On The Cover Meet The Fabulous Lido Ladies!
Best friends Jessica and Nicola want you to take a dip in your local lido!
Whenever something has happened in my life I always head to the water as I find it very calming” says Jessica.
Friends Jessica and Nicola swam throughout their childhoods, but life got in the way and as the years went by the two swam less and less. It wasn’t until tragedy struck Jessica that she decided to return to the pool.
“Something catastrophic happened in my personal life and I had to swim every morning. Once I’d done my swim I was able to have a productive day, to be the person I needed to be for everyone around me.”
Brockwell Lido in South London became Jessica’s sanctuary, and began her passion for lidos. “Outdoor lido swimming is different to normal swimming and I fell in love with it.”
Soon she couldn’t keep her love of lidos to herself and encouraged best friend Nicola to get involved. “We were having supper one night
and I told her how wonderful it made me feel, and I dared her to come with me. She hadn’t swum for a while and I don’t think she thought I was serious, but 6am the next morning I was outside honking my horn – and that started the Lido Ladies.”
How did Nicola find her early morning dip?
“I got in the lido and thought I was going to have a stroke it was so cold!” she says. “But the experience of swimming in a 50 metre lido was just incredible. When I turned 50 I just accepted that t I’d feel rather stiff getting up in the morning, but after a few months of swimming I didn’t feel stiff any more.”
It’s not just the physical aspect that’s so great, it’s the people you meet.
“I’m very sociable and I absolutely adore the banter around the pool” says Jessica. “Lido swimming is not your average sport so it attracts some fabulous human beings. You can’t underestimate what a tonic their conversation is.”
In early 2020 they decided to create an Instagram account to inspire others to give lido swimming a go.
“We set up Lido Ladies London to encourage other women our age. When we started we couldn’t foresee Covid and lockdowns, so having kicked it off and gone to a few lidos and taken pictures, suddenly the pools shut and there was nothing.”
Jessica and Nicola had to find other ways of maintaining their fitness and their mission to encourage people into the pool. They began walking together and stumbled on an idea, courtesy of Poundland.
“Jessica and I spent time in Poundland as it was the only shop open during lockdown that sold anything other than food only, and I lost myself in this creative whirl” says Jessica. “Before we knew it we were creating this lido fantasy world. It became a focus to lockdown life and entertained people around us.”
Their pictures have gone viral and gained them fans from around the world.
“People wrote to us to say, ‘your pictures brighten our day,’ and, ‘your picture makes me so happy’. We even had a lady from California who said we’d inspired her to keep swimming which is lovely. It’s all done tongue in cheek with a sense of humour and we have a lot of fun,” Nicola says.
“We’re slightly eccentric – which is probably clear!” Jessica laughs. “We just want women of a certain age to embrace themselves. You’re fabulous! Have some fun!”
Through their swimming adventures and Instagram fame, Jessica and Nicola’s friendship is even stronger.
“If anything happens that troubles me, I just can’t wait to see Nicola. I pick her up in the morning, our conversations are unedited and by the time we’ve swum I feel a million times better. It’s better than therapy. I love Nicola to death and our swims are unmatched.”
What advice would they give to first time lido goers?
“Find a heated lido!” They both shout. “We’ve been doing this for a while and have built up a resistance, but I wouldn’t recommend just jumping in an unheated lido for the first time in winter. Just swim as far as you feel you can and enjoy it! Swimming is not an elitist sport and I think that’s part of our message,” says Jessica. “Even when you reach a certain point in your life and you become more sensitive about how you look in a swimming costume, you can embrace this sport. All you need is a swimsuit and a towel from your bathroom cupboard!”
You can follow Jessica and Nicola on Instagram @LIDOLADIESLONDON
All you need to feel absolutely fabulous is a swimsuit and a towel!