Hilsea Lido has new displays revealing the ‘fantastic’ history of the outdoor pool as historian calls it the ‘jewel in the crown’ for Portsmouth
BRIGHT new displays revealing the history of Hilsea Lido have been unveiled at the outdoor pool.
Photographs, news clippings, and memories are displayed on the lido walls to show people the pool’s glamorous and exciting history.
The displays were created by local historian John Sadden, who is the archivist at Portsmouth Grammar School.
He said: ‘When I was asked to contribute a display, I did the research and designed the banners.
‘It’s been wonderful - I’ve learned so much about the lido and the history of it is fascinating.
‘The lido is the school’s neighbour, our sports ground is next door, and it features in many former pupils’ memories.
‘It’s got a fantastic history over the years. Hilsea Lido brought some glamour to the area - all the attractions tend to be in the south area, so this was for us in the north of the city.
‘Huge numbers of people went to the lido - it had 100,000 bathers in the 1955 summer season, and people went to watch as well. It generated income for the council.
‘The lido was a real draw in Portsmouth and many local people have memories of it - glamorous bathers throughout the 40s, 50s and 60s featured regularly in the news.
‘It’s a jewel in the crown for the city.’
The display project is part of a wider collaboration between Portsmouth Grammar School and the lido.
Julie Jackson, assistant head at the school, said: ‘I’m delighted with the project - we’ve got a close link with the Hilsea Lido physically and in terms of heritage.
‘It’s great that we’ve been able to look at the history. John is immensely knowledgeable about the Portsmouth area. Looking forward, we’ll be delighted to work with them further.’
The six panels were intended to go up last year to mark the pool’s 85th anniversary, but were delayed due to the pandemic.
Helen Downing-Emms, vice chair of Hilsea Lido, said: ‘The displays are really eyecatcing, it’s got information on there we weren’t aware of.
‘We’ve got a huge archive of stuff people has given us over the years, but John’s found even more.
‘It tells a really good story about the history of the old Hilsea Lido.
‘It shows what great passion and what great memories people have of Hilsea Lido.’