A wide range of facilities, we go for 1) The ice skating,…read morewhich was renovated summer 2010 2) The swimming pool, which has long sessions, diving boards, a large teaching pool (shallow and warmer) and an outdoor pool in the summer The morning public skating sessions have background music, it's louder in the afternoon and there are disco sessions in the evenings, so take your pick. There are clubs and lessons for figure skating and ice hockey too. Where our local pool has hourly sessions and a mad rush for changing rooms at either end, we like the come and go whenever at Riverside. We also like the diving boards, 1m and 3m springboards, 5m platform (not always open - check website for times); great fun but rare elsewhere. A junior membership card is great value: my son skates every week so it's cheaper than paying for public sessions and he gets to swim for free too. It even includes parking when using the centre; casual users get a parking refund when paying but the pass avoids the ticket machine hassle. I also appreciate that the vending machines are not overpriced. What's wrong with it? Some complain the swim changing rooms are a little tired; they're not the greatest but they're perfectly satisfactory and you get your £1 back from the reasonably sized lockers. The flume in the pool has been out of commission since 2010, this was something we all loved when it was open - fix this for the fifth star The skating sessions get crowded while Dancing on Ice is on TV.

Indoors is a bit dirty but a great place for a swim. Pool staff are friendly. They have a lot to do…read moreat the facility including a good sized ice rink. If you go skating on a weeknight it's not too busy however it gets a bit too crowded on the weekends. Great place to hang out for a bit though.

Colchester Leisure world is located on cowdray avenue which has large car park but at times you may…read morehave to park near the bowling alley to get a space but it's worth it for the exercise I suppose It not only has three excellent swimming pools - one with traditional lanes for fitness, a leisure pool and a training pool - but it also has a wide range of facilities for other sports ( e.g. badminton, squash, table tennis) For adults there are also regular classes in aerobics, When children are learning to swim then apart from having fun in the leisure pool it is also possible to use the teaching pool for more formal swimming practice, or for them to take lessons which run regularly. There are swim sessions for parents and toddlers, as well as sessions for gym and dance and drama. Children can enrol for trampolining, football skills, aquafun, gymnastics, etc. During holidays and Half Terms there are also holiday schemes for children. One thing which does make me laugh is the amount of people who after working out in the gym or pools go to the Mcdonalds next door.

Amazing swimming place with a wave machine, 2 flumes and outdoor rapids. but its annoying that they…read morehave 1hour time slots which create massive queue's Written by Ben 11 years old

Decent gym with plenty of different facilities to cover whatever you leisure activity you might…read morewant to take part in. The gym is well equipped with plenty of classes if that is of interest. The indoor tennis courts are plentiful and well laid out. There are two large swimming pools (indoor and outdoor) and after some recent thermostat problems the temperature is set at a comfortable 30 degrees C (personally I hate swimming in cold water). The three squash courts are fine, although could do with a little maintenance. The big benefit of the club is the social aspect, with a large coffee, bar area serving hot food and drinks. It stays open as long as the club (around 11.30) although drinks are limited to licensing hours. I find that the extensive combination of activities supported and the very good social atmosphere make this a good club to belong to (although I think the pricing needs reviewing a bit - hence one lost rating star). Note: The Gym has now been taken over by the David Lloyd Group.

Pool is fine for family fun, especially when the 'flume' (water shoot) is open. Changing facilities…read moreare limited for the number of families that swim, as there are not many large cubicles and the pool does get very busy at weekends. Gym gets crowded very quickly at peak times. Look carefully before becoming a member as the membership deals are not at all cost-effective unless you visit very frequently.

Facilities clean and useable, but not the best quality. Gym is run by leisure connection, and is a…read morelittle overpriced for what it is. Gym can get extremely busy at peak times, best times to go are during work hours! Swimming pool is nice, but not very usable for serious training.

The swimming pool is excellent and great for children. They have a wave machine but do send out a…read morewarning for young children. The water is quite warm so is good for babies. Warmer than their sister leisure Centre, Cygnets. The grounds of the leisure Centre are nice and they have a playground and skateboarding area. The gym is not great and I have not returned after my initial consulation as I felt it was not as proffesional as my previous gym.

This is probably the best swimming pool I've been to (foreign holidays excluded) as it's so well…read moreequipped for the whole family. Parking is easy, the changing rooms are spacious and clean and the pool is large, warm and lots of fun! The flumes were out of action on the day I visited but this didn't ruin it as the wave machine was well worth waiting for. There's a small alcove where the force of the waves really picks up and the kids absolutely love this area. It can get a little dangerous with all the flying bodies so young children shouldn't go into that part unaccompanied. The shallow waters are ideal for very small children and a poolside tea/coffee area is great for viewing all the fun from a distance. An excellent trip for the whole family.

This is a large leisure centre with a wide variery of leisure facilities. The swimming pool is…read morelarge but does not have a baby pool. The mother and baby classes are held in the shallow area of the pool. I would not recommend the Mother and Baby classes as I do not feel that the trainers are experiened enough. I had a toddler that was a little scared and did not want to go into the water. However. although the traineer was aware of this she thought it funny to pour a small watering can of water over her head from behind, so it was unexpected. She is now very afraid of the water thankss to this incident. The water is more on the colder side for babies and their sister pool as Cascades which is warmer. On a positive note the are many exercise classes and I can highly recommend the spinning classes.

This is a large leisure centre with a wide range of facilities of which I only went to the pool…read morearea and changing rooms. The group swimming lessons held here for children are in my experience awful. The children are made to feel comfortable to build confidence. In terms of health and safety these lessons are a nightmare waiting to happen in my opinion. Also in my experience the way complaints are handled are also not at all up to par.

Since the transfer from Fusion to Everyone Active, the quality of the gym has gone sharply…read moredownhill. About half of the gym equipment has been removed, and what's left isn't properly maintained. The new pull-up bars, for example, have been installed too close to the ceiling and are basically unusable. Management is completely unresponsive -- they've been promising new equipment since June, then said October, and now it's supposedly coming in April. Honestly, it doesn't seem like it will ever happen. To make things worse, the showers have been out of order for over a week with no sign of repair or communication from staff. Overall, it feels like nobody in management actually cares about the state of the place. Most of the gym instructors have also left since the takeover -- only one remains -- which really says a lot about the current working environment and management approach. The only redeeming part of Clements Hall is the group fitness classes. The instructors running them are fantastic -- enthusiastic, professional, and clearly dedicated. It's their energy that keeps this centre going despite everything else falling apart.

I throughly enjoy using the swimming facilities, it costs only £4.15 for students and adults and a…read morepound less for children. It is great because you get the use of two swimming pools and the use of the spa, which is a good bargin. Only 16+ years allowed in the spa to health and safety, as it can affect the bloods in children below the age.