Colwyn Bay postcard: Rhos-on-Sea lido
This postcard on the promenade at Rhos-on-Sea depicts someone diving into the open-air swimming pool which was once a popular attraction at Rhos Point.
The lido complex was built by the local Corporation in the 1930s at a cost of £30,000. It was on the opposite side of the promenade road from the pier. The centrepiece was the open-air swimming pool, shown in the 1950s photo courtesy of Conwy Archive Service. The lido also featured “sun-bathing terraces” and a ballroom.
A crowd of more than 3,000 people attended the opening ceremony in July 1933. The opening was performed by Lady Grizel Hamilton. She was the eldest daughter of the Earl and Countess of Dundonald, whose properties included Gwrych Castle, Abergele.
Cardiff-born heavyweight boxer Jack Petersen was the celebrity chosen to take the first dive into the pool. He travelled from Cardiff for the ceremony. Before he entered the water, Lady Grizel handed him a silver horseshoe. At her request, he threw the horseshoe into the pool for luck. He then gave a swimming display which showed the crowd that he was “as much at home in the water as in the ring”. Displays of diving, swimming and life-saving followed, and a party of girls paraded in Victorian and modern bathing suits.
Demand for outdoor swimming in Britain declined with the growth of package holidays to warmer places overseas. Rhos-on-Sea lido eventually closed in 1978.
Postcode: LL28 4EP
Click here for a map of the postcards' location.
Website of Conwy Archive Service
https://www.conwy.gov.uk/en/Resident/Libraries-Museums-and-Archives/Archives/Archives.aspx
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