Cirencester’s Open Air Swimming Pool has opened for the summer.

The 28-metre heated pool is now open for the 149th year after it opened on Thursday, May 23.

Trustees and volunteers enjoyed a sunny opening morning and trustee Michael Athienites was delighted to see the pool reopen.

He said: “We introduced some things last year that were really popular so they are going to be brought back this year.

“With the night swim being so popular last year we had to stop letting people in, so this year we are doing it twice, with both a ticketed event, which means you can’t just turn up on the night.

“There’s definitely a lot of things to look forward to this year.”

Another of the new events is the quiet swim, which only allows up to 20 people in the pool at a time.

Pool manager Joe Medd says they are always open to recommendations for ideas, and explained how the event was created.

“We had a call from someone last year saying they had a son who can’t come swimming when it was busy – so we suggested 20 swimmers maximum in the pool on a Sunday morning. The reception it got was amazing.

“It’s horrible to think people are missing out for various reasons.

“If anyone has anything they would like to add or any recommendation to get in touch, we will consider ideas, we will always look to cater for everyone.”

The team at the pool is also upping its efforts to be more green this year.

“We’ve gone more green conscious this year – reusable coffee cups, new recycling bins and we are really trying to drive recycling,” Michael said.

“We have also added a 20p deposit on anything plastic to make people bring it back so we can make sure it’s recycled.”

With big plans for the summer, the trustees are seeking volunteers to cope with the demands.

Michael added: “We are looking for volunteers and lifeguards – we have plans for a big summer so we need as many people as possible.”

If you are interested in volunteering, go to cirenopenair.com or call 01285 653947.