Brilliant photographs show Londoners enjoying the capital's outdoor swimming pools over the years

Enjoying the sunny spell today? Take a step back in time and see how Londoners have enjoyed splashing in the capital’s pools over the past century
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Liz Connor17 June 2017

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that London comes alive during the summer, and these photographs provide a fascinating glimpse at life in London’s lidos during various hot spells over the past century.

From a crowd of female bathers learning how to dive at the open air baths in Chiswick in 1917, to a raucous group of schoolchildren splashing in the pond in Bishop’s Park in the 1930s, Londoners have long enjoyed getting outdoors and making the most of taking a dip during a sunny spell.

The photographs feature all manner of brilliant ways of cooling down in the heat - from paddling in the nearest fountain and swimming with an umbrella to kicking your heels off and dipping your your toes in Hyde Park lido.

In one photograph, from 1956, scores of people can be seen flocking to the Oasis rooftop swimming pool for a lunchtime dip, with the iconic Holborn skyline visible in the background.

And long before Shoreditch House catered to Londoners who wanted to enjoy an alfresco poolside drink, many women devised the ingenious solution of having a cup of tea on the diving board.

These photographs take us on a journey over various summers from 1917 to 1971.

So whether you're thinking of taking a dip in the Serpentine this weekend, or you're planning to soak up the sun at one of London's lidos, have a click through our gallery above and see how Londoners of the past have enjoyed the sunshine.

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