Exciting leisure centres

[gmoney]

Discos in swimming pools, whatever next.  I bet some business types hold important meetings in swimming pools, and stand up to their nipples in chlorinated water in smart suits and ties and everything.

Whilst not quite what you suggest, I feel this is close enough to be worth mentioning.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6356036/Maldives-government-holds-underwater-cabinet-meeting.html

President Mohamed Nasheed, dressed in full scuba gear, conducted the 30-minute meeting at a depth of 20 feet off the coast just north of the capital Male.
Most of the island nation, a tourist paradise featuring coral reefs and white sand beaches, lies less just over three feet above sea level and scientists have warned it could be uninhabitable in less than 100 years.
Aminath Shauna, the event's co-ordinator, said the ministers had signed their wetsuits, which would be auctioned on the protectthemaldives.com website to raise money for coral reef protection in the atoll-chain.
The government arranged a horseshoe-shaped table on the seabed for the ministers, who communicated using white boards and hand signals.
The Divers Association of Maldives said the ministers, who had trained over the past two months, felt confident about the unprecedented meeting.

[Replies From View]

Great picture from that article.  That's the kind of thing I was thinking of.  Sitting at a desk with a proper name-label and writing underwater like it's the most natural thing on earth.  Nothing floating away or anything.  All that's missing is the standard business suit and tie.

After signing his name I hope he wandered across the seabed to another desk (just out of shot) and casually placed the signed document into somebody's inbox.

[Vinnie01]

Probley swimming pool changing room access probley be underwater soon too. Well remembered weird dream.

[Cerys]

That's a really weird shape for a horseshoe.

[Vinnie01]

Heres the Simple Looking Building from the 1970's of the North Herts Leisure Centre in Letchworth



I even seen the Gym as I walked through with the manager there

[Vinnie01]

This is another Swimming Pool currently being redeveloped in St Albans and managed to find a picture of the water slides which they used to call the Aquazooms  and this one too goes in to like a shed with a splash pool. Its another name for the swimming pool is the Westiminster Lodge

This is the Building of this swimming pool



This is the Leisure Centre Being done up at this moment



This is the waterslides I believe will be removed as they are not used. This water slide used mats before too.




The Main pool in this one used to look like Stevenage's Old Pool which is rectangular and with diving boards. The Pool may change completly now and may have underwater CCTV Cameras.

[An Actual Propeller]

We had this growing up in Sunderland.  Bet you're jealous.



This particular establishment was infamous for the following, as verified by the Idler's Crap Towns II: The Nation Decides book:

The Crowtree leisure centre dominates the centre of this town. Rusting and stained with grime, it is divided by a walkway where you come across old men gawping through the glass at swimming children. Its size and location also means the street it's on never gets any daylight (or rather the watery and grey light that passes for daylight in Sunderland).

Thankfully, for us pre-pubescents into music rather than sport, indie record shop Volume Records was on this very street.

[Vinnie01]

This is an Example of what the Storm Slide at Swindon is like, Except being red it is black inside with striped lighting as I saw on the Pictures. The lights are mainly on the dips going down that produce a flashing effects. Also as many said the tunnel is narrower.



I found on 1 of the youtube videos and decided to screen shot it to show others what storm water slide is probley like. As I cant ride it due to my health reasons and its speed and some may be afraid to ride it.

[Blumf]

The lights are mainly on the dips going down that produce a flashing effects.

Do they have warning for people with epilepsy?

[Vinnie01]

Their website does have the warning, I dont remember seeing any notices. Could notices for it somewhere.


Heres the warning about this waterslide on their website

The Storm

Our newest flume, smaller in circumference than the other flumes, allows you to plunge at high speed into the pool at the bottom and to see if you have the 'fastest ride of the day'. This flume must be ridden feet first, on your back with ankles together and arms folded across your chest.

Please Note: This flume has a striped lighting effect that can give the sensation of flashing lights. It may therefore not be suitable for anyone with photosensitive epilepsy.

[Vinnie01]

               
                 I finally went back to my Local Pool and found they were playing music while we were swimming. Unlike the Wave Pool (North Herts) I go to on Friday nights where they don't have music on in the pool and if the wave machine actually works then that would be turned on. Possible cause why the wave machine does not always work 1. People accessed the plantroom and not resetted it. 2 Pressure Changes exceeded limit or went below the limit and caused it to cut off. 3 People can't find the key.

The Flume there at the Moment I think is being refurbished.

Amazing how people get scared if they see a Phone in Condom floating in the pool.

[Replies From View]

What is a phone-in condom?  I think I'm scared just by the name.

[Vinnie01]

Some people use condoms to waterproof electricals just like the old war times people using condoms to waterproofing weapons.

Some underwater photographers uses this to film underwater.

[Replies From View]

Good grief, what perverts!

I now have an image of David Attenborough in my head, giving some underwater analysis of sea life around him, with everything from his nose upwards protected by an inflated condom.

[KLG-7A]

Oh, you mean a phone in a condom. Thank fuck.

[Vinnie01]

Probley not that perverted to be honest. Or I can say the war troppers would be perverted for using it for their stuff.

As for underwater camera they probley can't afford it either.

