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Liverpool could still get HUGE outdoor swimming pool – but in a new location

Sep 16, 2017

Liverpool could still get HUGE outdoor swimming pool – but in a new location

The Liverpool Echo reports: A plan to create a stunning outdoor city swimming pool could still go ahead – despite Liverpool missing out on the Commonwealth Games. But the public facility may not be built in the city centre docks as was previously suggested. As part of the city’s ambitious bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games, plans were put forward to create a huge 5,000-seat swimming arena in one of the docks near the Albert Dock. The idea was that the pool and surroundin

The Combination of Sunscreen, Chlorine and UV Causes Cancer and Infertility

Jul 1, 2017

The Combination of Sunscreen, Chlorine and UV Causes Cancer and Infertility

The Mail online reports: Don’t go swimming while wearing sunscreen – unless you want cancer. A compound used in the protective lotions turns toxic when it reacts with chlorine and ultraviolet rays, researchers found. Avobenzone is considered the most popular sun-blocker in the world due to its ability to absorb sunlight at different wave lengths – preventing skin damage. But Russian scientists suggest the UV-filtering compound forms cancer-causing toxins when exposed to a mix

Virtual Reality used to Battle Children’s Fear of Water

The Joy of Swimming in Lido’s…

Jun 27, 2016

The Joy of Swimming in Lido’s…

Jenny Landreth of the Telegraph reports: The joy of swimming in lidos – and what they tell us about ourselves. There are people for whom the notion of a lido …is not appealing at all. Some people would only consider dipping their toe into an outdoor pool on a Mediterranean summer holiday where the temperatures barely drop below 30 degrees. Some of course would prefer not to share with anyone outside immediate family. Some swimmers need a roof. And for ‘wild’ swimmers, lidos

Expert panel to explore the health benefits of swimming

May 23, 2016

Expert panel to explore the health benefits of swimming

The ASA reports: A new group has been set up to investigate the links between swimming and health, and demonstrate just how good swimming is for you. The Health Commission for Swimming is an independent group made up of experts from across the health and physical activity sectors. Set up as a response to Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation, the group will explore current research around health and swimming, and provide evidence on how swimming positively impa

Is this Swimming?

Oct 30, 2015

Is this Swimming?

Of course it is. Swimming lessons, swimming galas and leisure swimming all take place at the swimming pool. We might like to take a dip at the seaside, but to be honest, for most people, the indoor swimming pool is as good as swimming is ever likely to get. The fearful thought of swimming beyond the confines of the indoor pool is a legacy bestowed on a nation indoctrinated by teachings that pool swimming is safe and that open water swimming is foolhardy and dangerous. The rou

Toxic Swimming Pools?

Jul 25, 2015

Toxic Swimming Pools?

The Mail Online reports on the problems facing swimmers who regularly swim in chlorinated water: Chlorine has been widely used to disinfect our water supply in the UK and most other developed countries for more than 100 years. Chemical analyst and forensic toxicologist Dr Nitin Seetohul, of Nottingham Trent University, says: ‘When added to water, chlorine is incredibly efficient at destroying a broad spectrum of dangerous water-borne bacteria and viruses, to the extent that i

A Floating Swimming Pool in the Heart of Historic Leicester?

Apr 27, 2015

A Floating Swimming Pool in the Heart of Historic Leicester?

The Leicester Mercury reports: More than 80 firms submitted proposals to transform Soar Island as part of a competition being run by Leicester City Council and Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The two-acre Soar Island is in the centre of the city’s rundown waterside area, the subject of a 15-year, £26 million regeneration plan. It lies in a highly visible location, where the river and the Grand Union Canal meet. Sarah Wigglesworth Architects’ design is inspired b

What are YOU swimming in?

Jan 8, 2015

What are YOU swimming in?

The Mail Online reports: Scientists find insect repellent, caffeine and flame retardant chemicals in public pools. Researchers collected water from pools in Indiana and Georgia Chlorine is designed to keep swimming pools clear of certain bacteria But it also reacts with pharmaceuticals to create harmful by-products Tests revealed traces of insect repellent, caffeine and flame retardants It is though these chemicals originated from everyday pharmaceuticals and personal care pr

Urban beach gets go ahead in Dún Laoghaire – Ireland

Dec 2, 2014

Urban beach gets go ahead in Dún Laoghaire – Ireland

“A €2.5 million “urban beach” and outdoor swimming pool at Dún Laoghaire harbor has received planning permission. “A €2.5 million “urban beach” and outdoor swimming pool at Dún Laoghaire harbour has received planning permission . Almost a year after the plan was lodged by Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council approved it for development. The council and the harbour company are to jointly fund the project. It includes an artificial beach and cafe

Could Health and Safety be Drowning Us by Accident?

