This was such a fun experience! It was challenging & engaging! It'd be a great activity for family…read more& friends

From the owner: With BeatOrbit's immersive, full-body experience everyone can use the power of drums and music to…read moreswitch off and escape from the everyday rush. So, what is BeatOrbit? Some say it's social drumming, some say interactive cinema or drum karaoke. What we know for sure: BeatOrbit is an innovative and unique form of recreation where you can playfully release stress. In other words: you recharge via making music. Not faking music. Making music!

A true treasure!…read more Don't be alarmed when you rock up to this leisure centre on a weekend morning and it looks like a que for a nightclub snaking outside. If that nightclub were a leisure centre, and those waiting were bleary eyed parents and wide-awake children and other small people strapped in prams. Just like that. It'll move (sort of) fast and mainly it's because the entrance isn't really built for the mass number of buggies being jammed through all at once. It's also because the people that work at the desk are at the best unhelpful and at the worst an impediment to general progress. But do not fret -- If you have a kid (like everyone else in Stokey) -- Clissold Leisure Centre is going to be a lifesaver. I even trek from "way down south N1" for my fix at Clissold 1-2x per week when I can make it. Why? *Clean, bright and newly refurbished. It's got updated facilities, lots of classes, smart equipment, a huge pool and viewing area, etc. It's ultra kid-friendly. It has a cafe! It has coffee! It has everything you might ever want. *Toddler World: huge soft play are they run in the Sports Hall several mornings per week. (extra charge of about 5 quid per kid) *Toddler Pool: self-explanatory. Warm, shallow, toys included. and really, most importantly... *THE CRECHE. Free childcare (members benefit) for your child, up to 2 hours while you get some non-toddler time in. I use it to hit a yoga class or just, ya know, workout and clear my brain after TODDLER WORLD/TODDLER POOL overload. Location is excellent, very near Clissold Park which is 5-stars in its own right. Transit options are a bit limited (sigh, Stoke Newington's only downside?) but I typically take the bus to Newington Green and walk 10 minutes. The only downside is the staff -- which is pretty basic and perfunctory at all of the Better Leisure Centres, but I deal with them more often at Clissold and it is usually painful. But if you've got your member card and aren't booking in for anything special (when you book the creche online you STILL have to wait in a que to get a printed receipt to show you've paid to take the creche - MEH, annoying), otherwise you can skip along and get to your workout. The top floor workout is pretty kid-free, so don't be too worried. I'm a month-to-month member with Better with access to all the clubs. My husband also has this so we get a slight discount and it comes to about £54/month each. If you ever need to sign up or change anything its a huge pain in the ass...so overall I'll give the bureaucracy and staff (and rude parents in the cafe) a low score here but everything else i've been really happy with. So, 4 stars!

This place is only busy because there are so few other options in the area. Unfortunately, the…read morebusiness makes the management arrogant and they offer zero customer service. If they bother to get back to you about any concern you might have about the facilities they will be completely inflexible and unhelpful. They know if you leave they have plenty of other users with little to no other choices. The recent refurbishment has been badly managed with a much smaller choice of equipment spread over 4 floors in 6 different spaces! Even at off-peak times there are queues for equipment because much of it does not even work. Complaints fall on deaf ears and management will not even entertain reducing fees due to the reduction in services. Their only suggestion they can offer is to cancel! They really do not care about the community or their members despite the headlines on their website.

Here is a Centre right next to the buzz of Hackney which is the Hackney Picture House…read more CBH doesn't look in any way impressive being slotted next to old factories or are they homes? Parking is a nightmare and now Tesco down the road only allows an hour. You can spot The Centre, which originally was outreaching for clients with mental health issues , a bit like The Stuart Low Trust used to do then along came the Up Your Street crowds, by the A4 posters tied to the railings. The managers are super welcoming but on guard. Hackney wasn't always hipster, y'all, Courses on offer are self-improving and dead cheap if not free. The Darnley Gallery down two flights of stairs has housed beautiful exhibitions and next door the art rooms are always busy with ceramics, drawing, painting, poetry and all sorts. The place is so modest and humble. Meanwhile in another part of town, their bakery in Hoxton has recently opened if you like £4 loaves. Shut at weekends.

