Save Ladywell Pool: media

The great press review

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 12:35:11 GMT

The diary page of today's Guardian reports to the nation on some hilarious spin offs and follow ups to the end of our campaign that have entertained Lewisham in the past few weeks.

When, last May, Labour's control of Lewisham council ended after 35 years, it was widely assumed that the slump in support for Mr Tony's men was due in no small part to a bitter battle over the fate of the popular Ladywell baths, which Labour mayor Steve Bullock was hellbent on demolishing to make way for a new school, and residents were determined to keep. Despite swearing that he would "not be changing his mind", Cllr Bullock last month did, announcing that the pool would stay open, the school would be built elsewhere, and that this was, of course, "the result I was always striving for". The Save Ladywell Pool Campaign, he added magnanimously, was "a great example of how local people can get their views heard". Oddly, the mayor told Time Out that the campaign, led by "a very small group of backward-looking people", was "pathetic". Presumably to put an end to all this confusion, the front page of Lewisham Labour Action now proudly proclaims: "Mayor Saves Ladywell Pool." Fancy that!

Here's a link to the tactfully entitled "Mayor Saves Ladywell Pool" Labour Party leaflet and here instead you can read the News Shopper article clarifying what particular manoeuvre of the Mayor did it.

Here's instead a link to the article on the Time Out magazine published on the same day of the decision to keep Ladywell Pool open where the Mayor declared that the campaign is erm...pathetic.

We finish this press review with a picture of a group of campaigners on the front page of the Mercury with the wonderful title "it's job done".

Wikipedia updates on Bullock!

Mon, 15 May 2006 09:33:51 GMT

...After an undistinguished first term, including some distinctly undemocratic decisions in the case of for example Ladywell Pool, he was surprisingly re-elected in 2006.

Search for Steve Bullock on the Wikipedia, the collaborative online encyclopedia and you'll get a short article ending with the above paragraph.

Take a look now, it may not last for long>

BBC Radio 4 on Lewisham elections...and Ladywell Pool

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 23:43:38 GMT

Last night, Monday 24th April 2006, at 10 pm the popular BBC Radio 4 program 'The World tonight' broadcast a 6:58 minute feature on Lewisham and the likelihood of a new Mayor in Lewisham.

Listen to the recording of the program here.

The feature on Lewisham starts after 19:30 minutes>

Lewisham Pools in the Private Eye

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 00:26:47 GMT

The current issue of Private Eye, available since yesterday at every respectable newsagent, has a splendid feature on the swimming pools crisis and speaks quite a lot of Lewisham.

The 'Nooks and Corner' column examines in detail the events surrounding Forest Hill Pools and the unacceptable neglect that forced its recent closure after an Health and Safety inspector found decayed wood in the truss holding the glass roof above the pool in spite of works done to it in 1999.

After Forest Hill the Eye goes on to give an overview of the trouble with swimming in England touching on some of the biggest disasters, like the Clissold Leisure Centre in Hackney before returning to Lewisham and mentioning Ladywell Pool to explain why pools are "not safe in the borough council's hands".

If you want to read the full article you will have to buy the Private Eye (£1.40).

You'll also be able to read what the current issue of Private Eye writes about Bridget Prentice MP.

In the meantime you can read what the Private Eye wrote about her in the previous issue.

The Politics Show

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 13:35:28 GMT

"1 in 5 children reach secondary school, age 11, without being able to swim 1 single length.
In one borough in London it's reported to be 6 out of 10.That's a disgrace!"
Duncan Goodhew at the Politics Show on BBC1, Sunday 2nd April

Guess which one is the London Borough where 6 out of 10 children can't swim by the time they reach secondary school.
You're right, it's Lewisham!

After Duncan Goodhew's excellent piece the Politic Show hosted a debate between campaign secretary Max Calo', there to represent the London Pools Campaign, and Matt Delaney, Head of the London Region of Sports England.