Nov 14, 2014

Could Health and Safety be Drowning Us by Accident?

Certainly not the idea, the Health and safety ethos protects us from many unnecessary risks; it has saved lives and prevented countless accidents. But is it working in the swimming environment? In many ways yes, thinking about potential risks and finding ways to negate them makes organised swims safer and builds confidence in those who allow swimmers to take to their waterways. It’s doesn’t work when risks are perceived incorrectly. The Royal Life Saving Society is commendabl

From Lifesaving Education to none at all!

Nov 6, 2014

From Lifesaving Education to none at all!

Outdoor swimming is something of a culture shock to many of the British population. We as a nation have become so used to swimming indoors, so indoctrinated by our health and safety culture that the sight of liberated swimmers escaping to the wild seems inherently worrying to many. For decades, a clear warning has been sounded to stay out of open water and to swim only at the indoor pool. But prior to this modern development, the freedom to swim outside was seen as everyone’s

The Evolution of British Swimming

Oct 24, 2014

The Evolution of British Swimming

From a modern perspective, swimming was a very British sport. After years or religious and superstitious suppression it was in Britain that swimming reemerged as an acceptable, desirable pastime. With the birth of the industrial revolution social changes forced swimmers away from their birthright, out of rivers and lakes and into man-made enclosures. No Swimming at Sparth Even so swimmers were allowed a great deal of freedom indoors, but even these freedoms have now been erod

How to Swim in a River that’s Just TOO DIRTY to Swim in!

Oct 2, 2014

How to Swim in a River that’s Just TOO DIRTY to Swim in!

In times gone by, people would swim almost anywhere giving little consideration to the quality of the waters they swam in. This was true at the seaside, in rivers and lakes and even at swimming pools. Ignorance was bliss, well, that is until you took ill and cursed the day you went in swimming. Our modern-day awareness of environmental issues has put many off swimming in city rivers. Even when waters are clean enough to swim suspicions about the dangers of what may lurk in th

The First of a Kind – A New Public Swimming Pool for the UK – Kings Cross – London

Sep 25, 2014

The First of a Kind – A New Public Swimming Pool for the UK – Kings Cross – London

Our Sceptered Isles unique culture is standing in the way of the free swimming movement. Across Europe and throughout America, outdoor swimming is a given during the summer months, but not so in good old Blighty. Outdoor swimmers, wild swimmers, whatever they prefer to be called are increasingly frustrated at the swimming restrictions imposed upon them. True the risk of unsupervised outdoor swimming is greater than swimming under the watchful gaze of lifeguards at an indoor p

Baines des Paquis – Inspiration for the Thames Baths Project

Sep 19, 2014

Baines des Paquis – Inspiration for the Thames Baths Project

Geneva City of Peace The first thing that strikes you as a swimmer in Geneva is the colour and clarity of the water. Then their is Jet d’Eau the city’s most famous landmark. Water is celebrated in Switzerland and the freedom to swim and have fun is a national institution. Their are so many places to swim on lake Geneva and in its rivers that I have given up hope of compiling an exhaustive list. Often bathing sites are not signposted so you have to keep your eyes open. Look ou

Basel Switzerland – River Swimming like nowhere else!

Aug 21, 2014

Basel Switzerland – River Swimming like nowhere else!

Basel City of Culture Basel is a remarkable city from a swimmers perspective. The local police have produced the following advice leaflet for swimmers! You can buy a large waterproof swim bag for about £20.00 and join the city swimmers. Wickelfisch bags Basel Switzerland You can tell were not in England can’t you! You will never forget swimming in Basel, its so like the London Thames. See the video for more information… #WaterSports #swimming #river #SwimmingandDiving #Openwa

Wild Swimming in Bern – the Capital City of Switzerland

Aug 18, 2014

Wild Swimming in Bern – the Capital City of Switzerland

Nestled beneath the Capitol Building you will find a swimmers paradise. A Lido free for all to use with diving boards, children’s pools, play areas, sunbathing and cafe’ facility’s. But outdoor swimmers will be tempted by the city’s special attraction; swimming in the Aare. Of course you must be a good swimmer if you want to go river swimming. Try short swims to begin with paying special attention to how experienced swimmers both enter and exit the water and then copy their m

The Oldest Open Air Swimming Pool will Open Again!

Aug 15, 2014

The Oldest Open Air Swimming Pool will Open Again!

Western Daily Press reports: “The oldest surviving open-air swimming baths in the UK, in Bath, are set to be fully restored and reopened to the public. The Grade II listed Cleveland Pools – a 200-year-old Georgian lido – has secured funding of £4.1 million, including a development grant of £366,200, from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The restoration project, run by community group The Cleveland Pools Trust, will conserve the Georgian features and upgrade the facilities to allow

Is river and lake swimming really as dangerous as some would have us believe?