New mayor walks the plank as Lido opens for the summer

The sun shone for most of Saturday - the first day of the year for the popular outdoor pool - and people queued to get in the door to take advantage of free swimming.

However, the rain did come down for part of the morning - leading some swimmers to grab an umbrella for protection.

As is tradition, the session was opened by new Mayor of Peterborough, cllr John Fox, being thrown into the pool.

Cllr Fox put his own unique spin on the tradition by dressing up as a pirate as he took the ceremonial dip - and was joined by his grandchildren in the pool.

He said: “It was a really nice event - it was a lovely day, and there was a large turnout - probably because the sun was shining and the water was nice and warm.

“I thought I would make a little change, and dress as a pirate - as if I was walking the plank.

“The sea cadets are one of my charities this year, and I’m an ex navy man, so it seemed appropriate.”

This year is the 81st in the Lido’s history, and more than 200,000 visitors are expected to take a dip over the next few months.

The Lido has three heated outdoor pools - a large 50m main pool, a learner pool for children and a paddling pool for toddlers - and is open from 9am-7pm over the summer months.

Entry is just £5.80 for adults or £4.20 for children over the age of 5 years with discounts available for all Vivacity Card holders.

Along with the Sea Cadets, cllr Fox will also be supporting Shopmobility and Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust during his year as mayor.