Lido Ponty in Pontypridd is the National Lido of Wales, a "unique survivor of the network of open-air...pools that once existed across Wales" according to the Historic Pools website. It was built in 1927 "in a style that was typical of its time, bringing a strong Mediterranean mood to the South Wales Valleys", and is where the singer Tom Jones acquired his first tan. It still has the original 1920s turnstiles and green wooden changing rooms, but is now heated and the cafe offers generous Welsh breakfasts. To end this week of lidos, we must mention The Swimmer, the new biography of Roger Deakin by Patrick Barkham.