5th September 2010

The 4-year saga of our swimming pool continues. The glossy brochures never tell you how difficult they are to maintain. It all started when we realised that pools in France are a necessity, not a luxury. In hindsight (and all is so clear in hindsight, literally) we chose the wrong company, who charged us the earth but used the cheapest materials possible! As Him indoors says: it's a hole in the ground into which we pour money. Then, the leak followed in quick succession by the collapse of the pool because it was only the water that was holding it up.......and the fact that they said this kind of fault wasn't covered by their guarantee. Words failed me. But, even after the installation of a new liner, thick green algae started to grow and multiply. Nothing would kill it. Until now! At last, due to a chance remark from a friend, we found the man to fix it. However, even he couldn't clear 4-years' worth of algae regeneration. So, despite the danger of pool collapse, we emptied the pool, cleaned the liner with a special algicide then, importantly, added lots of sodium hypochlorite - liquid chlorine - as the water filled up. And, guess what? Our pool, at last, is crystal clear!
Him indoors says: before he could see a flaw in it, but now it's clear he can definitely see a floor in it.