Peterborough Lido and the legacy of Walter Cornelius

Outdoor swimming under the gaze of a legendary Latvian lifeguard. Jack Bright uncovers the fascinating stories behind Peterborough Lido.

The city of Peterborough on the edge of The Fens is 30 miles from the sea as the crow flies and 50 miles from the nearest accessible beach at Hunstanton, so it is not known as an outdoor swimming hub though it has a superb facility almost directly in the city centre – Peterborough Lido, set in beautiful surroundings between the Cathedral and the River Nene.

A Grade II listed building since 1992, it is one of the finest examples of an Art Deco lido in the country and was opened in May 1936. Five local architects collaborated on the design which is said to be ‘hacienda style’, and there are certainly elements of that with stucco, arches and small windows preserved to this day. The 87-year-old building even survived a direct hit by a bomb in 1940 which damaged the north-western tower, though this only kept it closed for several days, and later in 1991 a serious fire, after which a generous local councillor paid the repair bill.

The winged man on the weathervane

One of the most striking aspects of the structure itself is the clock tower perched on top like a little lighthouse. Closer inspection shows it is crowned by a weathervane adorned with a winged man – the silhouette of Walter Cornelius, a Latvian who escaped Russian conscription during World War II, crossing the Baltic Sea in a rowing boat, then having to swim and being shot in the stomach before finally arriving in Peterborough where he became a world-record-breaking strongman while a lifeguard at the lido. The weathervane memorial to him was installed in 2016 coinciding with the lido’s 80th birthday.

Cornelius is most famous locally for his audacious attempt to fly across the freezing River Nene on 3 December 1970, an act which resulted in a broken nose and two broken ribs as well as a dip in the frigid river, and this birdman pose is how he is depicted on the weathervane. However, he also inspired and mentored many and taught hundreds of children to swim while working at the lido. 

One man who was instrumental in the weathervane installation is Chris Allen who recalls with fondness meeting Cornelius as a youngster. “My parents used to take us swimming to the lido every morning and I was introduced to this absolute giant of a man when I was four. I took to him immediately as did most kids. At first I was scared of the water. Others had tried to teach me and failed but Walter said straightaway that he would teach me. And within 30 minutes I had swum a width. He taught my sister to swim too.” Having taught Chris to swim, Walter then inspired him to get fit and improve his physique through bodybuilding and sport.

Clearly, this paid off as Chris became a lifeguard himself and worked for 23 seasons at Peterborough Lido, 15 of them with Walter, as well as being a PE teacher. As an open water swimmer, Chris participated in successful Channel relays in 1987 and 1992, the former with Olympic medallist Brian Brinkley as well as the Great Swim series of swims.

Chris was not alone, as Walter Cornelius was a charismatic man who revelled in the role of swimming teacher. On his Facebook memorial page there are various comments about him teaching children to swim, documented by some grainy photographs. Page admin Tracey May said, “He was a real mentor, his fun-loving attitude to life, he was an inspiration to many children back in the day. His confidence about water and being able to swim rubbed off onto the less confident children and they in turn became confident swimmers too.”

The Pied Piper of Peterborough Lido

In those post-war years lidos were important as heated indoor pools were in their infancy, so a popular urban lido such as Peterborough’s could see 2,500 visitors on a sunny bank holiday Monday with queues stretching for hundreds of metres. This was perfect for Walter Cornelius as, in the words of Chris Allen, “He loved his job and was never happier than when it was crammed with bathers on a hot weekend. He loved being the centre of attention and was like the pied piper with everybody flocking around him as he showed off his amazing strength.”

The lido used to open for the season in May half-term week but the pandemic led to the operators deciding to open earlier, from the beginning of April. A welcome change for hardy open water swimmers but not perhaps for the City Mayor who traditionally opens the pool by jumping in fully clothed. However, since the old boilers were replaced a few years ago the pool is better heated so even on a cold spring morning the water temperature could be 25 degrees Celsius.

These days, sessions can be booked online, allowing the swimmers coming through the old iron turnstiles to be counted and for further analysis of visitor habits. The lido is operated by Peterborough Ltd, a subsidiary of the city council which is responsible for leisure and since 2017 it has also been helped by the establishment of the Friends of Peterborough Lido, a non-profit organisation made up of passionate swimmers who came together with one thing in common – love for their lido. Vicechair of the group Clare Marshall swims in the lido almost every day and say, “Some people say it’s the jewel in the city’s crown, to us it’s an oasis. I think there is also an almost therapeutic effect that you get from coming here. Many people talk about it.”

The feel-good factor associated with open water swimming is nothing new but the unique architectural style of Peterborough lido, combined with the 50-metre main pool, children’s pool, toddler’s paddling pool with grassed area, cafe and sun terraces mean that it offers something for everyone, from open water swimmers to families with small children.

Walter Cornelius would surely be pleased to see his memorial plaque by the entrance and the weathervane with his birdman silhouette. Though this Latvian lifeguard strongman and holder of 43 world records passed away in 1983 his legacy lives on through the people he inspired and taught to swim.

Photos: (main) Alamy; (first row, left) Toby Wood (right) Jack Bright; (second row) Chris Allen.