This film is part of Free
In the Heat of the Moment
At the height of Britain's bathing craze, hundreds of sun-worshipping Londoners test the waters at Hyde Park lido.
Overview
Dazzling newsreel scenes of sun-worshipping Londoners testing the waters at the newly opened Hyde Park lido. The lido was commissioned by Labour politician George Lansbury, seen here surrounded by a bevy of bathing beauties (both male and female), who cheer him with unfeigned enthusiasm as they clamour to be caught on camera. Elsewhere, swimsuited seamstresses are forced to sweat it out on the factory floor.
The happily-timed heatwave of August 1930 hit Britain during the height of a bathing-craze. The freshly-opened Hyde Park lido was the initiative of Commissioner of Works and popular socialist figure George Lansbury, who pushed for improved public recreation facilities. Unofficially known as 'Lansbury's Lido', it allowed for mixed bathing and sunbathing on the Serpentine for the first time, and remains a popular London oasis today.
Related
This is London This is London
Amateur film 1980 10 mins Location: Hyde Park
Walking down memory lane on a whistle-stop tour of central London, as seen through the eyes of a local filmmaker
Easter Parade, Hyde Park Easter Parade, Hyde Park
1958 4 mins Silent Location: Hyde Park
Easter Parade in Hyde Park, April 1958.
Hilton Hotel Construction September 1959 Hilton Hotel Construction September 1959
1959 5 mins Silent Location: Hyde Park
London, 1959: the Hilton Hotel rises from the ashes, surrounded by derelict houses and bomb damaged streets
Empire Day Empire Day
Non-Fiction 1923 1 mins Silent Location: Hyde Park
Thousands of children honour Queen Victoria's birthday with an Empire Day parade in Hyde Park
Spring Comes to Town Spring Comes to Town
Amateur film 1947 12 mins Location: Hyde Park
Stroll through Hyde Park in your winter coat, but with the daffodils beginning to bloom, spring is nearly here!
"Law Abiding" Suffragists "Law Abiding" Suffragists
Non-Fiction 1913 1 mins Silent Location: Hyde Park
Three cheers for women's right to vote! Thousands of 'peaceful, law-abiding Suffragists' - and their hat-waving supporters - converge on Hyde Park.
Laura Mulvey in Conversation Laura Mulvey in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 76 mins
Laura Mulvey in conversation, following her BFI Fellowship Award.
George Clooney in Conversation George Clooney in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 74 mins
George Clooney visited BFI Southbank to look back on his life and career.
Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 65 mins
The Oscar®- winning director of Nomadland discusses her unique approach to filmmaking and the inspiration behind the adaptation of Hamnet.
Edgar Wright on The Running Man Edgar Wright on The Running Man
Inside Film 2025 28 mins
The director talks to Mark Kermode about putting Stephen King's dystopian life-or-death gameshow thriller through its paces.
Richard Linklater Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Richard Linklater Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 69 mins
Richard Linklater discusses his remarkable and wide-ranging body of work, including Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague.
Daniel Day-Lewis Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Daniel Day-Lewis Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 73 mins
Daniel Day-Lewis, the ultimate actor’s actor discusses his career in conversation with Mark Kermode.