Lido Love [plus Ed Ruscha + Norman Parkinson]

Norman Parkinson: A Very British Glamour

(above and below) Ed Ruscha: 50 years of Painting

I rounded off a nicely bumper day of culcha on Saturday (11th hour viewing of Ed Ruscha [underwhelmed but generally mixed reactions: loving some plays on words - and LOATHING others - i could drone on about this but won't since the exhibition finished yesterday] and Norman Parkinson pics at Somerset House [high glam and gorgeous]) with a slightly bonkers night at, of all places on a sub-arctic night, London Fields Lido (which i insist on pronouncing leedo, rather than in a way that rhymes with fido, much to the consternation of many. fuck them, i say).

The night was Lido Love - an evening celebrating the history of London Fields Lido with film, magic, burlesque, music and poetry. at one point i found myself jumping up and down to 90s beats in the male changing rooms (see the very below) clutching nothing but a cup of hot chocolate (the night rather extraordinarily proved to be alcohol free). this seemed possibly even more strange at the time than it does now, from the comforting warmth of my bed. I also huddled round the pool to watch swimming-costume clad girls dancing barefoot in the snow (where else?). La Horrox did a burlesque fire dance (below) and H Plewis did an act that involved her dancing to a soundtrack which skipped through the decades - as each snippet of music was played, she'd nip into a changing booth beside the pool and emerge with a different swimming cap which matched the music (the one for punk was a swimming cap with a Mohican for eg). Hilariously daring given the temperatures. There was also a short film by Tracey Emin "why i never became a dancer" and socialist magic (the 'democratic' approach where the trick was followed by a demonstration of how to do it). Sadly the novelty of this last act was not sufficient to keep my interest above agitatedly mounting concern for my freezing toes - i eventually had to make a dash to the loos and remove my shoes and hold my feel under the hand dryer for about 10 mins - yeah, SUPER GLAM). to be honest it was a completely bizarre night but rather brilliant in its own way: so very British. who else would hang out on a saturday night in the freezing cold and dark by a pool, and without alcohol? mad people i tell you. but curiously cool ones, i thought.