Videos of seven goslings waddling into Brockwell Lido to have a dip have proved a hit on Twitter, but the post has resulted in many of the pool users taking a swipe at what they see as a flawed booking system.
Many of the viewers commented that the baby geese are the only “children” allowed to walk in and swim.
The family of Egyptian geese were spotted waddling into the lido in Herne Hill, before going for a dip in the water.
Now, people who use the pool are jesting that these seven goslings are “the only children allowed to swim” – as they criticise the booking system for ‘working against families.’
A spokesperson from Brockwell Lido Users Group – which has been representing the pool users since 2001 – told us: “Before the pandemic, there was no booking system. Adults could turn up with children and swim if the water was above 16 degrees.”
“Older children could turn up independently and swim. This was what a community pool is supposed to be.”
The trick to bring your kids swimming is just walk in and style it out. pic.twitter.com/RxI49Z1QlZ
— Brockwell Lido Users (@BrockwellLido) July 6, 2023
After the pandemic, Fusion, who lease the site from Lambeth Council, added a new booking system, but have maintained “customers are still welcome to turn up and pay.”
In order to book a swim, each user has to be registered – which means only adults can book.
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“Parents can book for children to swim at the same time as them but only for designated sessions called ‘family swims’, which sell out quickly and are heavily oversubscribed,” the spokesperson from Brockwell Lido Users Group said.
“We have told them for over two years that the system in its current format actively works against families and children. Because pay-as-you-go users cannot get a refund on booked tickets it also works against casual and low-income users who will only book on the day when they see the weather is nice. By that point, the lido is sold out.”
This is not the first time the operators have been criticised, last month, residents reported issues around hygiene at the lido.
Brockwell Lido users hit out at dirty floors and broken showers
On whether they have received any response so far, the spokesperson for the users group said: “We are having ongoing meetings with Fusion but this has been going on for some time with no resolution.”
We approached Fusion for comment and a spokesperson told us: “We’ve invested £50k in maintenance and improvements that customers will already be experiencing, with further, significant investment underway.
“Family swims form a large part of our offering, concentrated around morning, lunch and afternoon slots.
“Along with many Lidos, we now allow customers to book ahead, this has proved popular with customers because it offers certainty, and prior to this 4-hour queues were common.
“We’d add that customers are still welcome to turn up and pay.
“We share the frustration where delays have been experienced, as a result of global supply chain issues, and we are working hard to minimise the disruption at a busy time.”
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