In the swim? (From Barry And District News)

In the swim?

WITH regard to the free swimming pilot scheme that the Vale Council has introduced in the Vale Leisure Centres for children during the summer holidays.

Initially I was delighted that the council had introduced this scheme because it is important for children to understand the benefits of regular exercise from a young age.

In the first week of the summer holidays I took my two children (aged 12 and 8) to Barry Leisure centre for a free swim.

My daughter is a competent swimmer who is building up her stamina and my son is learning to swim and is building up his confidence in the water.

When we arrived we found that a third of the pool was roped off for the adult swimmers (of which there were two using it) and that the remainder was so packed with bodies you were barely able to get in the pool let alone swim.

Surely there must be some health and safety legislation as to the number of people allowed in. Will it take a fatality before something is done about it?

As a result of this I decided the following week to take the children to an "early bird" swim, where you are unable to use the free swim passes, but I thought that if we actually had some space to swim it would be worth paying.

Nowhere in the leisure centre itself or its summer programme does it state that children are unwelcome at the "early bird" swim and I was not challenged when I paid at the reception desk, or by the lifeguard at the pool side.

When we entered the pool there were two adults swimming lengths (not in the roped off part) and I told my children to ensure that they did not get in the way of these ladies while they were swimming.

My children respect their elders and their behaviour was exemplary - they stayed at one side of the pool and did not interfere with anyone else's swimming.

About ten minutes into our swim an elderly lady entered the pool and immediately asked the lifeguard why he had let children in, as in her opinion it was adults only.

I would just like to say thanks very much to that woman for being so spiteful. We were not in her way or causing any nuisance or obstruction.

The only reason she had for complaining about us was the fact that there were two children in the pool.

I have taken this matter further with the authorities concerned but I just wonder if the boot had been on the other foot and if I had complained about this lady's age would my children have been treated more favourably? I doubt it very much.

So, if the council's free scheme works out at £4.85 for 25 minutes of swimming, I think we'll find somewhere else in future.

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