening for lido? Council take tactical option of opening next year, strictly cos of the weather? Hmmmmmm......


----------



## gaijingirl (Oct 6, 2006)

It's the "pool of the month" in this week's Time Out (Oct 4-11).

From that article:

"*What do the council say?*"
" We are having a preliminary opening next month and then the pool will close again in the middle of December.  It's not something we are really advertising as it is a sort of trial run.  But we will have a formal opening next spring with synchronised swimmers and celebrities"

NB.  I don't know whether they mean that they are opening it in November, or whether Time Out got the quote in September and didn't change it despite the publication date of the article.  (more likely)


Also according to http://www.derelictlondon.com/pools.htm

"London Fields lido, E London, which closed in 1986, will reopen October 2006, becoming one of Britain's few 50-metre 
heated outdoor pools. It will solve the problem of what to do in winter by having a retractable roof and opening all year."

I am SO JEALOUS!!  This is what I want for Brockwell Lido.


----------



## lighterthief (Oct 7, 2006)

Unfortunately Hackney Council are still being extremely cagey about when exactly in October it will open.  One quote attributed to the mayor talked about "this side of Christmas".

Fingers crossed.

It looks done from the outside, steam coming out the chimneys, that kind of thing...


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 7, 2006)

From that time out article, it sounds like they're gonna open it in November. For a bit. And then close it again. So next year then. Funny how our resident hackney councillor has gone a bit quiet innit?


----------



## BarryB (Oct 7, 2006)

Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> From that time out article, it sounds like they're gonna open it in November. For a bit. And then close it again. So next year then. Funny how our resident hackney councillor has gone a bit quiet innit?



When I have some firm news I will of course let you know. I take it from one of your previous postings that you live in Queensbridge ward. That being so I suggest you contact your local councillors via the Town Hall to ask them what is happening. 

BarryB


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 7, 2006)

Thankyou  

So why the delays (again)? And what's the score with Clissold and Haggerston - on the latter, there are some cages been put up near the front door but no visible signs of work otherwise? Would be nice to get some of this info sometimes in the Hackney Today that we sporadically receive.


----------



## lang rabbie (Oct 7, 2006)

Wasn't opening in time for the half term holiday mentioned in Hackney's August press release???

Presumably that means *23-27 October*.   

Will Hackney's  leisure department claim they meant 23-27 October old style on the Julian Calendar if it slips to November


----------



## lighterthief (Oct 7, 2006)

Here's what it's looking like from the outside as of today:


----------



## BarryB (Oct 8, 2006)

Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> Thankyou
> 
> So why the delays (again)? And what's the score with Clissold and Haggerston - on the latter, there are some cages been put up near the front door but no visible signs of work otherwise? Would be nice to get some of this info sometimes in the Hackney Today that we sporadically receive.


 
Paulie I passed by the Baths this afternoon and didnt notice any cages outside the front door,. The only thing vaguely similar I noticed was the metal railings behind which was the security guards car. But I do know that some work has been going on in the building so perhaps the cages were there to provide storage on a temporary basis for builders materials. I will dig through my files to see what work has been going on inside.

Im as anxious as you to know what has been happening at Clissold and London Fields.

Hope you can make the John McDonnell meeting at the Hackney Empire on the 18th. I should be chairing the meeting so you might make yourself known to me. We have had a couple of run ins on this Forum but its always nice to meet  people in the flesh.

BarryB


----------



## TopCat (Oct 8, 2006)

If your a councillor (sp?) how come your guessing? i mean who is in the know?


----------



## Paul Marsh (Oct 8, 2006)

lang rabbie said:
			
		

> Wasn't opening in time for the half term holiday mentioned in Hackney's August press release???
> 
> Presumably that means *23-27 October*.
> 
> Will Hackney's  leisure department claim they meant 23-27 October old style on the Julian Calendar if it slips to November



Either way, a curious time to be opening a lido. 

Then again, I am sure they will be able to close it in time for the summer!


----------



## gaijingirl (Oct 8, 2006)

I really can't wait.  Heated outdoor pools are just heaven.  Went to Brixton rec today for a swim (now it's reopened) and it just made me mourn Brockwell Lido even more.  

