The Artful Toddler

Everyone had a lovely busy day saturday. Glorious sunshine, swimming, music and crafting...making cd sun catchers, playing with playdough, stencilling, colouring activitites and drawing.

Friends of Aldershot Lido (FOAL) is a campaigning group, which is dedicated to conserving, supporting, promoting and enjoying Aldershot Lido outdoor pool and grounds, we have spent years doing this after fighting against previous plans for its closure.

THE OPEN DAY IS 27TH MAY 2023 where once again i will be providing the free community arts and crafts.

Why not have some fun leading up to the event and join in the poster competition to win a season ticket for the Lido?

The theme is “Summer fun at the lido”. Felt tip pens show up best on posters, but coloured pencils can be used if preferred.
Entries on A4 paper to be sent to 48a Highfield Avenue, Aldershot GU11 3DA. If you would like someone to collect your entries, please call 07761 768 754.
Closing date Monday May 22nd 2023.

Prizes will be presented to the winners by the Mayor of Aldershot at the lido on the opening day of the new season, Saturday 27th May 2023.
2 winners will receive a 2023 season ticket for the lido. Every entrant will receive a free day ticket for the opening day 27th May 2023.
A selection of 20 of the best posters will be laminated and put on display at the lido and afterwards in Aldershot library.

Aldershot lido has been much loved for family days out for over 90 years. We want to ensure its future and publicising it as widely as possible is the best way to do this. With a paddling pool for younger children, a vast swimming area and 3 water slides as well as large areas of grass and trees, there is room for everyone!

Bring your inflatables and a picnic. You can also buy food from the lido café. Best of all it’s a very affordable day out!