[Vinnie01]

Those who wonder about Swimming fridays or Sundays, This is a special swimming club for people with disabilities so therefore the pool is actually closed to public during this time. You pay certain amount per year for membership. They are both at different pools.

Also I am very interested with the swimming pool plant machinary too.

[Morrison Lard]

As a kid I used to stand outside our old swimming pool for ages lapping up the pool smell after swimming.
Sometimes I'd just ride me bike down there for a smell anyway.

[Replies From View]

That is the smell of chlorine and a thousand small boys' winkies.

[Vinnie01]

If you like smell of Chlorine just go around to the back where the plant room is and you smell it there very strongly. I smell it all the time at work as the kitchen I often collect stuff from is next to a swimming pool.

Or you can always get a pool plantroom tour and probley be able to smell it that way.

[KLG-7A]

Maybe... maybe you shouldn't be breathing in all those chlorine fumes.

[Morrison Lard]

hehe, I've been chlorine-free for many years now.

Back to leisure centres, sort of, Center Parcs pool was bloody brilliant.
Went when I was about 10 and it was one of the most exciting things ever, swimming outside at night.
Those rapids there were the business. The rest of Center Parcs was absolute crap though.

[Vinnie01]

I never ever been to a Centre Park but someone did compare Swindon's Oasis with Centre Parcs before I visited there.

I have heard they have lots of water slides and wave machines and etc. Same goes to Butlins I never been to 1 of those either before.

As for smelling chlorine its a smell that lingers out of the back of the kitchen that all of us have to cope with.


I still remember that Small Leisure Centre had a rectangular pool but they used to get out floats on 1 afternoon and this leisure centre is in Deeping St James. The Lifeguard were quite friendly there. I don't know if it still there it wasnt that great but there is a good leisure pool in stamford somewhere I never been there.

[Leminence Grise]

remember going to a pool in scunthorpe with a wave machine which was pretty good but by the late eighties this place in scarborough was really the business:

there were two gigantic waterslides, the River Rapids (a.k.a. the knee scuffer), and the Revolution Waveball created an amazing sea atmosphere (without the fish)
kind of breaks my heart to see it now:

but i expect the costs are phenomenal to keep an outdoor pool like this warm enough, never mind the pump maintenance etc.

[Vinnie01]

It is a very big shame when something like a Leisure Centre or Water Park ends up being closed down. Same goes to some wave pools as there is a lot of abandoned Wave Pools.


That is trouble with the money system. Wave machines especially pneumatics  can be costly as my local wave pool only runs it every 1/2 hour only on Weekends can it run only for 3 mins due to blower issues. Other part of the Pool can be very costly to run including waterslides.

There probley is too many that rather stay indoors and watch TV or play games and etc instead of going out like swimming or other sports  in these places which is causing less money coming in.

Ie Swindon Oasis is over £6 per hour if on peak time and they get very busy the run the wave machine I think every 15 mins. Where my local Wave pool does not get that much compared to Swindon and price is about £4.30 with no time limit, swimming on saturday would be £2.30 on concession rate for me. The wave machine is only run once on Friday nite for this Club I am with, and every 1/2 hour on Sat and Sunday. During School Hols I think wave machine is used in the week.

Its either prices or loss of interests with 1/2 of people causing most of these pools or centres to close down. Oasis Swindon is set to sell off their pool and I was told they are going demolish it but the lifeguards said they are going to refurbish it.

[Vinnie01]

As for the Leisure Centre at St Albans I was walking past it, the green water slides are totally shut off and swimming pool will be transferred to the new building in oct. So I don't know what the new pool has in it probley another pool which is just for swimming. So I think the waterslides will go with the old building.

The Main pool at St Albans Looks like Stevenage's Old Pool When I looked at it. The Splash pool for the Slides are closed off. The Old sign that points to the Aquazooms has been removed. I bet they thrown out all the waterslide matt they may came in use for other waterslides if they were getting rid of them ie Swindon's Great White would done me very well for.

[Vinnie01]

Letchworth Leisure Centre's Wave Machine update

I found out yesturday that it is a Pneumatic-Paddle system after putting cameras in there with bright LED lights to see what is up above the water level I managed to reveal that pipe inside the chamber's top. It looks like it terminates with like a 1/2 of a ball shaped ring and on that level it looked metal which suggests a paddle. Air I believe is directly blown at the paddle pushing down the paddle (not necessarly touching water) and when water returns the water pushes the paddle up until it blows again. When it runs it sounds like a Tardis in Dr Who.

At the moment the wave machine has not worked for 3 weeks due to problems with the key.

[alan nagsworth]

I don't know about you guys, but all these grotty photos and details of the inner workings of some of these magical contraptions has completely ruined the magic of leisure centres for me. Here I've been convinced that Neptune and his mighty Krill Army have been propelling the waves both on and off the coast all these years. I feel so alone now. So alone.

[doppelkorn]

Mate, having worked as a lifeguard for many years, you don't want to know what happens if someone releases yesterday's tea into the pool.

"Yeah I do, they have a special hoover", you say.

This is correct but what happens to it once it's in the hoover? I know.

I know.

[mook]

do they throw the old special hoover away and then buy a new one?