Following up the "It wouldn't happen in Dulwich", "It didn't happen in Dulwich!" comments, I went to look at the Dulwich Pools last Friday.

There are several boards in the foyer displaying (drawings and text) Southwark's enormous refurbishment proposal, together with piles of takeaway comment postcards. The Victorian heritage and its preservation are emphasised throughout the exhibition with a header "Preserving the Heritage" and a statement: "Refurbishment is guided by the following principles:.......Dulwich leisure centre is over 100 years old and is a Grade II listed building. By working with English Heritage from the outset the new centre will provide users with a state of the art building and retain all the best Victorian features."

At the moment there is only the one Victorian swimming pool (ca. 27 metres and five lanes), in a land area much, much larger than that occupied by Forest Hill pools, and with many side rooms which used for yoga and all kinds of other activities. The sites are not comparable in size, and Forest Hill pools aren't listed, but the Victorian Society thinks they are worthy of preservation. The idea that FH could have a Victorian facade and a new interior pool plus perhaps a community meeting room does not strike be as being outlandishly beyond reason - if Southwark can do it in Dulwich why can't Lewisham do it in Forest Hill?

I have spoken to about 200 people now, as I collected signatures for the petition. What do they want? Their priority is simply to have a LOCAL pool where they can swim on a regular basis, which is easy to get to and where school children can go for their swimming lessons without the expense, time and energy involved in bussing them across the borough.

The majority of people I have spoken to also want the heritage of our Victorian forefathers respected by the preservation of as much of the original buildings as possible.

The issue is lack of local swimming facilities, but it is also about protection of the urban social and historic environment.