Deep in the dale

THE DAY is a bit grey with a hint of rain in the air but at the open air swimming pool in Stanhope, nobody minds at all. Small boys are bouncing off the spring board, giggling girls are swooshing down the slide, granddads are tugging toddlers along on big floats and in among it all, a few middle-aged mums manage a bit of breast stroke.

There is nothing like swimming in the open air. It is completely different from the steamy, echoing, chlorinated indoor pools. The pool is set in real little suntrap, water is heated to a comfortable 80 degrees, so what does a little drizzle matter?

Weardale open air swimming is unique. It is the only open air pool in County Durham. It is not owned by the council but is a charity, run by and for the community, by a small and dedicated committee. "It's a lot of hard work," says Eileen Stoner, secretary of the Weardale Open Air Swimming Pool Association.

In the last four years the pool has had a new lease of life - new boiler, new (actually second hand) slide and springboard, giant inflatable, refurbished changing rooms, disabled facilities.

Helen McDaid had brought her children and a friend. "My parents live in Stanhope so we come quite often, but the pool is really nice now, it's got much better in the last few years." Comments which should gladden the committee's heart.

The committee - which took over in 1998 - has become adept at getting grants and awards from councils, government agencies, even Lloyds TSB - who helped with the disabled facilities. Local businesses and supporters are generous too, but there's still a lot of scrimping and saving.

They were given a pile of stacking chairs for the poolside, but the legs were rusty so Eileen and assistant secretary Jane Atkinson painted them all with Hammerite. Chairman Peter Thompson built the sheds to store the equipment, using a bit of corrugated iron from Eileen's daughter's barn. The walls by the toddler pool were painted by the mother of one of the lifeguards. The window in the ticket office was originally someone's cold frame.

And so it goes on.

The pool is open from May to September but is left full of water through the winter - otherwise the sides cave in. First job of the year for the association is to clear the pool. "It's filthy, green and muddy, full of rubbish."

Then there's a major clean-up, repairs - even such a civilised small town has vandalism - and re-decorating. It is now a pool to be proud of, with plans to make it even nicer.

Despite the grants and the committee's ingenuity, they still need to raise a serious amount of money. Admission charges just about cover the cost of heating the water, so from spring to autumn they have a monthly car boot sale on the swimming pool car park. "We were taking stuff to sell at other boot fairs, when we thought, hang on... So now we run our own and have a stall as well."

They sell sweets and drinks at the pool. Volunteer John Parr calls in the Cash and Carry regularly on his way home from work. Townspeople are generous in their support and donations. The committee sometimes runs a tombola stall as well. They wrap prizes in those clear envelopes rescued from junk mail.

But some things can't be skimped on and that includes health and safety. Committee man Julian Haynes is at the pool every day checking the boiler, the chemicals, keeping an eye on maintenance. Lifeguards are students and sixth formers from Wolsingham School, all with national qualifications. The Association pays for their training on the understanding that they'll come and work at the pool afterwards.

"But we'd love to have someone to teach youngsters to swim. If anyone could do that - and charge, of course - we'd be very pleased."

Down in Darlington roads were being flooded in a sudden storm but up in Stanhope the sun was coming out. Families were sitting round the tables at the poolside tucking into their picnics. Edith and Edward Hodgson had come over for the first time from Esh Winning just a few days before and were back again because they liked it so much

Angela Coburn from Stanhope - a regular swimmer herself - had brought her younger daughter. "My older daughter, Samantha who's 12 comes every day with her friends. They never miss. I think it's great for them to have something like this on their doorstep.."

And Karen Gleeson from Durham was delighted with everything Stanhope had to offer. "You've got this lovely pool, and the river and the park all close together, It's a smashing day out for the kids."

The weather has to be really bad for the pool to close. "Except when it's really cold or the rain's torrential, we're usually open," says Eileen. "We throw everyone out when there's a thunderstorm, but apart from that, it's here for people to enjoy."

* Weardale Open Air Heated Swimming Pool, 25m x 13m, plus a small toddlers' pool, opens daily until September 9. Tel: 01388 528466. www.woaspa.co.uk. Weekdays: 12-6.45pm. 12-1pm is Aquafun; 6pm-6.45pm is adults only, and the pool is closed from 2.45 until 3.30pm. Weekends: Adult swim times are 11am-12; 12-6.45pm and it's open to everyone, but again the pool is closed from 2.45-3.30pm.

* There is a car boot fair at the pool on Bank Holiday Monday and then on the last Sunday in September.

* The Association will have a stall at the Farmers' Market in Stanhope On Friday, August 23. All contributions and donations will be extremely welcome. Offers of time, too, however little would be gratefully received.

* The Association would also like to hear from anyone who could give swimming lessons at the pool.