It'll be available for the rest of the week for online viewing from this link>

The Swiss Cottage pool non-option

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 00:22:30 GMT

Ham & High - Camden News - Back in the swim at Swiss:
...The 25-metre competition-length pool is smaller than the original 33-yard metre pool.

Last month the council announced its £175 swim cards will no longer be available from April 1.

The cheapest membership deal will instead be the £480 Wellness scheme...
Via: Ham & High

This week, north of the river, the new Swiss Cottage Pool opens its doors to the public and where once stood an airy and spacious swimming pool and sports centre now stands a mixed development.
A library, a theatre, a small swimming pool and 169 flats.

This is remarkably similar to what Lewisham Council plans to build as part of the redevelopment of the Town Centre and what our outgoing Mayor is trying to sell us as a good reason to give up on Ladywell.

In Swiss Cottage there used to be a 33 mt pool and a larger teaching pool.
Now there is a smaller teaching pool and a 25 mt. pool.
This is exactly what Lewisham Council plans to build to replace Ladywell!

With this new sports centre at Swiss Cottage, Camden Council even plans to make a profit on its leisure provision.

The Ham and High also tells us that:

...Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), which took over the contract to manage Camden's leisure centres last April, will split profits beyond a target level with the council...

What is this? Racketeering?
What looks remarkably like a private sports centre with fees in line with the private sector has to split its profits with the local authority.

...Ben Dixon from GLL said: "Gym machines are very popular. It is no secret that the gym helps us subsidise the rest of the costs of the centre.

"This does help us offset offering our other facilities cheaply for community use."

Less swimming pool, more gym machines.

The people of Camden now have a smaller facility that cannot cater for the community and there isn't any need to keep it affordable because it's so small that there will always be enough well off people willing to pay good money to use it.

This is exactly the same clever scheme that Lewisham Council's eggheads came up with in 1999 and they are still trying to implement it.

In Camden this is now a reality.

We must not allow this to happen here>

Candidates pledge pool support

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 00:13:31 GMT

The News Shopper | Features and Special Reports | Candidates pledge pool support:
Lewisham mayoral candidates are pledging their support to the Save Ladywell Pool campaign.
Reporter SAMANTHA PAYNE spoke to them about their plans for the pool if they win the elections...

The News Shopper reports on the real chance that the people of Lewisham has to keep the Ladywell Leisure Centre open.

Whatever your political idea, you can vote for a candidate that will keep the pool open.

Thoroughly Good on Ladywell Pool

Sun, 26 Feb 2006 10:01:45 GMT

There's a new radio station in Lewisham.

Focusing on local issues Catford resident Jon Jacob produces his own radio program and makes it available as a podcast to the world on his website Thoroughly Good Radio.

We discovered it after reading about it on the News Shopper and found it compelling listening - as all good local things we gave it a permanent link on our website.

This week's Thoroughly Good feature is all about the Save Ladywell Pool Campaign.

Jon interviews campaign secretary Max Calo' as well as London Pools Campaign coordinator Liz Hughes and Mary Paul for the New School Campaign.

He also tries to speak to somebody at Lewisham Council...

Click on the link, sit back and listen to this 32 minutes long feature>

What is he up to?

Tue, 21 Feb 2006 08:49:52 GMT

This week BBC is promoting its BBC Action Network service and focuses on local campaigns.

As part of the BBC Action Network week, Save Ladywell Pool campaign secretary Max Calo', keeps a diary of a week in the life of a campaigner and there's no doubt that he needs all the help that he can get.

This week you can help him deliver some of the 20,000 leaflets and consultation questionnaires asking Lewisham residents their opinion on the closure of the pool.

Take a look at Max's life here>

Rolf on water

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 12:28:46 GMT

"Every day in February, the BBC website Magazine is featuring a classic public information film from the past 60 years, concluding with a vote to find the nation's favourite.

Today's film is unusual among those we will be featuring in this series. No special effects, no animation, no hard sell, no comedy - it's just Rolf Harris, in a swimming pool, being the voice of commonsense" [LINK]

(Via BBC NEWS | Magazine | Water works: .)