This system of not being able to speak to the staff at The ITC. is useless and has been operating…read morefor quite sometime now. All I want to do ,not very often, is just to confirm a booking at The Tennis Centre,on the indoor or outdoor court, and I cannot do that,let alone speak to a human being. On top of that it still is one of the most expensive places to play tennis on an an outdoor public court in London ,which has very low maitenence,with the lines badly painted.Its been like this for at least 25 years, and Islington Council should be ashamed of what a shoddy example of taking money, when they took over from David Lloyd.Things do not improve. Peter Alton

Um, yeah, it is pretty good…read more But really, if you don't like Tennis you're not going to really care much for Islington Tennis Centre are you? But then again, if you don't like Tennis why are you reading this? What's wrong with you? Huh? Anyway, at ITC you get 6 indoor hard courts (medium pace) and 2 outdoor courts that are always closed because it rains a lot and they close them if it rains the night before. Wet balls, you see. Yep. Also, someone might fall and hurt themselves, I guess. I love Tennis though, so I love ITC. The instructor led courses are really well priced and the instruction seems to instruct you on Tennis quite well, which I find is often the point. Indoor courts means the Tennis is year round and there are lockers, showers, a gym and a super expensive racquet shop with stringing service should you need it. You don't have to be a member to book a court, but it is more expensive if you aren't and you can only book 5 days in advance with 7 days in advance for a member. ITC's downside it its popularity; it is often very difficult to book a court and even if successful you can only book for an hour (around 20 pounds on this date). That isn't nearly enough time for me to flail about unconvincingly and still feel that I got my money's worth so for that reason (as well as price) it loses a star. However, it is one of the best places to play Tennis in London and well worth checking out. They also have drop-in Tennis sessions, where I imagine you show up and get schooled by a surly mustachioed club pro. Or perhaps own the court with your penetrating backhand line drive. Either/Or.

Currently closed for a refurbishment that was long overdue. Great pool to learn to swim in for…read moreyounger kids and used by Anaconda Swimming Club. The deep end is deep enough for learning to dive. We miss this pool as was a handy place for training or just a quick local swim. Good showers changing room basic. No doubt they will be updated as part of the refurbishment Edit: Pleased to say this has now reopened as from Saturday 4 February 2012 although Anaconda no longer use it. Not been back not sure we will be back as all the kids have outgrown it.

From the owner: Enjoy the state of the art gym, studio. swimming pool and tennis courts in the heart of the City of…read moreLondon. The centre is brought to you by City of London Corporation, in partnership with Fusion, a highly experienced sports and leisure organisation. As a registered charity, Fusion continually reinvest to improve and develop what's on offer in your community. So why not make us your first choice when you want to get active?

Hello there, this is a message to the members of the Holland Park Tennis Club. I am a tennis player…read moreand I would love to have a chance to play on grass one day! Since I am not a member myself and I am only going to be in London for the next 5 weeks, I was wondering whether I could play with one among you and so fulfill this little dream of mine. Thanks for your kind attention, Nino

This place is so much more than a tennis club; it's my second home. Tennis clubs and I have known…read morea few can be elitist, cold places, full of cliques and rules. Take Hurlingham, where if you're not wearing 87% white, some haughty octogenarian will shuffle over and delight in ticking you off. And where despite the fact they boast dozens of often deserted, pristine courts, you can't book for more than an hour. And don't get me onto the 10-year waiting list. HPLTC is infinitely friendlier with far more sensible rules. What makes it special is the fact it's small enough to encourage a community feel, but not so small as to feel claustrophobic. The grounds are also wonderful. If you don't have any outdoor space at home as I don't you can while away summer days with a few sets on grass courts, before collapsing with a newspaper and Pimms in a deckchair on their generous lawn. The club, tucked away in Holland Park, has a unique atmosphere and is the type of place where you can turn up alone and find someone to chat to and probably play with. There's a club night on Wednesday with a dinner afterwards, a singles league, tournaments, barbecues in the summer and a dedicated core of regulars. Really, if you're tennis-mad, as I am, there's no better place to be on a sunny day...and no better tennis club in London.

