Project News
Welcome to the Blog. A short summary is shown below each article title, please click the links to view the full detail.
Images taken from the fountain end of the site during the refurbishment have now been collated and put together to create a time lapse animation.
As some of you are aware we haven't been able to start to fill our swimming pools with water due to the recent water crisis. The result of this delay will mean that the Lido will not open on the 11th August. Having got clearance from Severn Trent Water yesterday...
On Tuesday this week we had the hard task of putting the pool covers that help retain heat in the main pool, back in place. The three covers weigh a ton ,literally and the only way to lift them into place safely was by hand.
The weather continues to give us a headache. We need a few days of clear weather to finish painting within the main pool. As you'll see from the videos below, mother nature isn't helping us at the moment.
As many of you will know the Lido was under considerable threat of flooding on Monday 25th June. The River Chelt burst its banks and flooded Sandford Park, turning it into a wide raging river. The flow of the water went as predicted by the Environment Agency and our low...
The rendering of the pool walls has almost been completed and despite the wet weather work continues.
OPENING ON THE 11TH AUGUST UNTIL 30TH SEPTEMBER
To allay your fears, work continues on site. There are many rumours around the town and we would like to confirm that everyone involved in the project remains focused on completing the refurbishment project. Laying of the slabs is almost complete. Bob Shackle has started to re-lay...
Whilst we have no confirmed re-opening date, we are being kept busy in other areas of the site. We have updated the photo gallery with a couple more images.
Thanks to all who have sent letters and emails of support regarding the delay in opening.
LIDO OPENING DREAMS SUNK
We are very sorry to announce that our refurbishment project will not be completed in time for the proposed opening on the 5th May 2007.
We've reached April and with 5th of May less than a month away the Lido complex is still very much a building site. There is a lot of work to complete but everyone is feeling confident. Unfortunately the other night some vandals caused a few headaches. The...
One month on from the last blog entry and our ambition to achieve a historic refurbishment and provide a nationally significant swimming facility has proved difficult with crucial decisions required. However, we can now see an end in sight which will achieve all our goals.
Since the last post, the seemingly endless task of laying slabs around the site has continued. By the end of this week slabs will have been laid along both sides of the pool.
We've just added three more batches of photographs to the gallery so you can check them out now. Whilst you're visiting, why not look at our site on YouTube where we've uploaded a second refurbishment video.
The first section of the poolside slabs were laid this week up against the edge coping. Despite the harsh weather work has continued with the builders braving the elements.
Since the last entry the paving around the site has continued including the areas outside the changing rooms. Some intricate sections have been formed around the existing features and incorporating the 1930's design which we have taken from the original drawings.
Following the festive holidays work has continued despite the very wet weather we have and still are experiencing.
On Tuesday 19th December the first of many new paving slabs were laid outside the café. By Wednesday they had progressed from outside the café towards the main pool and a section had been laid to the left, towards the side entrance of the main pool surround. They have...
We have just uploaded another batch of photographs which coincides with the concrete pour onto the main pool floor. Check them out now on the "Photo Gallery" Page!
After careful weather watching Dove construction decided to go ahead with the final cement pour on Wednesday 13th December.
A daily event for Dove Construction is weather watching, they are desperately searching for a break in the heavy rain we've been experiencing lately. Dove requires two dry, frost free days to complete the final cement pour. Looking at the next five day forecast it’s unlikely that we'll get the...
Our contractors have been watching the weather reports even more than Keith and me during the summer months. They have been looking for the best opportunity to complete the second cement pour.
On Tuesday 28th November the first cement pour took place. Work began at 9.30am and continued through until dark. A sucsession of cement lorries arrived throughout the day. The area covered in this first pour was the deepend section of the main pool, including the diving pit. The angles on...
Earlier in the project you may recall that we couldn't reuse the original scum channels as planned. Modern scum channels are very different in appearance and would have changed the traditional image dramatically. We had to consider the cost implication of having channels made specifically for our facility against the...
Following several weeks of backbreaking hard work the steel reinforcement is almost complete. The steel reinforcement bars lock the new floor, piles and existing walls together preventing movement. This phase has taken a little longer than planned due to difficulties in achieving the correct angles in the diving pit.
Since the end of the 2006 season we have been collating images and articles about the lido and have sourced material from Gloucestershire Archives and Cheltenham Library. The aim at the moment is to produce an extensive supply of information that will then be used on our Living Archive...
After considerable research and colour testing the final colours have been selected for the pool deck slabs. Production of these will commence on Monday.
Today a 'blinding layer' of cement was poured across the shallow end of the main pool. This cement layer will give support to the reinforcement rods when they are constructed at the shallow end.
To obtain the required depth of water at the shallow end they have to remove the original floor prior to laying the reinforcement rods. The area removed is one third of the pool floor. It is very important that we have at least 0.9m depth at the shallow end. We...
We have added a page for Project Videos.
Work has now begun on constructing the new reinforcement grid that will provide the strength for the new floor. They have to build a grid using the reinforcement rods. The rods penetrate the walls and link to the piles to provide a very solid structure. They have constructed the grid...
A large crane on the main lawn lifted the reinforcement rods from several trucks directly into the pool tank today.
With the piling now complete attention has turned to the condition of the existing swimming pool walls. During the 05/06 winter close period O'Brien + Price Structural Engineers Ltd carried out numerous strength tests on the cement walls the results concluded that the walls were strong enough to be retained....
Yesterday a large cement pump over lorry arrived on site; a photograph of this is now on our Photo Gallery page. It has a mechanical arm which can reach out over 60m, attached to the arm is a pipe. One end of the pipe takes cement from the cement lorry...
Today the final pile was inserted through the pool floor, and the piling rig has been removed from within the swimming pool structure.
Work on piling has continued all week and the final piles will be driven through the pool structure early next week. The good news is that currently the deepest pile has only been driven down 8-9m before resting on supporting ground. The piles in place have been cut level with...
We now have 48 piles pushed through the pool floor; the piling contractor hopes to complete all piling work by Monday 16th October.
Piling work has continued all week and they have now installed 36 piles at the shallow end of the pool.
Dove Construction began work on Monday 11th September 2006. Initial works in week one involved creating access to site with minimal disturbance to the heritage of our facility. Access has been gained via a new gate and temporary road laid behind the men’s changing rooms and across the lawn to...