Excellent resources, friendly staff and an enabling environment. I often take my children there to…read moreplay on Fridays and on half term . they absolutely love it. Activities range from messy play to garden games, board games and there is even a baby corner. Additionally,many courses and trainings are offered to parents. Highly recommended.

always friendly reception and they try to accommodate all ages especially during the holidaysread more

Treetops is one of the best soft play places I've see. I'm fortunate to live nearby. My child…read moreloves it. The prices are reasonable for the soft play and the snack bar as well. The only negatives are that they don't always enforce the no camera rule and it can sometimes get really crowded. Still five stars however.

I kinda wish this were my council community center…read more Friendly staff, and they didn't charge me a deposit to rent a badminton racket when I realised I had shown up with no cash. Lockers are unlocked by a token you get from the front desk, and this frees a key-wristband that you can keep with you while you sweat off some of that Sunday roast. Clean locker room, massive facilities for football, gymnastics, badminton, etc, I'll definitely be back! Close to buses and the Tube as well.

Having walked passed the gates to York Hall I was pleased to have a good reason to enter through…read morethe boxing entrance tonight - my first ever Book Slam, and what an amazing experience it was. Not quite sure where they hide the swimming pool mentioned by so many other reviewers as the main space is dedicated to boxing. Tonight's event made the most of it with a number of boxing-related performances. Once we found a seat at this sold out event, we joined the food queue. Big disappointment as they had stopped serving and we missed out on jerk chicken and lamb stew. Unfortunately, the promise of taking orders for the interval turned out to be an empty one ... Joined the drinks queue instead and enjoyed a liquid dinner of cheap wine - from tiny bottles - they had run out of full sized ones ... classy drinkers these book reading folk! Somehow this slight sense of chaos went well with the surroundings which reminded us of better times long gone. It was a magical evening alround.

I got to York Hall to swim, having found that it's run by the same people as manage Ironmonger Row…read moreBaths so I'm automatically a member of both centres as well as loads of others, which is awesome. Compared to shiny new refurbished Ironmonger, York Hall is a bit grotty. The changing rooms look fairly dirty (bring flip flops!) and your 20p for the locker is not returned. Also it's 20p for a hairdryer! I also didn't really like that there were fairly old boys getting changed in there with their mums. I'm not particularly precious about that kind of stuff in general, but it made me feel a bit uncomfortable. The pool itself is huge and the medium lane is 3 lane widths which means you have an overtaking lane. I thought this would make my swim a lot easier than at Ironmonger where there's a lot of traffic but you tend to get people randomly floating about which messes the whole thing up. I don't understand why (a) they don't figure out they should just go to the giant designated slow lane and (b) why the staff don't say anything. Stressful. Overall though it's a very good pool and as it's super convenient to me I'll keep going. The whole historic/boxing side is really cool, too!

King's Hall is a quality leisure centre located close to Hackney Central. Although I walk past it…read moremost days, I didn't even know this place existed until not long ago. There is a full range of facilities on offer such as a 25 metre swimming pool, a health suite and a sports hall. There are also 5-a-side football competitions and group exercise classes on offer. I went in to enquire about swimming prices, and the staff were all really friendly. It would cost you 4 pounds per trip to the pool, or 26 pounds for a month of unlimited access. I guess you just have to way up how much you would use it. Not being much of a swimmer, I will probably fork out the 4 pounds every now and again. It's nice to know it's there though.