I actually joined Slim Jims as it's the closest gym to my work while still being affordable but to…read morebe honest I've kept my membership as it's actually pretty good. It offers almost everything that you could want in a gym with the exception of a pool. For my monthly fee I get towels, my own locker, deodarant and shower gel plus my sweaty gym kit is washed for me every day. All for a very affordable cost. The gym itself is fairly basic but there's a good free weights section, plenty (in number and variety) of cardio machines and the classes are really good. They have a load of very knowledgeable personal trainers who are always willing to help out if you've got a question. The only downside is because of where it's located it does tend to get very busy around lunchtime but if you can work around that Slim Jims should be the gym for you

A great boutique style gym/health club. Slim Jims has all the gym machines you need: powerplate…read moremachines and a huge selection of weight machines as well as the usual running, rowing, crosstrainers and free weights etc. The gym also has a squash court, sauna, sunbeds, massage therapist and acupuncturist. The classes (body pump, abs, pilates, etc) are lal included in your membership and I recommend the spin classes (held in a small dark studio to pumping dance music) for seriously hard workout! The gym also has a relaxation room with sofas and fish, plush free coffee/tea machines in the recepiton area.

Talk about a foiled plan, but we went for a game all prepared with paraphanelia and turned out…read morethere were not courts free. So my friend and myself just landed up using the sufficient cafe and watched the others play. Watching is good too, since you get to talk about the style and technique of players. Haha. The have a small shop selling basic tennis equipment. So please book before you go to play. The courts seem fine, by the standards I've seen elsewhere in Lawn tennis. Coaching facilities available for young and adults. They have 12 courts.

Played here as a guest recently. Very friendly club. I love the US Open style hard courts. Really…read morenice to play on.

Nice, relatively small, local tennis club. The 10 hard surface courts are well maintained and there…read moreare almost always some available to play on, apart from on the sunniest weekend days when the club gets quite busy. You can have group or private professional coaching and in the school holidays there are also lots of children's courses. There's always plenty gong on and there is a real community spirit, particularly with the ladies' tennis group which meets on a weekly basis for friendly games. There are also bridge games and other activities in the little clubhouse. A great way to get to know more people from the local community and play some good tennis too!

This is the closest gym to my office and so I've decided to bite the bullet and joined…read more It's a no frills gym - there's not much luxury to be found here. The main space is a big hall with a large selection of fitness equipment - I've never had to wait. Classes are available in the morning, lunchtime and in the evening and the selection is varied, if not a little irregular. The changing areas are decent enough and I've found the staff to be very friendly. Another bonus is that they have outdoor football and tennis courts here for the summer and I get preferable booking and rates. This gym represents fantastic value for memberships and one off visits - it's just under £20 a month on a rolling monthly contract and anyone can turn up and use the equipment and classes for under £5.

From the owner: Whether you're you’re a mum with desire to get stronger, or a CEO that wishes to improve his…read morehealth, our fitness instructors and PT’s have the tools and knowledge required to ensure you get the results that you deserve. In addition, we have a warm welcoming culture to make you feel part of the community, inspiring you to keep pushing yourself.

8 lovely hard tennis courts in Burgess Park available for £4 an hour…read more Great way to spend the afternoon.

I recently stayed with my friend who is a member here…read more The facilities here are fantastic with an indoor and outdoor pool, a steam room, a sauna, a kids training pool and a jacuzzi. It was very lively too, with lots of people making use of the facilities. One weird thing is that a one day guest pass was £12 yet a 5 day one was £10 - go figure!

In our child-free days we were members here and should we be able to afford it in the future we…read morewill rejoin. It is one of the more expensive gyms in the area but you do get what you pay for. There are two gyms (general and women only) along with a separate free weight area, and one studio. There are two pools, one of which is outdoors. This is lovely in the summer and a big hit with families. The main thing that distinguishes this from other gyms are the tennis courts. There are two types of membership. The cheaper option is the Health and Fitness which is everything except the tennis, and then there is the full membership which does include the tennis. There is a lovely club area with a costa coffee and a nice air conditioned lounge.

This is a lovely park. we brought our four year old granddaughter and we all loved it. Large grassy…read moreareas for running, picnicking, and playing ball. Playground equipment for kids of all ages and it is right next to Spitalfield City Farm, which is free of charge. You could easily spend an entire afternoon here. Highly recommend this for families with young children.

If there is a magical place on Earth (that is not in Florida, USA), Allen Gardens has certainly won…read morethe title! In one of my walks around Shoreditch/Brick Lane area I stumbled upon this park with a playground for grown ups. I mean, SERIOUSLY? Me and my friend couldn't resist ,and we spent about 2h playing in all the games that were there. A lot of people come to have pic-nics, walk their dogs and play (like me!). The view is quite nice, and you can also watch the London Overground running above you. If you walk all the way till the end, you will face the Hackney City Farm's fence, and you can even see some animals hanging out. Something there is also very curious (but I don't have any information about) is the big house in the middle of the lawn - I'm not sure if someone still lives there, but from far away it looks a little haunted. This garden was for residents use only, but not so long ago, considering the development and growth of the area, it became public. I should have won you with "playground for grown ups", but if I still haven't convinced you this is a nice place, go check! :)