This is a fascinating new establishment in association with Jospeh Chamberlain Sixth form College…read more It used to be an unused land for some years and has been used very well for this venture. I have only used the fitness part of the gym (weights being downstairs) and can tell you it is a fabulous atmosphere to be in with all the high tech machines and it overlooks the contrasting scene of the the traffic from its large windows. Most of the cardio machines have built in television in them with some sky channel channel viewings. The place is also nice and clean. I have to say the changing rooms/ shower room could have been made bigger as there is only two shower cubicals there so you might find yourself having to wait till someone has finished before you can use them. There is also a large gymnastics room on the second floor as the fitness suite.

I have to say although this centre is large with the availability of a gym facility having ideal…read morenumber of machines and a pool you do not really get a motivating, feel good factor atmosphere in there. It is like old and dull in there with a television there that does not work. I have checked the mens changing room and was appauled with the grafitti on the walls and no attempts to have got them taken off. One good thing which im not too sure whether it is in fact one is the availability of a large car park on site for the gym goers.

It is a place that could be brought up to a decent standard if some money were to spent on it by…read morethe council. As you say, the standard of cleanliness leaves alot to be desired,repairs are not carried out, it seems the council are determined to close all the local leisure centres down. This place is obviously poorly managed, looks like no one could care less about the state of the place. It's about time the Public Health Authoity had a look at it, especially the toilets.

it's dirty staff is rude and it has a bad location definitely wouldn't recommend please send your…read morekids somewhere else also it cost too much money

A friend shared with me that a relative of ip man actually runs this school. Quite impressive and…read morefor those who don't know ip man taught Bruce lee.

I would like to give some positive feedback for Aisha who was at front desk,who spoke politely and…read morein a professional manner.She is an asset to this fitness centre.

I quite enjoyed my experience at this gym as it was medium sized and had hygiene sanitaries there…read morefor use prior and after using machines. I went there because of a free promotion that was going on but i did not like the fact that the staff knew nothing about this, and did not seem willing to deal with the matter but then did. It could do with air conditioning facilities though to enhance better enjoyment. Also has a large pool for extra fitness so thats good.

Now I know that I can't properly review the skate ramp having not used it, but no matter how much I…read morelove skateboarding I have zero balance ability. Having dated and hung out with skaters I know the pain to find a good skate spot and the lack of ramps, even more so in a central location. Whilst not a user I love that this space is run by the guys at Ideal for the love of skateboarding and providing a space. It's not a profit-making ramp and the details of how to access it, become a member etc. are as follows: The deal is that they need to pay the rent on the space so you need to give them a little money towards upkeep. That's all, they aren't trying to make money from it, just cover the expenses of the place. It's £20 a year and then £2 per day or if you a more random visitor then it'll be £3.50 a time. If you want to join up you need to visit the Ideal store with 2 passport-sized photos/printouts plus the £20 and sign a waiver. And then it's a go! The ramp is open when the shop is open plus they do a late night on Wednesdays.

Indoor ramps are close to being extinct, with skate parts in general. Just the fact there is one in…read morethe heart of the Custard Factory; and its run by the guys who own the skate shop next door is a triumph in its self. Though the ramp is cheap to use its upkeep is amazing, last time I went a few weeks ago a wall light was broken, the owners took the time to go out and get a replacement bulb and fix it n for us. The ramp is a single half pipe set up with a few different height drop ins, the art on the walls around it set up and atmosphere and it's easy to see why so many photo and video shoots have taken place here, Nike have almost been known to use the space to air their new skate commercials. Opening times match the shops but they often do late night and all night ramp parties. We pay £3.50 every time we use it but there is a membership system in place. UPDATE: Hot off the press guys, Ideal have moved into another bigger unit next to their old one, they are refurbishing it at the moment but its looking great!

Moseley Rd Baths is a truly historic building and one that has been fought for by local residents…read morein recent times. Still popular with families and young people alike, I myself have a real sentimentality for the place being as it was where I learnt to swim. With architectural charm and original Victorian features, including now outdated separate sex entrances and wash baths, this is a piece of living history. The pools themselves lie beneath huge arched ceilings which does wonders for the acoustics and it is a testament to the campaign work of local people that these baths are still functioning as they were intended to and not fallen victim to budget cuts. If you fancy a splash with young family members then it's more than welcoming, if however you would prefer to swim some quiet lengths then my advice would be to arrive early to avoid the screams and chaos of younger pool users.