Send a message to learn more

History of Aldershot Lido
A personal take from Keith Bean – Historic Aldershot Military Town
When I first started looking into the history of The Lido, I had no idea that the journey would take me back nearly a 1000 years. Let’s be honest, how many in the room WOULD think that…..? But if you knew that……Would you also know that the story would involve two kings…., a Queen…., the Olympic Games,….and a crystal bowl full of Goldfish……? The land where the lido sits forms part of Aldershot Park…., I can trace the Park back as far as 1154;…..when a new hunting lodge was proposed for the coronation of King Henry II…….The park was constructed as a venue for hunting, then known as “the sport of Kings”………..There was to be built a mansion for the entertainment of the hunt……Aldershot had found itself….and I quote….. A “Pretentious”….. almost castle like structure, complete with Moat! There was a portcullis, loophole towers, drawbridges and a gamekeepers lodge. King John is said to have stayed here on the night before the signing of the Magna Carta. Elisabeth I is also said to have been a visitor. One of Aldershot’s greatest families, the Tichborne’s, lived here for many generations. By the early 1800’s though….. it had become dilapidated and run down…., so much so that it was pulled down in the 1830’s by Charles Barron, who built a Georgian style mansion on the grounds. The site of the Lido was originally a lake, which was situated close to the house that Charles built in 1842. The lake is fed by an underground spring, this spring had supplied fresh drinking water since around 1200………The Council purchased the estate in 1920 for £21,000…… The lake, which had deteriorated since the 1880s, and had been described as a “fine sheet of water” – had become overgrown with weeds, the banks had crumbled…… and it was overhung with trees. The Borough Council decided to convert it into a bathing pool and this was one of the council’s major improvement projects of the 1920s. So we all know what happens next then…..The Council knocked down a fine landmark in Aldershot, and set the precedent for the next 60 odd years…..The Hippodrome, The outdoor Market, that sort of thing……But I digress…. Back to the Lido, …….the lake was drained, considerable excavations were made, and the pool connected with the necessary filtering plant, dressing rooms and other amenities, including lawns and terraces around the pool, at a cost of nearly £6,300….. In 1948 Aldershot helped host the Olympic Games. In fact, Aldershot Lido hosted three of the five events in the modern pentathlon . The swimming was held at Aldershot Lido, Maida Gymnasium hosted the fencing, and the cross-country
equestrian event was held at Tweseldown. In fact, all of the Olympic equestrian events, were held at Aldershot. The pentathlon event was won by a Swedish army Captain. The Aldershot Lido was reputed to be “the largest and finest open-air bathing pool in the country”. And opened in the spring of 1930, it contained one and a half million gallons of water and covered some 10 acres of leisure area, with one acre being underwater. OPENING Printed on Wednesday 28th May 1930 The Lido Officially opened on Saturday 24 May 1930, so now 85 years old this year it was quite a star studded event, with many of our, and Europe’s, leading swimmers in attendance….The Royal Artillery Mounted Band provided the music. Quote Aldershot News; “There is every prospect of Aldershot becoming prominent in the near future as a great swimming Centre, capable of providing the county association with an abundance of talent. whatever has been accomplished in the past has been due to the efforts of the army swimming Association, but with the march of years and the public demand for swimming facilities, the Aldershot Borough Council has realised the necessity of a public bath.” “The result of their enterprise was revealed on Saturday 24th, with a gigantic bathing pool of an open-air type was officially opened by the mayor and Mayoress, in the presence of a large gathering of people” Throughout the course of the day, as the band played, various aquatic sports took place in the shape of exhibitions and contests. To quote the Aldershot News at the time; “to commemorate the occasion the southern counties amateur swimming Association, in conjunction with the Hampshire and army associations, provided an interesting display of swimming, diving and water polo. Edward Harry Temme, of channel swimming fame, gave an exhibition swim, whilst members of the amateur diving association, including Miss Belle White, the champion of Europe, gave a display of high and fancy diving.” *Mr Temme was 22 when he became the first man to swim the English Channel both ways in 1927. He was also in the British Olympic water polo team of 1928 and 1936. …..the shape of the pool was to cater for many watersport activities. The diving platforms were of Olympic standard, 4 in total, with the highest being 5 metres. The straight length of the pool, 55 metres, with a depth of six feet, provided a full sized water polo pitch. The opening ceremony was conducted by the mayor, Councillor Edwards, and at his request the Mayoress introduced the first swimmers into the pool…….by emptying a crystal bowl of Goldfish into the water……. quote “A particularly charming act to inaugurate the latest amenity to the borough'”……… although that’s probably not what the Goldfish were thinking….. Lastly I’d like to leave you with the words of Mr H E Fern, secretary of Aldershot amateur swimming association; “Swimming is an unequalled physical exercise, and is within the means of everyone. Suitable for both sexes of all ages, and has not to be given up at middle age. I hope you will regard it as your duty to take up this wonderful and exhilarating exercise, and to see that your children do the same.”‘

Some of yesterdays fantastic collage creations, for the Jubilee celebtations enjoyed by all and proudly taken home. Children also coloured union jacks to make flags.
One Dad even did a fantastic tropical colour themed union jack while encouraging their shy little one to have a go and join in the fun.
As always i get covered in glitter one way or another and sparkle all the way home, like a fairy that had a fight with the magic dust.

Crafts underway ...

Guess who's doing the free arts and crafts again for another year, come say Hello.

Aldershot Lido 🌊Opens this weekend 🎉 Saturday 28th May 10am-6pm😎 live music🎶arts and crafts & free kayak sessions
Bring a picnic just like being at the beach ⛱
Have you booked your ticket yet? Save money & beat the queue's by booking in advance online 👉

Aldershot Lido | Aldershot – Places Leisure The largest open air pool in the area, with slides, paddling area and picnic area.

First event complete.. Annual community event done, Keep eyes out for further events over the summer.

Sorry everyone, this has not been a good start with one thing and another going wrong, hopefully once community events are safe to start up again i will assess the situation and look at starting groups. I had set up plans joining businesses and hall hires but then covid hit. I hay make some christmas kits etc to do at home. Will post nearer time busy working on xmas eve boxes at present to sell. Will lets you know soon. Stay safe and keep.well. x

https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/communitychildrenscrafts/?invite=P3H1JU&referral-campaign=c2s

Community children's crafts Fundraising Ideas | easyfundraising.org.uk

HI ALL, HAD TECH ISSUES AND HOPING TO POST SOME DATES FOR SUMMER SESSIONS SOON....

Keep checking the page for dates to be confirmed and released soon...