As we sweat through the second heatwave of the summer, we are once again reminded of how poorly our country is set up to deal with hot weather. Leaving aside the lack of air conditioning and the sweltering trains, one of our biggest deficiencies is our lack of access to safe swimming. However, a new pool in the heart of London’s Canary Wharf shows what is possible. It could be the start of a natatorial renaissance across the country.

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I’ve always had issues with Canary Wharf. For three years in my early 20s, I masqueraded as a banker and the looming glass towers still bring back dark memories of suits and spreadsheets. More recently I have come to associate it with the point on the London Marathon course – roughly 18 miles in – where each year the wheels come off and my body begins its steady collapse towards the finish line. Either way, the place has never inspired uplifting thoughts. And yet, arriving at the new swimming area on a sunny Saturday morning, I couldn’t help but feel positive.

A 50-metre unheated freshwater ‘floating’ pool has been moored in Eden Dock beneath the skyscrapers. The water is natural – drawn from the dock, cut off from the Thames and........

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