I first learnt how to swim at Moseley Road Swimming Baths when I was at school. In that respect,…read morethese baths have some sentimental value. Other than that, it's an impressive Victorian building that has been maintained both externally and internally to its historic detail. It's one of three Grade II listed swimming baths open to the public in the entire country - so it's quite a treasure for Birmingham. However, besides my respect for this historic landmark and sentiment associated with childhood, my compliments end there. Once inside, the building is dark and daunting. The dated decor gives it an unclean look and the cubicles have cracks between the walls that I dreaded during swimming lessons. It lacks the modern features of other swimming baths in the city but I suppose this is understandable to preserve the archaic look of the baths. However, these limited resources are reflected in the very reasonable prices.

I'm an avid reader of Jon's blog on http://epicmartialartsblog.com/ He provides valuable…read moreinformation on martial arts techniques, and a refreshing look at attitudes and issues within the martial arts community. Posts show a deep understanding of martial arts culture, as well as fantastic knowledge of anatomy and physiology, so you know you're in good hands!

This place has no polish whatsoever. It's grubby, there's chunks knocked out of the furniture, and…read morepeople clomping around in muddy boots. And that's all a really good thing. We took the kids here (seven, five and two) and spent an hour tobogganing on a dreary Saturday afternoon, and it was awesome and incredibly good value for money too - about fifteen quid, all in. Make sure you take gloves, trainers/boots, or whatever else you need to do your task. Check on the website to see what's going on, and make sure you phone and speak to the lovely people there before turning up, just in case there's a group and you need to book a place. Try the climbing wall! That's next on my list...

All the instructors at Ackers have to be really highly qualified to get the job, and you get some…read morereal quality tuition , pariticularly in the skiing which i recommend. Especially if you're a new skiier, and are perhaps going on a skiing holiday, i sugest you have a few lessons on the dry slope at Ackers first, just to get a grasp of it all. The 100m slope is available as well just to practice on, on certain days, so you can pay for an hour or so and use it unlimited amounts of times. However, be prepared for the difference in terms of skiing on real snow! The falls can hurt more! Also, I'd advise not to wear loose clothing, because it can get stuck in the webbing of the slopes. Although, in terms of value this slope is great. It's cheaper than the snowdome and a good laugh! Site Facilities BBQ Area, Carpark, Facilities for Disabled, Off-street Parking, Picnic Area, Toilets, Training Room(s), Shaded Area

I love the Rea Valley cycle route. My love for it is unhindered by the fact that I still don't know…read morehow to pronounce it (the 'Rea' bit, that is. Not 'Valley', 'cycle' or 'route', I hasten to add). To be honest, I love any urban cycle route that gives you a completely different perspective on a city. It starts in the backstreets of atmospheric Digbeth, takes you through Edgbaston, Balsall Heath, Kings Heath, Stirchley, Northfield, Kings Norton and out to the Waseley Hills. This sounds like a heck of a long way, but in fact is only 10 miles. And you get to take in at least 4 parks along the way. It's fairly flat and relatively easy, so a lot of people from south Birmingham actually use this route to commute if they work in town - you can join up with the canal network in Gas Street basin also. Speeding merrily along the River Rea, through some of Birmingham's best green spaces and then onto the canals: that's got to be a hundred times better than sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Pershore Road every morning. And it's good for the environment too, of course. What's not to love? Well, it's not all parks and canals, unfortunately. But at least it brings a different perspective to an otherwise dull potential commute.

For me the River Rea route is one of the nicest rides in Birmingham…read more Once you start to leave the Cannon Hill Park and find yourself alongside the River Rea, there's a noticeable difference in feeling, perhaps, it's the smooth winding tarmac path and the effect of the river running alongside or the increasingly wooded area surrounding the route but suddenly you get the feeling that you are much further away from the city than in fact you are. As the route leads you past the little ford, you may well see people playing in the water there, which lends to the warm communal feel of the place. Passing over the River Rea you find yourself on the final stretch which offers views of the university and large playing fields. It's worth taking the return trip after dark as the route is lit by lttle solar powered lights, sort of like a runway and the street lamps along the route create an evocative scene.