Good news. The ladies only classes have stopped at my leisure centre.

Frank that might very well be the case for you in your community. But can't you see past your own circumstances and realise many women are intimidated by men. They may have been brutally bashed and raped. Have you ever in your life had someone push their hand down your shirt, or put their hand up your trousers, lusted after you, stared at you, bashed you senseless, has anyone ever shoved something up your arse. No, I didn't think so, because if they had you might get what we are trying to explain to you.

Yes, and that is great, I prefer mixed classes too. And my grand-sons rugby club has one fantastic girl in his team. I played ice hockey when I was a kid, and so on. But some women feel differently, for whatever reason - and 'equality' has nothing to do with how we deal with this. Agreed that at a small pool or gym there might not be time or space - but each area should be able to provide some facilities - to ensure all have access and mainly, that all can stay as fit and healthy as possible.

What's made you so bitter?

Come on Frank - you and your chums just like seeing the women in lycra, don't you? Burkas would be no fun at all!!

Hi Faye

My daughters like the mixed classes. They say they like to make fun of the men who attend these classes. My mother in law told them I was no good at rugby etc at school so that is why she sent me to do keep fit classes.
My late wife was happy about me attending keep fit type classes as well.
The ladies I went to school with have made me welcome in the keep fit classes.

Frank

This has been quite surreal. Need a couple of to recover!

Think Frank might have retired from the fray , aka , the hole he has dug himself into !!!!!!!

Frank Some women don't like being leered at. Some men tend to perve, that is why there are some female only classes, besides other specific classes for all types of people in many leisure centres. Leisure centres try to cater for everybody. I am surprised when you have been married, have two daughters and three granddaughters, you have an attitude that is in last century, even the previous century in regards to women.

Oh well, that wouldn't be a lot of use for HunterF's 11pm ladies' sessions then would it?

I am afraid I agree with Frank - council run leisure centre classes should be open to all. Equality has to work both ways. I have never had a bad experience at our local centre with regard to swimming - the changing area is completely open to all - either individual changing cubicles or family cubicles. Men do not walk around leering at women or children. Our centre has very limited hours, particularly at weekends when it closes late afternoon, and the latest swimming in the week is 9.00 p.m. Of course there are swimming lessons, for both adults and children at different times, then the local swimming club uses the pool several times a week, oh and there are pool parties on a weekend afternoon. If we had ladies' only sessions as well entry would be extremely restricted for everybody.

Sorry, Frank but I am still not getting your point.
Nobody has said anything about Muslims being disowned, and as for moving with the times - I wonder if you need to as you seem to have a very biased view of equal rights and an inclusive society. You bring in all sorts of irrelevant references , but you still have not answered my questions, instead of which you seem to view women as a secondrate species who have to follow their leisure pursuits in the middle of the night so that you can go to the classes you want to. In your place I would not sound so pleased with myself as you have done in your original post and I am rather saddened at how prejudiced you sound.

Hunter I didn't ask for your life story - am not interested in your female dentist or GP and social club - I simply asked was it so important for you to attend the Bums & Tums class.

Many gyms are very macho - much of the equipment is in the main used by men - so is it any wonder that some women want a little session of their own.

Apart from religious and cultural reasons, there are many women who would prefer to occasionally exercise in an all-female environment - is that too much for them to ask?

As other posters have pointed out there are swimming classes for mums & toddlers, speed swimmers, etc., would you want them stopped because effectively you would be excluded?

In my opinion you were mean and petty, especially announcing it as 'Good news'

Agreed Jess - in fact it sounds very bitter, old-fashioned and intolerant (racist even?) sorry Frank. A bit sad really.

JessM

At the end of the day I am happy I can go to any class and that is what I intend to do.
Women demanded equality and it has got to work the other way round.
Perhaps we may be having mixed football and rugby in future.

Frank

Making less and less sense now Frank

Hi gracesmum

I know there are male aerobics instructors.
There have never been any where I do aerobics.
Why do these women have to attend single sex classes.
I know a muslim woman who has married a Welsh man.
I think her parents were a little shocked at first but they have not disowned her.
They have accepted that they have got to move with the times.

Frank

I'm absolutely not following you, HunterF. Please , pretty pleaae explain why women should turn out at 11 pm to go to a leisure centre?
I don't get the relevance of your comment about reitred men who are carers. What has that got to do with it?
Lots of women are at work at 8 am too.
There are plenty of male aerobics instructors - I have had them at a local health club.
A series of non-sequiturs does not to my way of thinking address the issue of single sex classes versus mixed classes or what women who are unable to attend mixed classes are expected to do - apart from taking a running jump?

O'h I think they should have male aerobics instructors.
Since leaving school I have not had a single male fitness instructor.

Frank

Hi glammanana

At 8am Monday to Friday I was at work when I worked in London and Birmingham.

Oldgreymare

I did mean 11pm.
2 of the retired men are carers for their mothers.
They find an 11am class suitable for them.

Yes their mothers are happy to have them as carers even though they are male.
They do not want to go into care or pay for female carers to come in

Frank

What a good maxim SHYSAL will it be noted though !!!!!

On the few occasions I attended a ladies only swimming session I found most of them stood in groups talking at the shallow end! I soon switched to mixed-sex times.
You have an answer to every comment, Frank. Calm down dear!

Especially the housework glamma - we know our place, and it is not at the leisure centre with all the chaps is it?

^^ obviously jesting

Please tell me why men cannot go earlier in the day say 8am at that time all the "ladies" will be at home doing the housework/breakfasts/shopping.

The problem is that some men have a sexually predatory attitude to women, and unfortunately sometimes to children.

When I took my GS swimming I became quite suspicious of solitary males swimming around near the children's swimming classes. There was just something about their expressions.

And I was instructed by my daughter not to allow her young son into the male changing rooms by himself so he had to come in the women's one with me.

Why is that?

As someone has already said, many women value a bit of time together and away from males and the hope is that nice men like 'HUNTERF' will understand our position and be just a little bit accommodating.

I started typing this BEFORE the above 2 posts!