FOR people like myself who have spent their whole lives living in a big city, miles from the sea, something as simple as a swimming pool really does bring something extra into our lives.

Swimming is not only an excellent form of exercise, but great fun for young and old alike.

So it is with some sadness I read in your newspaper that Ilford pool certainly will close this winter.

But what makes me even sadder is that our local politicians can't seem to get their act together and sort out a replacement.

They're considering a temporary structure.' What does that mean? Should we expect to wake up one morning and see a giant paddling pool on the green in Woodford?

And what madness to ask schools to take the strain.

Our council should have sorted this out long ago and then we wouldn't be in this mess.

And I, too, have noticed the mysterious sign in Wanstead about the secret' pool, but how ironic that it points to a pool in Walthamstow which is itself threatened with closure!

So perhaps our council is not alone in treating swimming as a low priority.

I sincerely hope our council build a new pool as soon as they can, or at least provide us with some proper facilities instead of resorting to begging to schools.

Simon Welsh, Woodford Green.