London always goes a bit loopy in the heat. Unlikely couplings and incredulous incidents occur once the mercury creeps past a certain point, people and places begin to melt and blur into one another... Outdoor swimming pools become cinemas, banking districts become beaches...
If you're in EC2 at any point this week before Friday 7 July, there's a beach among the banks and office blocks - and it's not a mirage. The lovely people at lastminuteliving.com have spread some joy in the form of five inches of sand across Finsbury Square to bring the seaside to the office workers and have organised a programme of events to keep up the beach party pretence:
"We’ll be attempting to beat the Guinness World Record for the world’s biggest beach ball. There will also be fitness demonstrations from our waaaay-too-hot-to-be-real friends at Homes Place, a beach fashion show by Chantelle (OH MY GOD) and beach games including swing ball, boules and Deckchair and a Giant Connect 4. You can even eat your way through your lunch box to the sounds of International DJ Rob Chapman, or hold out for the Bongo maestro Dan Cross of Ondo. No, seriously."
A bit later in the month (and let's hope the weather stays in the current "everyone wants to be outdoors" sector), it's Tooting Bec Lido's turn to have an identity crisis. From 28 to 30 July, the beloved south London outdoor swimming pool will celebrate its centenary in a joint event with Picturehouse Cinemas, Clapham Picturehouse and Future Shorts. Titled Dive-In Movies, the celebrations sound like an amazing way to pass long, hot summer nights...
"Projecting films onto a giant air-screen in the garden beside the Lido, DIVE-IN MOVIES celebrates one hundred years of features, shorts and archive footage, all featuring swimming pools and swimming. Ticket price to include a swim in the magnificent 100 yard pool, a Centenary drink and an evening of film."
Drinks, films and a dip in the pool under the stars. Book your tickets now to complete the perfect summer.
The lastminute.com beach in Finsbury Square is open from 3 to 7 July. Dive-In Movies is at Tooting Bec Lido from 26 to 30 July, 7.00pm to midnight each night - for more information and for tickets, call the Box Office on 08707 550 061 or go to the Picture House website here.