*watches thread with interest*


----------



## HackneyE9 (Oct 8, 2006)

I shouted when's it opening at the park-keeper closing it up tonight - he said October 16th.


----------



## lighterthief (Oct 9, 2006)

The prices for the lido have been published on the GLL website, although I would imagine there's no guarantee these will remain unchanged between now and the opening.

_Opening Season Introductory Prices
Non Member 
Adult £3.00 
Junior £1.80 

Leisure Card 
Adult £2.10 
Junior £1.25 

Leisure Card Concessionary 
Adult £1.55 _


----------



## HackneyE9 (Oct 10, 2006)

Council are clearly being disingenuous with this no-pubilcity opening. Normally they'd be shouting it from the rooftops. Suspect it will open and then shut until the summer very rapidly.

Scare stories about £5 a swim seem unfounded, though. That's good.


----------



## lighterthief (Oct 10, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> Scare stories about £5 a swim seem unfounded, though. That's good.


Note that the prices stated are "introductory season prices".


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 10, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> Note that the prices stated are "introductory season prices".



i.e 'introductory' = middle of fucking winter, they should be paying us to go swimming if its gonna be in mid-november...


----------



## BarryB (Oct 10, 2006)

Paulie Tandoori said:
			
		

> Thankyou
> 
> So why the delays (again)? And what's the score with Clissold and Haggerston - on the latter, there are some cages been put up near the front door but no visible signs of work otherwise? Would be nice to get some of this info sometimes in the Hackney Today that we sporadically receive.[/QUOTE
> 
> ...


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 11, 2006)

Would be nice if Haggerston could reopen sometime, it was a lovely pool (notwithstanding the rather rundown surrounding building and facilities). 

Asbetsos tho  

ta for update.


----------



## TopCat (Oct 13, 2006)

*The new lido*

Here is a pic I got today after brazenly sauntering in for a looksie.


----------



## gaijingirl (Oct 13, 2006)

well it looks promising.. they've filled it!


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 13, 2006)

TopCat said:
			
		

> Here is a pic I got today after brazenly sauntering in for a looksie.



Wow, fantastic  I lived in the house in the background for a few months, in a short life co-op house, with access to the pool via a door in the back garden, we used to play zombies in the empty pool and the changing rooms and it was dead scary but dead funny. I'm dead pleased to see something that looks so feckin lovely opening in hackney. Let's hope the restoration of decent leisure facilities can continue. Splash.....


----------



## HackneyE9 (Oct 14, 2006)

Well done  Paulie - Urban splash out on Monday when it opens, anyone?


----------



## lighterthief (Oct 15, 2006)

I'm _there!_


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## lang rabbie (Oct 17, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> Unfortunately Hackney Council are still being extremely cagey about when exactly in October it will open.  One quote attributed to the mayor talked about "this side of Christmas".



There may be signs of glasnost...




			
				LB Hackney website said:
			
		

> London Fields Lido – Hackney’s Urban Beach
> 
> *OPENING END OCTOBER 2006
> WATCH THIS SPACE FOR UPDATES*
> Last updated: 17 Oct 2006


http://www.hackney.gov.uk/c-londonfields-lido

Do you think they'll manage it in time for half term?   Or is stealth swimming already underway exclusively for members of the Hackney nomenklatura.


----------



## gaijingirl (Oct 17, 2006)

Bugger.. thought it was already open.. we'd planned a trip at the weekend..


----------



## TopCat (Oct 18, 2006)

Monday is the opening...


----------



## HackneyE9 (Oct 18, 2006)

Which Monday?


----------



## TopCat (Oct 18, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> Which Monday?




23rd October 2006. I don't know the time.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 18, 2006)

Apparently, they've got David Icke to do the pre-show comedy, the Red Arseholes will be doing their groovy thang in the air beforehand, and then we're all back to the Empire for a luverly knees-up inna propa-auld-war-time-stylee....... my old man, said be a tottenham fan, i said.....


----------



## lang rabbie (Oct 19, 2006)

There are rumours of advance opening for the capital's serious outdoor swimming aficionados...


