I suppose I shouldn’t have been annoyed, but…

I always think gearing everything around children in the school holidays is a bit like all my favourite programmes disappearing when there's football on.

I think I'd have taken their things and chucked them in the pool.

I avoid the pool in the school holidays. It's the only way. Mind you school classes use it during term time too so you can be really unlucky. 😕

ferry23

I always think gearing everything around children in the school holidays is a bit like all my favourite programmes disappearing when there's football on.

I think I'd have taken their things and chucked them in the pool.

I agree. Is the usual retrain ‘oh we can’t do that because is school holidays’, so much has to be given up/postponed.

I'm in a medium level Nuffield gym, which isn't really "family friendly" as such, except for some sessions at the weekend that have to be booked, and swimming lessons in one lane out of 3.

So in fact atm even better swims as people are on holiday. I pay around £50 a months but as I go to the gym for gym or swim 4/5 times a weeks its less than a coffee each time. Aircon in the summer, heat in winter.

No I am not being paid to advertise I just am happy in my gym. for 24 years now. The council do run decent swim pools with summer rules but they have adult only slots - BUT that may be evenings or early "before work" times, an most people our ages like in the day time.

Our pool has cubicles and lockers.

A while ago one chap had left all his stuff in a cubicle, the one I usually use.

I just used another cubicle.

Next day, same thing. I was cross, I picked up all his stuff, including a mobile phone on top, and dumped them on a plastic seat in the open space. And went and complained to staff.

Didn’t happen again, (touch wood).

Annoying thing is, notices all over telling you to use the lockers and that stuff left in cubicles will be put in lost property. Never happens.

It only needs one person ‘bagging’ a cubicle then others think they’ll do the same.

Don't use pool when children have been. Don't know what they've left in the water.

I think it's easy to forget the time when we were bringing up children ourselves.

They have a right to exist in spaces we enjoy too.

It's sad that it spoiled your usual swim but at least they're not sat in front of screens for the whole summer.

In view of the number of drownings there have been this summer shouldn't we be encouraging families to learn to swim during the holidays?. Not all schools have swimming lessons now

But that could be any day and every day!
Our pool is closed is there is any, er, debris found in it.
The routine is removal and disinfection. (I.e. large amounts of chlorine dumped in)

Have 3 Council swimming pools within 8 miles of me. Absolkute

Phone gone wonky above, or rather the signal. 3 pools yet nightmare to get a booking. Try from 8 am without success. Can get a GP appointment easier. Same with palate classes. I refuse to go to private gyms when I already pay in my council tax.

I remember years ago, at a health club I used to go to where there were only a couple of curtained off cubicles. As such there was a notice to the effect "Don't leave personal belongings here, put them in a locker" but oh no some individual wanted it available for when she came back after her swim, not for the first time, she'd neatly stacked all her clothes and body products, precluding anyone else from using it. Not wanting to move someone else's stuff, I asked a staff member to do it. The owner of the stuff came back and was utterly outraged what is it with some people, who feel that they're so special that they must have whatever they want even if that inconveniences everyone else?

That wasn't a David Lloyd Club but I was a member at one of theirs before I moved. Mainly because it had an outdoor pool. My beef with them, when the weather was hot, every man and his dog would roll up, you could bring in a guest, boy were there a lot in this type of weather. So the mugs actual members couldn't get near the pool. Membership was very expensive from what I remember. Locally, DL have applied to open one where I live now.

I can emphasise with this letter so much. I swim twice a week and since the summer holidays started I have not been able to go at the same time as I usually do (because they have inflatables in the pool for the kids). So I have to go at a different time which costs me £3 more and even then, although it is classed as a "fitness swim", there are lots of young people in the pool just messing around. I have complained to the management as I feel us regular swimmers are being ignored during the school holidays. The whole point of a "fitness swim" is to keep us fit and I am not getting the opportunity to do this when the kids are on school holidays!

ferry23

I always think gearing everything around children in the school holidays is a bit like all my favourite programmes disappearing when there's football on.

I think I'd have taken their things and chucked them in the pool.

Really? Bit OTT.

How about thinking of the kids and families? This is only for the Summer holidays, there’s the rest of the year for peaceful swimming.

MammaTJ

I think it's easy to forget the time when we were bringing up children ourselves.

They have a right to exist in spaces we enjoy too.

It's sad that it spoiled your usual swim but at least they're not sat in front of screens for the whole summer.

Exactly.

eddiecat78

In view of the number of drownings there have been this summer shouldn't we be encouraging families to learn to swim during the holidays?. Not all schools have swimming lessons now

I agree absolutely - I do just wish there had been a notice from David Lloyd about it, since I’d have chosen a different time to go. I only use the pool, and the monthly subscription is not cheap.
And I do think there should be a very visible notice about not bagging cubicles!! Just use a locker like everyone else, FFS.

Oreo

How about thinking of the kids and families? This is only for the Summer holidays, there’s the rest of the year for peaceful swimming.

I just think it would have been a courtesy for DL to inform members of the change. They are eager enough to bombard me with requests to ‘rate your visit’…..

I do agree that it is importantly that children can swim but tbh I heard that the majority of drownings in the summer are of those who can swim and venture out too far or get caught in high tide currents/rip tides. The worst culprits are those who consider themselves strong swimmers and take risks.

*important not importantly

Shouldn’t get irritated by posts like these, or about children swimming. Glad they are taken. In the great scheme of things? All that women endure?

I don't really think I can complain about the inflatable sessions, over the years I've taken both children and grandchildren to them. Of course these sessions need to be shown on a timetable so adults wishing to lane swim, which is me these days, can swerve them. Where I go now, is a public school that have long since opened their sporting facilities to the general public. The pool is 25 metres, which is larger than the average club pool. We have a timetable that factors in the school swimming sessions during term time, they have their own changing rooms, so they're completely separate. I couldn't believe how much cheaper this place is compared to what I used to pay at David Lloyds where I used to live and before they opened, I was at what is now a Nuffield, but they used to be a chain called Cannons.

So much of this thread resonates!! I get it re children - lifesaver when they were young and wouldn't change it tbh. We soon get our slots back. However - the cubicles thing!! How - just HOW - can anyone go off, comfortable to know that while you're gone no-one else can have the privacy you just enjoyed? These are the people who park their towels on a sunbed and go off to have breakfast or a wander - quite okay with knowing other people can't enjoy the shade while you're gone for two hours. You could get staff to do it but you're in your cossie all wet etc. I wouldn't chuck stuff in the pool (I think that was hyperbole for comic effect). I'd love to put it in a locker but I'd worry myself sick that they'd come back mid-move and maybe even accuse me of breaking/nicking something. I used to strip off at the drop of a hat (even known to hide behind a pillar in a store to try something on) but now I like a bit of bloody privacy to do my necessary bits like moisturising etc. Lots of women strip off and I admire them for it and never judge but give me a cubicle please and don't be so bloody selfish FFS. Phew! Sorry but that rant felt goooood...

Good to see I am not the only one! but then I don`t go swimming,, it is just that school holidays, us older people just need to retire! I am joking of course, but good to hear the grumbles..