As the photo shows, this place does not look like your typical leisure centre. Where I'm from…read more(Essex, don't judge me on that fact alone), swimming pools, sports centres, etc all look like big ugly square boxes. These square boxes have big windows on many of the sides so that as you walk past you get to see fat kids running, bombing, diving, petting and all those other things that the posters tell you not to do. And these kids are fat as you have to go to the cafe straight after for chips. Lots of chips. Anyway back to the subject in hand....the outside really makes you wonder how such a fancy but small fronted building in the middle of a regular busy road in Hackney can fit in a swimming pool, sports hall and gym in it. But it does. Everything in the building is clean, smart and tidy. Just the type place you want to come and spend a sweaty hour or two. The staff are really helpful and friendly too. Only down side is the pool is a little run down looking. But if you let your goggles fog up just a little bit, you don't notice a thing. It's not bad, it's just not what you'd find in a 5* hotel. And I haven't found anything dodgy floating in the water, so that's a big bonus! And there isn't a cafe or vending machine to be found, so you dont have to worry about undoing all of your hard calorie burning hard work by the sweet smell of chips. This pool is going to become my second home (new swim membership novelty has yet to fade) so come watch me swim, this week a pool in Hackney, next week the Channel. See you all in Calais

Inaccessible gym? Come join the Rainbow Leisure Centre. This is the council owned and managed…read moreleisure centre of Epsom. In terms of payment, there are 2 options pay whenever you come or sign up for a membership card. The gym is above the pool. There is also a sports hall for members to use. There are classes held at the gym and kid activities too. What is not to like?

Fees at your local posh gym too high? Don't need expensive coffee bar? Over-trendy snooty members…read moregetting on your nerves? The Rainbow Centre is what you need! The Rainbow Centre is the council run leisure centre in Epsom. You can either attend and pay as you attend or become a member which reduces your entry fee and allows you to book courts. There's a 25 metre pool with some hot tubs in the swimming area. A large sports hall has different activities at different times but I usually play badminton though you can join things like a 5 a side league. There's a well equipped gym upstairs. All available for a fraction of the price of one of the posh chains. Another cool thing is that they offer discounts to hospital staff. If all you need is a sports facility, the Rainbow Centre will meet your needs

This is a friendly local and convenient leisure centre. Colfes is actually a private school…read more However their sports facilities are so good that they hire these out to members of the public. It includes a great swimming pool and gym. They run great fitness classes. I have atteded the yoga classes and it is a great way to de-stress after work! There are different types of membership opportunities to suit different circumstances. They also have a lovely new cricket pavillion and cricket green. All in all a lovely local first class fitness centre!

From the owner: Welcome to Colfe's Leisure Centre, the best independent leisure centre in SE London/Lee/…read moreLewisham/Greenwich providing amazing facilities, at affordable prices. Memberships from just £31 per month with no contracts. One month and family memberships available, all conveniently located in Lee, Lewisham. Access to Swimming pool, Gym, Free Fitness Classes including yoga/Pilates/spin, Free Court/Pitch Hire including badminton/table tennis/ basketball/outdoor tennis. Facility/room Hire including theatre/pavilions/halls/pitches/sports grounds/classrooms. Free parking, priority bookings. All located in SE London/Lee, close to Lewisham and Greenwich. Also on offer-Children's football, badminton, tennis and basketball coaching, children's swimming lessons, adult badminton and tennis's lessons in SE London.

Being a platinum VA, it's obviously better than the usual VA standard. I've never found it too…read morebusy, and the swimming pool is 25m which for central london is impressive! You can book for classes a week in advance and they now reserve 8 spots (on the peak spin classes) for first arrivals if you haven't managed to secure your place. They have the new sleeping pods which I have used on more than one occasion for a quick nap at lunch after the night before which are a novelty and a god send! Only downside is that the showers could be better, but they're not the worst by any means.

Really a quite nice gym, but rather expensive as a Classic gym, and totally underground…read more Upsides: very nice shower facilities, 25m pool, location-location-location. Downsides: mediocre training area, low-ish ceilings serve as a reminder that you're underground, cost.