----------



## haggy (Oct 20, 2006)

the lido will be open from 10 (i think) til 3pm on sunday for test swimming.

it has to close early because - wait for it - the contractors forgot to put any lights in   

they didn't anticipate it opening outside of summer, so it has to close before it gets dark!

can't swim v well m'self but may accompany some friends on sunday to get wet...


----------



## lang rabbie (Oct 20, 2006)

haggy said:
			
		

> it has to close early because - wait for it - the contractors forgot to put any lights in
> 
> they didn't anticipate it opening outside of summer, so it has to close before it gets dark!



Only in Hackney...


----------



## lighterthief (Oct 22, 2006)

*Finally!*

Finally!






It's a  lovely pool to swim in.  Opening 'officially' before the 31st October, or so all the pool staff were saying.


----------



## Treacle Toes (Oct 22, 2006)

is it heated?


----------



## lighterthief (Oct 22, 2006)

Rutita1 said:
			
		

> is it heated?


Yep.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Oct 22, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> Finally!
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Er....simple question. Is it open, or isn't it?


----------



## Divisive Cotton (Oct 22, 2006)

HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> Er....simple question. Is it open, or isn't it?



tis a simple question... and one that I've asked today  

still, I'm sure that it willl be nice once it's _finally _opened!


----------



## lighterthief (Oct 23, 2006)

Nah, the official line is that it will be open to the public by the end of October.  I know school groups have been using it for the last week or so.

When I went on Sunday the only thing that seemed to be missing were keys for the lockers - which would probably be an issue if it was open to the public.


----------



## Onket (Oct 23, 2006)

Looks really nice. Shame I've moved away from the area.


----------



## Sunray (Oct 23, 2006)

Blimy a 50m pool to swim in that is near where I live.

No lights!!!! FFS x 1000 

Will be heading down there when its finally open.  Arn't they going to put a retractable roof on it so it can be used in the winter?  Don't fancy slipping about on ice covered tiles.


----------



## haggy (Oct 24, 2006)

Sunray said:
			
		

> Arn't they going to put a retractable roof on it so it can be used in the winter?  Don't fancy slipping about on ice covered tiles.



it will be closed again in december, i hear, but reopened in the spring sometime.  it will also have to close again sometime next year for them to put the roof on...

i didn't get there on sunday, but friends said it was great, and packed out with excited swimmers.

apart from the lights debacle looks like LBH really do have something to be proud of for once...


----------



## scifisam (Oct 24, 2006)

YES! 

I'll check if it's open tomorrow, and if it is, I'll take the child along.


----------



## Utopia (Oct 25, 2006)

I emailed Hackney yesterday...heres their response....opens mid Nov by the sounds...... 
_______________________________________________________________


Lido FAQs



When does London Fields Lido open? 

The lido is due to open mid November. It will be London’s first ever heated outdoor 50m pool. 



What are the opening hours? 

When it opens lane swimming will be available from 8.30am to 9.30am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. General swimming will run from 10am to 4pm every day of the week. These timings will change though as they are determined by the sunrise/sunset times throughout the winter. GLL can confirm the timings which will also be available from the London Fields Lido when it opens. 



How much does it cost for a swim? 

There’s a winter discount so non-members can swim for £3 for an adult and £1.80 for juniors. See www.gll.co.uk for more details. 



What about storage? Are there any lockers and how much are they? 

Bags aren’t allowed in the activity areas and shouldn’t be left unattended either. Lockers are available. Personal belongings are left at your own risk. The cost of a locker is 20p which is non-returnable. 



Where is the Lido in London Fields Park? 

The lido is in the north-west corner of London Fields Park in the heart of Hackney. The entrance is just off London Fields West Side. 



Is it going to be open all year? 

That hasn’t been decided yet. The lido will be open for an initial taster period until December 17 and then together with GLL, who run our leisure centres, we will review opening during the spring. GLL have published a programme of timings and you can find out more details by visiting www.gll.org or by calling 020 8985 2158. 



Why has the Lido been delayed? 

The builders working on the site discovered large quantities of asbestos during the refurbishment which was unexpected. This was safely removed, but of course these works extended the programme. Along with the very poor state of some of the old buildings we have refurbished, it has led to the delay in opening the Lido. 





