In this BBC Sounds clip, Secret Peterborough, Keely Mills, poet, writer, producer and a regular Lido swimmer talks to Chris Allen a sports teacher, an ex manager of the Lido and friend of Walter Cornelius, the eccentric Latvian strongman and Lido lifeguard during the 1960s and 1970s. They discuss Walters early life, his time as the lido’s lifeguard and his eccentric charity fund raising stunts.
Walter died in 1983 but his memory lives on in the form of a golden weather vane on the Lido clock tower. The image erected to commemorate the lido 75th birthday depicts his charity ‘Birdman’ stunt, attempting to fly across the river Nene.
Note You do need to sign in to a BBC account to listen to this clip.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0kptx2f?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile
