The now-defunct diving platform at Coate Water invokes a fair amount of nostalgia in me. As a child I was sometimes taken to Langold Lake (5 miles the 'other' side of Worksop).

This was a large country park thing - my memories are hazy as it was MANY years ago now. But I recall a swimming lake with a diving platform in it. Now I'm not saying that the diving platform there was exactly like the one at Coate Water, but the whole thing of the lake and the swimming is evocative. There was also a childrens' outdoor bathing pool at Langold and getting to go in there was an enormous treat.  So it's interesting to see that Swindon's 1930s concrete diving platform in Swindon has been awarded Grade II listed status.

BBC News - Swindon concrete diving platform given listed status: "The 10m (33ft) high stage, in a former swimming lake in Coate Water, was designed by local architect JBL Thompson and opened in June 1935. The Art Deco style structure is "one of only four inter-war concrete diving platforms" to have survived in England, English Heritage said. Fridy Duterloo, from English Heritage, said it was a "really good example". The diving platform, with both fixed boards and spring boards, was designed to fully comply with the safety regulations at the time. ... "  Follow the link above to read the rest of the article on the BBC website.

This news is hot on the heels of listed status being given to the Spectrum Building (or Renault building as I still call it despite Renault being long gone) showing yet again, that not only does Swindon do arts and culture it also has heritage.  So it would be really great to see the thing cleaned up and given some TLC. And ditto with White Horse Pacified and the old canal bridge all of which are also slowly going to rack and ruin.