Kind Regards,





Eddy Baptiste

Hackney Service Centre - Parking Services / Abandoned Veichles

Tel: 020 8356 3000 (General Information & Enquires)

Tel: 020 8356 7245 (Abandoned Veichles Team)

Fax: 020 8356 2080

Email: Eddy.Baptiste@hackney.gov.uk

Web: www.hackney.gov.uk


----------



## lighterthief (Oct 25, 2006)

Utopia said:
			
		

> The lido is due to open mid November.


Good grief


----------



## Utopia (Oct 25, 2006)

Update!.....so tomorrow then!!  


Following my earlier e-mail, the below e-mail was just circulated internal here at hackney and thought it may be of interest for you.



Eddy

London’s only 50m outdoor heated pool is opening tomorrow at 8am.

The water in the pool is a tempting 25°C during the autumn, making it a great place to get in shape this autumn. 

Opening hours are 8am-5pm on weekdays and 10am-5pm on weekends. At £3 a swim for non-members, it’s excellent value. 

So go on, take the plunge!


----------



## scifisam (Oct 25, 2006)

It's really not clear if it's open or not, is it? Think I'll try that phone number tomorrow, on the off-chance that it is open and they can tell me so.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Oct 25, 2006)

"The lido is due to open mid November."

They're really full of shit at Hackney Council, aren't they? The pool may well eventually open "mid November" - but it's never been "due to". But that's probably a distinction lost on those lying  muppets.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Oct 25, 2006)

PS - apologies for ignorance, normally I buy it every week, but has the Hackney Gazette been doing anything about this shambles?


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 25, 2006)

Nah, too busy reporting the usual round-up of murders, muggings and mayhem in e8 and environs, prob


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Oct 25, 2006)

Last report on 10.10.06, with Gazette reporting that HC insisting lido will be open in, um, October


----------



## lang rabbie (Oct 25, 2006)

The front page of Hackney Council's website' news section ("last updated: 23 October") now has a picture of people in  the Lido and says...



> Hackney is a Great Place to Live!
> 
> Hackney’s elected Mayor Jules Pipe has hit back at a Channel 4 show (Best and Worst Places to Live 2006) due to be broadcast next week that claims the borough is the worst place in Britain to live.
> 
> ...


----------



## Divisive Cotton (Oct 25, 2006)

Come on lido!

How much is it to get in though?


----------



## TopCat (Oct 26, 2006)

it's open to the public peeps, going to swim tomorrow lunchtime.


----------



## alsoknownas (Oct 27, 2006)

Apparent confirmation here:

http://www.hackney.gov.uk/c-londonfields-lido


----------



## gaijingirl (Oct 29, 2006)

I have just had the most amazing day ever!!!  Started off cycling up to Finsbury Park for a class in the morning.  But afterwards....

Went for a swim in the London Fields lido and it was really lovely.  It doesn't have quite the charm of Brockwell (IMHO).. but that's because it's all shiny and new - v. clean I thought.  Pros - it was relatively cheap, good big lockers, nice showers, clean changing rooms, not too hot.  Cons, tiny changing room, lockers are the type that keep your 20p at the end (pet peeve), it was a bit crowded and the two lanes were very narrow.  Chatted to quite a few people up there and many (that I chatted to) had come up from South London just to swim there.

So it Hackney can do it.. why can't Lambeth???  I would absolutely KILL for a year round lido!! 

Then.. crowned the day by cycling back along national cycle route no.1 through Broadway market and down the canal all the way to the Isle of Dogs, under Greenwich footbridge and home through New Cross/Peckham.  The canal bit of the ride skirted Victoria Park and Hackney Marshes and was, frankly, breathtakingly beautiful!  Just stunning. 


The good news is I have to be in Finsbury Park every Sunday morning for the forseeable future, so this will be a weekly thing (at least until Dec 17 when the lido closes again!)


----------



## Tricky Skills (Oct 30, 2006)

I too made the pilgrimage from South to North on Sunday. VERY impressed with London Fields. It's not quite the same art deco experience of Brockwell or Tooting, but times move on.

