WI member, Judy Lobb, has taken on the task of organising outings and events to get other members enjoying days out in Cornwall. In November six ladies signed up to go for a swim in the outdoor pool at Penzance, which isn’t as bonkers as it might sound: we were going to enjoy the geothermal pool which remains at a constant 30 degrees all year round.
We caught the train from Bodmin Parkway down to Penzance which is a very interesting journey passing through Lostwithiel, St Austell and Truro before going on and arriving in Penzance 1hr 15 minutes later. I love to stare out of the window and try and work out exactly where I am as well as looking into people’s gardens. The view of the roads I find especially pleasing when traffic is slowed down by heavy lorries or tractors and trailers and we are speeding along unhindered. Leaving St Erth and it’s only a few minutes before St Michael’s Mount comes into view, what a lovely sight that is.
We were then soon coming to a stop at the end of the journey after which it is only a short walk past the harbour and along to the Jubilee Pool. The lido was first opened in 1935 to celebrate King George V’s Silver Jubilee. Over the years it fell into decline and then in 2014 a terrible storm caused catastrophic damage to the sea wall at which point the Council were going to close it down for good. An appeal was launched and money raised to buy it by the community for the community. Part of the pool then underwent a lot of work to instate a geothermal heating system which uses energy from the rocks deep below ground to heat the saltwater.
Although three members didn’t get in the water, those that did had a wonderful time swimming or just floating in the very buoyant water, there are even concrete benches underwater around the edge of the pool to sit on. We stayed in for approaching an hour and, although I don’t swim from one year to the next, this was a really enjoyable session.
The Jubilee Pool has a cafe where we met the non-swimmers and had a light lunch before walking through the town and back down to the railway station to catch the return train to Bodmin.
So WI isn’t just ‘Jam and Jerusalem’. It was a great day out and I look forward to more WI trips next year. Well done, Judy.
Erica
