I HAVE recently started my daughter on swimming lessons at the Stadium pool. Foolishly I thought I would go swimming myself during the week.

Fat chance of that. I got the pool timetable, so as to avoid activities which I wouldn’t be interested in. I looked at the time table and inquired; if there is no allocated activity is the pool open?

No, it’s closed unless activity is allocated.

Well, looking at the timetable, which is timed between 7am and 11pm, 16 hours per day, over week days only (80 hours), the pool is only available for use 37.75 hours! Less that 50% of that time and some of that is swimming lessons.

Why? Look at the Waterloo Gym, open 6.30am I think until 10pm most days. If the club is open so are the pools! Why is the Stadium pool out of action so much?

Why is the pool closed from 9am-ish Sunday morning until about 3.30pm? Why is the family swim ( aimed at children) at 6pm Saturday night having being out of action since 4pm? If we took the children to the Saturday evening family session it makes for tea at around 8.30pm. Then straight to bed for the children.

If you want to go for a ‘public swim’ you can, so long as you don’t work daytime hours. Unless of course you fancy 7.15pm Sunday evening!

Weekday public swims Monday 3pm,Thursday 2.30pm and Friday 3pm. Like I say, great if you don’t work during the day. Oh, I almost missed it; I can go for an early swim at 7am/7.30am swim any week day. So the children will just have to get themselves to school.

Hopeful swimmer

Fenay Bridge