I've posted some pics up over HERE.


----------



## Utopia (Oct 30, 2006)

I went on Sat, its lovely, a little chilly when you get out of the water but the poolside hot showers certainly help, I got in trouble for diving though!, your NOT ALLOWED TO DIVE!.
Got changed next to a chap from Grange Hill(circa 1986...can't remember his name), accidently saw his dinkle in the changing rooms too!  

I'll be there once a week I reckon!


----------



## lighterthief (Oct 31, 2006)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> The canal bit of the ride skirted Victoria Park and Hackney Marshes and was, frankly, breathtakingly beautiful!  Just stunning.


That was probably Mile End park you went by after Victoria Park - Hackney Marshes are quite a way to the north along the Lee River.  Did you take the Green Bridge over Mile End Road?


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## haggy (Oct 31, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> That was probably Mile End park you went by after Victoria Park - Hackney Marshes are quite a way to the north along the Lee River.  Did you take the Green Bridge over Mile End Road?



i was gonna point that out but it seemed a tad pedantic


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## lighterthief (Oct 31, 2006)




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## gaijingirl (Oct 31, 2006)

lighterthief said:
			
		

> That was probably Mile End park you went by after Victoria Park - Hackney Marshes are quite a way to the north along the Lee River.  Did you take the Green Bridge over Mile End Road?




Hmm.. not sure about the bridge thing... I was wondering if I was right about Hackney Marshes...... so thanks for that.... it's really an incredibly green area - I was surprised.  I don't know the Hackney area at all and was really impressed.


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## lighterthief (Oct 31, 2006)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> Hmm.. not sure about the bridge thing... I was wondering if I was right about Hackney Marshes...... so thanks for that.... it's really an incredibly green area - I was surprised.  I don't know the Hackney area at all and was really impressed.


I think I'm right in saying that Hackney has the second highest percentage of green space of all London Boroughs, barring Westminster.

If you're ever coming up this way again, instead of continuing along the canal to Broadway Market you can turn off and take the Lea River north - there's a beautiful route hugging the river all the way to Waltham Abbey, 99% off road.

That _will_ take you through Hackney Marshes, and Walthamstow Marshes, and Gunpowder Park...and from Waltham Abbey I'm sure it would be fairly easy to strike out into the Essex countryside.


ETA: Green Bridge


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## gaijingirl (Oct 31, 2006)

ooh.... thanks for that!  I will be going to London Fields every Sunday for a swim.. but I'd really like to try that route you suggested some other time - maybe next Sunday.. we like to take our tent with us/stay in bunkhouses or hostels for weekend cycles and that seems like it could be a great one.  Thanks! 

The green bridge doesn't look familiar to me tbh.... I cycled from London Fields southeast along the canal all the way to the Isle of Dogs pretty much.. not to say I didn't go past there... I'll pay more attention next week.


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## Tricky Skills (Oct 31, 2006)

I had a similar weekend experience to gaijingirl   cycling South up to London Fields. Hackney isn't really me patch either, but I was pleasently surprised during my short visit.

My route didn't take me over the Green Bridge, but I have been there before as part of the day job 

There's a wonderful eco park around the bridge, with a fantastic education centre sunk below the park.

That's enough of my praise for North London for this year.


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## lighterthief (Nov 1, 2006)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> The green bridge doesn't look familiar to me tbh.... I cycled from London Fields southeast along the canal all the way to the Isle of Dogs pretty much.. not to say I didn't go past there... I'll pay more attention next week.


No, you're right - it's quicker to go straight up the canal.  Still, the green bridge is nice if you fancy a (minor) dog's leg through the park.


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## lighterthief (Nov 1, 2006)

Just got this email:

*NEW TIMES by popular demand*

Starting from Wednesday 1 November London Fields Lido will open longer. For the next two weeks the opening hours at the lido will be MON to FRI: 7am to 4.30pm and SAT and SUN: 8am to 4.30pm. Adult lane swimming will be available from 7am to 9.30am from Monday to Friday with general swimming on offer at all other times. Two swim lanes will be available at all times on weekdays.


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