First day of the new Dulwich Swimming Pool

[Weegee]

This evening I dashed down to Dulwich Leisure Centre for the first day of its reopening.

Its fantastic! I walked into the new entrance on Crystal Palace Road and was amazed at the very swish bright open reception.

The changing rooms were impressive too , very smart, new and clean! It just reminded me of the private gyms such as David Lloyd, Virgin Active that I had been a member of in the past.

The re-development of the pool itself is excellent , especially the roof and bright all around.

Looks great and a great job.

I look forward to many more swims there in the future!

[RosieH]

Ooh, this is very exciting indeed. Gonna get me in there.

[louisiana]

Does anyone know if they have secure cycle parking on site?

[karter]

Very nice job indeed. I used the temporary gym as the main gym is now closed, it's tiny (a studio) and with only one weight machine. Lots of customers complaining about the size of it. I can't see how we will all fit in there at peak time. Should be fun trying though. They hopefully will fill the other studio with more gym kit. Oh, and please don't tell me that they spent all of that cash to not include a jacuzzi, sauna or steam room? James Barber, if you were to make a loft conversion in your house wouldn't you put a shower/toilet/bathroom in the loft?? Don't tell me, no space, i hear you.

[huncamunca]

I suppose this will mean a huge drop in the numbers of ED residents who have been using Peckham Pulse whilst ED pool is shut.

haha a little joke on my part.

[tomk]

Facilities are first class, though this morning the water and changing rooms were pretty cold (the former too cold for small kids, the latter too cold for even adults). Hopefully they will up the heating a notch and then it is really quite a (re)addition to the area.

[Moos]

louisiana Wrote:

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> Does anyone know if they have secure cycle parking

> on site?

Louisiana, I saw a covered bike rack outside the entrance but it wasn't in use today.

[east-of-the-Rye]

I went for a swim yesterday. The new facilities are great, the changing rooms and showers so much better, and the cafe looks good though I didn't get a chance to try it.

But, what's happened to the depth of the pool? Although there is a notice saying "Deep End" it appears to say that it is only be 1.45m at its deepest point,and I at 1.57m tall could stand up every where. Maybe someone is going to tell me that the pool has one of those moveable floors that some pools have? If so, it's not mentioned in any of the publicity material.

I did look at the consultation exhibition and get the regular info updates from the Council, some of which I've just checked, and I don't think there was anything in them about making the pool shallower.

I know it might seem a bit early to complain about the place when I like so many others are really pleased to have a local pool again, but it just seems a pity to reduce facilities, if that is what they've done.

[Jeremy]

What's the problem? Is it more difficult to swim in shallower water?

[V511]

Just been to the new Leisure centre and here are some thoughts.

I am a regular gym user there and for those like me who really liked the imbalance in the number & type of machines, the gold star reliability of said machines and the ease of getting on a machine in peak time, you won't be disappointed. In fact you will be delighted as imagine all that in 1/3rd of the space for the next 6 months.

Basically, most of the bike & weight machines have gone. There's about 8 treadmills, 4 step, 3 bike type machine, 2 cross trainers (1 not working), 1 rowing machine (computer not working), 1 multi gym weight, 1 bench & dumbbells and area for 2 mats. Plus, as the room was designed as a studio one wall is all mirrored...and yes the machines are all facing that wall, so we can all enjoy seeing our wobbly bits flapping about! Oh and the air conditioning wasn't working.

And you have to change in the swimming pool changing rooms which a) don't have a lot of seating space b) have the lockers backing on to the seating benches so people can't get to their locker without you moving and c) it means that you have to walk back through reception to get to the gym, which when you're coming back all hot and sweaty is not the best look when passing those eating their foccias and caffe lattes in the cafe.

All in all i'm delighted at the changes... :'(

[Narnia]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> What's the problem? Is it more difficult to swim

> in shallower water?

It's more difficult to drown!

[Ladymuck]

Moos Wrote:

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> Louisiana, I saw a covered bike rack outside the

> entrance but it wasn't in use today.

Moos, was it a single or multiple bike rack please?

[louisiana]

Moos Wrote:

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> louisiana Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Does anyone know if they have secure cycle

> parking

> > on site?

