Finchley Lido, Leisure centre in North Finchley, England
Finchley Lido is a leisure centre located inside Great North Leisure Park in North Finchley, in the London Borough of Barnet. It has an indoor 25-meter pool, a leisure pool, and a smaller outdoor pool, all under one site.
The original outdoor pool on this site opened in 1932, with the Duke of York presiding over the opening ceremony. Over the following decades, the facility grew and was eventually transformed into a covered, year-round centre.
Finchley Lido runs swimming lessons for all ages, from toddlers to adults, drawing in families from across the surrounding area throughout the week. On weekends, the leisure pool tends to fill with children, giving the place a relaxed and sociable feel.
The centre opens early on weekdays and a little later at weekends, so mornings are generally the quietest time to swim laps in the main pool. Peak times tend to fall after school hours and on Saturday mornings, when the leisure pool gets busiest.
A wall tablet from the 1932 opening ceremony is still kept behind the counter of the on-site restaurant, where most visitors walk past without noticing it. It is one of the few physical traces of the original outdoor pool that remain on site today.
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