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

Grannyeggs , excited ???????

This time next week , wooo eee Grandma, as the nips say .

Hi HildaW

Half six to half seven were the times I liked to attend aerobic classes and I went 4 nights a week and Sunday Morning.
When I was getting towards the end of my working life I did not like going after 8pm.
If they want ladies only classes why not have them at about 11pm as very few men would want to use the leisure centre at that time.
Also the centre I go to does not open on Saturday and Sunday evening and shuts at about 8pm on a Friday.
If you got what you wanted the men would only be able to go 2 nights a week.

Frank

Ah, yes, of course, by 11 pm the men will have finished and gone home, so the ladies can have their turn then. And if they find themselves followed at midnight by tipsy stalkers, no need to be afraid. Just make sure they are not wearing skimpy clothing - then they will be quite safe.

Oh Frank, you are certainly being mischievous!

How many women are going to go out at 11pm to use a leisure centre? Be reasonable! Many women don't like being out after dark and that means nothing after 4pm in the winter.Even if there was public transport at that time few women would use it. Can you imagine a mum going to the leisure centre at 11 pm? What do you mean the men would only be able to go 2 nights a week? Do only men go out to work? And who says that men only go in the evening or women during the day? I am sorry, HunterF but I just do not see where you are coming from. My point about reduced rates was not directly in connection with you but that different usages mostly pay different rates. As you say you went 4 nights a week and Sunday morning I think you were probably getting good value for money for your money and some poor woman who goes to her weekly all female aquarobics or pilates class may have to give that up because sessions are only mixed.
If I am being honest, what strikes me as really outrageous, is your statement that "any ladies who want ladies only classes should go to private gyms. Their membership fees are a lot higher...etc *but that is their problem*" This is so "I'm all right Jack" as to beggar belief

HunterF I do hope that was a slip of the finger and that you meant 11 a.m. (at 11 p.m. NO woman would want to use the leisure centre!)

I stopped using the gym at my leisure centre as it was dominated by men who did not understand the idea of taking turns on the equipment and who did not wipe down said equipment after copious amounts of sweating. Yuch!

Women only sessions would allow more women to get/keep fit in a non-threatening environment.

P.S. I'm not saying that all men who attend leisure centres bahave in this way, but there were enough to put me off!

P.P.S. Well said, as ever Gracesmum.

I started typing this BEFORE the above 2 posts!

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.

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.

^^ obviously jesting

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

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!

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

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

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

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?

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

Making less and less sense now Frank

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

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

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'

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.

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.

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

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.

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