>

> Louisiana, I saw a covered bike rack outside the

> entrance but it wasn't in use today.

Thanks Moos, but not sure if I get your drift... Was it not yet commissioned/operational? Or was it operational but with no bikes secured there?

[east-of-the-Rye]

I guess it is safer for the water to be shallower, but it's not actually shallow enough for a non-swimming child not to drown.

Some reasons to have some deep water:

- children's lessons at the pool used to have some time spent on diving - not deep into the water as it never was deeper enough for that, but the shallow type dive. I think extra depth would make that safer in case they get the angle wrong

- I think it's good to have some water where you are out of your depth - for learners it means they really can swim,

- I just like the feeling of swimming down to the bottom and feeling that i'm really under water, not just touching where I could bend down to any way.

O.k. my views seem to be in a minority, and as I said, I'm glad it's repoened.

[Moos]

Hi Louisiana

Sorry, I saw it in passing and from a distance so am not completely sure. It looked complete to me and ready to be used but was behind the area that was for today being used for the bouncy castle so I guess it wasn't yet open to be used. I'd guess that once the bouncy castle goes it will be open for use.

Ladymuck (thanks Pickle! :-$), it was for several bikes.

HTH

Moos

[kristymac1]

east-of-the-Rye Wrote:

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> - children's lessons at the pool used to have

> some time spent on diving - not deep into the

> water as it never was deeper enough for that, but

> the shallow type dive. I think extra depth would

> make that safer in case they get the angle wrong

>

Very true - my sister shallow dived into our local pool when she was 15, got the angle wrong, hit her head off the bottom and broke her neck....

[KidKruger]

Glad it's open again, damn it was coooold in the water though !

[Mick Mac]

I can't swim, so I'm happy that it is not deeper. As our my kids, who can swim, but are not tall.

[Lee Scoresby]

When Dulwich closed, I went to Peckham Pulse - and stumbled on major shenanigans. In the summer, they throw all pool users out after one hour to let new (PAYING) customers in. No signs, no warning (avoiding public awareness and anger - cunning, eh?), and in reality I was pointlessly ejected from the swimmers' side-lane after only 20 minutes! Add an abusive staff member (just one, don't get me wrong) and repeated refusals by Southwark to get a grip on this nonsense. It was Goodbye Fusion!

Since then, I've been shlepping to the Brixton Rec, which is OK y'know: reading on the bus, gorgeous soukous music wafting thru sunny Brixton Market, maybe a post-pool cuppa java at the Ritzy, all of that. But, well, winter is setting in, and the 37 is going down the toobs (40m wait this evening, then a convoy of 3).

So I'm glad our local pool has re-opened. I will go and plunge the ancient bod. The huge huge problem is that lousy old Fusion is still running the show.

Regular users of the old baths became very familiar with endless queues and poor pool management. I don't want to rehash matters discussed on a previous EDF thread. I do ask myself how this shambolic outfit gets these contracts from our elected local authority when they probably couldn't manage a glass of water.

I simply say to pool users, keep asking yourself how well OUR new pool facility is being managed. Don't settle for anything less than fairness and excellence.

Lee Scorseby

[Ladymuck]

Moos Wrote:

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> Ladymuck (thanks Pickle! :-$), it was for several

> bikes.

Great! Thanks Moos.

I'm pleased about the shallower pool too as am not too confident in the deep end. And bike racks too...yippee!

[Earl Aelfheah]

If one is going to bother differentiating between a shallow end and a deep end - then there should be a proper difference. There seems little point in having a shallow end and a shallower end.

[waynetta]

Recreate the fun of a visit to a public swimming pool in your own home by filling the bath with cold water, adding two bottles of bleach, then urinating into it before jumping in.

[IrishDancer]

Love what they've done to the place, very modern. Pool looks great but it's very cold,couldn't manage the 1 hour swimming with toddler as she was freezing!! Also there doesnt seem to be any anti slip mats in the changing rooms,can be very dangerous,I slipped twice,went to have a shower and the water was tepid. Other than that little moan, I love it.

[Ladygooner]

I imagine the pool was only filled last Friday? It will take at least a week to come up to the correct temperature

[????]

It takes a lot of 5 Year olds' wee and that's a fact Ladyg