To mark the lido’s 80th birthday, visitors will be able to have a cream tea and listen to pre-war music as staff model 1930s swimwear and lifeguard uniforms.

Entry is just one penny this weekend – the same price as when Tinside first opened its doors on October 2, 1935.

The event is symbolic of the way Plymothians have returned to the sea for pleasure, leisure and entertainment after decades of neglect.

The Hoe was always been the focal point for Plymothians. Pre-war photographs show tea dances, and even now regular events such as MTV Crashes, the British Fireworks Championships and the America’s Cup World Series draw crowds numbering in the tens of thousands.

Old-timers would notice the absence of the diving platforms along the foreshore, which were reckoned to be a health and safety risk – though perhaps not as great a risk as the tombstoning which has replaced them.

Tinside Lido, which hangs like a pearl on the neck of the Hoe, was almost consigned to history after is was closed in 1995. The council planned to concrete it over until a vigorous campaign led by Kevin Kelway saved it in 2005.

(Kevin Kelway)  submitted a Grade 2 listing to the British Government & awarded protection to the Lido in 1999

To its east, Sutton Harbour and the Barbican have had a makeover, some of it influenced by the Mackay Vision of 2003.

The picturesque harbour in the historic heart of the city is one of the finest in the country, with a five Gold Anchor rated marina.

The harbour, owned and operated by Sutton Harbour Holdings, is home to England’s second largest fresh fish market and the National Marine Aquarium.

Over the past decade historic buildings which have often lain derelict for many years have been redeveloped, bringing with them many new food and drink offerings.

In February Sutton Harbour Holdings won approval for its plans to create a £3million boardwalk, extending the Waterfront pedestrian links.

The development, due to begin at the end of the year, will include retail units, restaurants, cafes, and a water taxi berth.

The former Royal Navy victualling depot, built between 1826 and 1835, and closed in 1992, is a stunning collection of Grade I and Grade II listed buildings.

They have been converted into up-market apartments, offices, restaurants and galleries around a neat little harbour.

This year they were joined by Ocean Studios, a £4.2 million development providing studio space for more than 100 artists in the converted Grade I listed Factory Cooperage building.

Millbay transformed

Between the Hoe and Royal William Yard is Millbay, an important port for pre-War transatlantic ocean liners and now a ferry port, but for many years the haunt of prostitutes and the destitute.

Over the past eight or nine years the area has been transformed by English Cities Fund, which has developed desirable apartment blocks such as Cargo and Phoenix Quay.

Millbay is also home to the innovative free school, the Plymouth School of Creative Arts, which won the backing of Tate director, Sir Nicholas Serota.

In 2013 Sutton Harbour Holdings opened the £4 million King Point Marina, along with The Dock restaurant and café.

ECf’s new Quadrant Quay development has improved the links with the Hoe, and the ultimate aim is to reconnect to the city centre through a boulevard promoted by David Mackay.

Dockyard revolution

Perhaps one of the most important Waterfront transformations is the opening up of the Navy’s South Yard to the private sector, a key element of the Plymouth and South West Peninsula City Deal.

The 35 hectare site includes historic and listed buildings and docks with access to deep water.

The government has granted South Yard Enterprise Zone status, which will push ahead the aim to turn it into a hub for marine and maritime businesses. Building work is expected to start next year, but Princess Yachts has already established a presence in the Yard.