SPLASH OF COLOUR
Colourful UK lido that’s also a piece of art in the middle of a 100-acre sculpture garden
And the important advice you should read before heading to a lido or waterpark
AN OUTDOOR pool in the UK has been labelled as "unique" due to its location in the middle of a 100-acre sculpture park and being made from thousands of hand-painted tiles.
The Gateway Swimming Pool is found at the Jupiter Land open air sculpture garden, and was designed by artist Joana Vasconcelos.
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Her brightly-painted tiles, all 11,366 of them, provide a vibrant splash of colour in among the dark green of the surrounding trees and the black paving around it.
Joana claims on her website that her drawings on the tiles "span collective narratives," ranging from "geometries to the zodiac and beyond".
She also said: "Gateway is a big splash that invites the public to immerse in a joyful and spirited dimension, leading to a connection with the energy of the Earth.
"It’s like a threshold to another universe that we’re not conscious of but through which we can flow."
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Perhaps more excitingly, the pool is opened for public sessions until September 29.
Being in Scotland, it's also heated, so even during the worst of the weather, it's still a fun place for a dip.
It costs an extra £15 on top of admission to Jupiter Land, which costs £11.80 for adults, £10.80 for concessions and £7.50 for children.
It can also be hired out privately for up to ten visitors by contacting the sculpture garden.
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One person who enjoyed their visit to the pool was Digital Creator Chris Lawlor.
He shared to Gateway, in which he said: "Did you know that in Scotland there is a unique outdoor swimming pool near Edinburgh made up of over 11,000 hand-painted Portuguese tiles.
Historic 'on-of-a-kind' lido has three heated swimming pools
"It has a shallow end and a deep end, with public and private sessions available for booking on their website.
"I got so lucky with the weather and it actually felt like I was in another country, but I reckon this would also be quite fun in the rain."
Chris' followers were amazed by what they'd seen in his video, with plenty vowing to go and have a dip themselves.
One wrote: "I'm Portuguese and didn't know about this.. It's a must visit then!"
Swimming safety advice
Experts have revealed some of their top advice for both adults and kids heading to the water this summer:
How to stay safe at the beach
Gareth Morrison, Head of Water Safety at the RNLI said: "If you find yourself being swept out to sea in a rip, try to relax and float until you are free from the rip and you can then swim to safety.
"If you see someone else in danger, alert a lifeguard or call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard."
How to stay safe at the swimming pool
, former paramedic and CEO Nikki Jurcutz said: "Always put your little one in bright or contrasting colours that would be easy to find in an emergency.
"It only takes 20 seconds to drown, little tips like this could save a life".
An Auqabliss spokesperson added: “Swimming toys such as noodles, dive rings, floaties and beach balls can be dangerous if left in the pool.
“Children may try to grab these from the pool’s edge and fall in."
How to stay safe at a waterpark
Ali Beckman, Technical Director, said: "Never send a child down the slide on their own, not only are they going to be entering the slide pool area independently, they then have to exit the pool and wait for an adult.
"And wave pools should be avoided until your child is really confident with water going over their faces and you know they are able to regain their feet independently.
“Waterparks are often very busy places and it’s easy to lose sight of a child in a split second."
Another said: "Wow this looks amazing!"
A third added: "What an incredible piece of art! I would love to swim in that pool, rain or shine!"
As well as the Gateway pool, there's several other exciting things to see at Jupiter Artland.
They include work by Tracey Emin, wild dining events and the Jupiter Rising art and music festival, among others.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Meanwhile, this famous Scottish lido could be forced to close.
And people might not realist that this hidden lido is in the heart of London.
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