Appeal for memories of Saltdean Lido for heritage project

It is scheduled to fully reopen later this year and, when complete, it will house a wide range of vibrant facilities including an Art Deco themed café, restaurant, Heritage Hub, library and rooms which will be made available to local community groups.

To help bring the area to life, the team of volunteers overseeing the restoration wants to hear from anyone who remembers visiting the Lido before it closed and who is happy to share their memories or loan any mementos they may have collected over the years.

Deryck Chester, the Heritage Trustee at Saltdean Lido, explained: “A core feature of our Heritage Hub will be the Oral History Zone which will preserve and display people’s memories so their stories can be listened to and enjoyed for generations to come. We would love to hear from anyone who has happy memories or interesting anecdotes about their experiences of the Lido from when it opened in 1938 right up to when it closed in 2000.

“Swimmers, holidaymakers, day trippers, local residents past or present, anyone who has used the community centre over the years – there must be so many brilliant stories of the Lido and we want to capture as many of them as possible.”

The iconic Art Deco Lido has a Grade Two listed status, meaning it is considered of particular importance by Historic England. There will also be an interactive Heritage Hub paid for by a generous National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, which will tell the story of the Lido’s long and proud history and of Saltdean as a resort.

The Lido team has been working with the National Oral History Society to train a small number of local people who will now help collect memories of the Lido for a section of the Heritage Hub which will allow visitors to listen to people’s recollections as they move through the exhibit. All they need now is to capture those stories.

Deryck added: “We appreciate we’ll be very lucky to hear from anyone who visited the Lido between 1938 and 1940, but if that isn’t possible we’d really like to hear from relatives who may be able to recount cherished early family stories.

“If you remember the long-lost diving platform, the 1980s slide, the 1960s pirate ship climbing frame, the spring boards, long sunny days by the pool, learning to swim at the Lido, going to the youth club, enjoying dances or concerts in the main building, working at the Lido, when it was requisitioned by the National Fire Service, or just have happy memories of Saltdean and the Lido you would like to share, please do get in touch.”

The Lido Team is also busy collecting memorabilia related to the Lido, including newspaper cuttings, photographs, posters, cine film and video clips, or any items collected from the site over the years (no questions asked) to help enhance the heritage hub displays ready for the grand re-opening.

Anyone who would like to be interviewed as part of the project, or who has any mementos from the Lido they would like to donate or loan, should email: [email protected]

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