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.

This is a great place to come swimming. After a ridiculous saga, it was finally reopened a couple…read moreof years ago and it is this relative newness that makes it so shiny and nice. You don't worry about verrucas and kids weeing in the pool here, unlike at North London's other, older and therefore grimier public pools. I like to come early on a Saturday morning (provided I haven't been out too heavily the night before) as it's usually pretty quiet and you can get a good pace in the fast lane without hitting too many people's heels. The changing rooms are also big and clean although my favourite thing about the pool is that it's near enough to my house that I can stroll home for a post-swim shower.

A great family day out…read more The Leisure centre offers several swimming pools; a family pool ( with wave machine), an olympic size pool and one with high diving boards. The centre also has a childrens activity area away from the pools and offer crafts and play time while parents wait. The Leisure centre is within Mote park which has a variety of playground equipment to keep the little ones entertained.

Maidstone Leisure Centre is just located outside the town centre in Mote Park, which is about 5…read moreminutes away. The Centre offers several swimming pools, a great family pool with a wave machine and log flume, a brilliant olympic size swimming pool and another with driving boards. If you don't fancy swimming, and have small children, then polar adventure is a great place to take the kids to play, with a large soft play area and ice hill slides. Its also a great place for kiddies birthday parties. The leisure centre also has a large multipupose sports hall a great gym facilities, and a health suite with sauna and spa. Great place for a family day out!

Can you keep a secret guys?? Not many people seem to have noticed it yet, but a year and a half…read moreafter the Olympics there's some exciting stuff going on in Stratford again... Yep living near the Park is paying off nicely at the moment - my new local council swimming pool is none other than the Aquatics Centre! It's been open to the public for the last few weeks and I have to say it's a pretty special venue - I still get tingles every time I walk in. It's £4.50 per swim session for an adult and there's an easy peasy online system to book in advance. There are 2 full size pools inside - the Competition Pool for the hardcore swimmers and the Training Pool where they separate the lengths into two 25m sections. Personally I found a 50m pool to be ridiculously long in real life (my superwoman stamina is a err work in progress) so I tend to do laps in the 25m lanes. You choose a pool and a start time online but it's pretty lax once you're in, and you can stay as long as you like. The water is a nice slightly warm temperature and it's usually a uniform 1.2m depth all the way along (though somehow they can change the depth of different sections - the mind boggles!). It's not all lanes - there are also sections of the pool roped off for 'fun' as well as swimming lessons. Also saw signs for a total wipeout stylee 'Splash Time' for kiddies at weekends that sounded like great fun if anyone wants to lend me a child?! The reason it misses a 5th star is that the changing rooms and shower facilities are just not that great. It's spacious yes and there are plenty of cubicles, hairdryers and lockers, but the layout is a little confusing (quite a wander from the lockers to the female showers), they seem to have too many staff/cleaners milling around not doing much, and the showers themselves seem temperamental and need you to wave a hand past every 3 seconds. Is this how Michael Phelps showered?! (*pauses to enjoy the mental picture*) Ahem. Yeah I expected better. So remember to bring your own towel+toiletries, a plastic bag for your wet cozzie (I haven't spotted a drying machine yet) and a £1 coin for the lockers. And please only tell your special friends - the nicest thing at the moment is that it isn't too busy on weeknights! See you there :)

The swimming pool itself is great, most of the time quiet, you can choose your line depending on…read morehow fast you want to swim so that you don't get disturb by other people while swimming. The changing space however is really poor for this kind of aquatics centre - you can really tell you're just meant to come, quickly change, swim and leave. There are few showers and they are quite temperamental. The lockers and cubicles are just not that comfortable to use. So it's a very good pool, but come there for exercise only and not hoping for a full spa experience!

I'm a fan of unusual & weird places and I would says that the New Docklands Steam Bath is…read moredefinitely high up on this list. I've first heard about this place when I was telling a friend about my wonderful experience at the Turkish "Hamam" in Dalston. My friend listened attentively to my story and then told me about this place in the docklands...I started doing some research about it the very same evening. Let me preface the following paragraphs by saying that I really like going to saunas: I treasure the whole spa-like experience that goes along with it. Yet, I'm not a fan of the high-end spas that have popped up everywhere these days. I prefer the down-to-earth saunas where locals go and where you don't have to save up for months for a single visit. The New Docklands Steam Baths fit this bill perfectly: upon my arrival I already sensed that I had discovered something unique. The bath is located in a very much deprecated area; many Londoners probably wouldn't set foot here. Outside the place I saw many black cabs parked as well quite a few Mercedes. Once inside I found my way to the café-area where the register is. I paid £14 plus a £10 deposit for the locker key. I went to change and dressed up in my bathrobe and my pechtemal (a traditional Turkish towel used in hamams) and then I ventured down into the baths. And let me tell you: it's gritty down there: not in a dirty and disgusting way though, but because of the kind of characters you find there and the way they interact with each other. I first walked around and familiarized myself with the localities: two dry saunas, and various steam rooms with varying degrees of humidity. While doing my online-research about this place I came across an article, in which the author talks about the two main sauna traditions being nurtured here: The Russian tradition of 'Venik' where you first heat up in the sauna and then beat yourself (or each other) with oak or birch branches that have been dried first and then soaked in water. And then there's the Jewish bathing ritual of "Schmeissing", where the men take turns in scrubbing each other down from top-to-bottom. This is done where one guy lays down on a bench in the very hot & steamy room and the other guy lavers him up, using what looks like cleaning mop and it works like a giant shaving brush. The "Schmeissing" seems to be a very ritualized and cliquish undertaking. I was talking to a regular, who mentioned that these guys are a club and meet regularly. According to my source, there's even a pecking order and it's quite hard to become part of this club. The Russians or Eastern Europeans seem to be less organized, but during my visit they would all arrive in pairs or small groups. They would all wear these funny felt hats, which protect the hat from the intense heat. (Note to myself: I need to get one of these!) When I arrived I was reading about the possibility of booking a massage. My inquiry with some of the locals resulted in the following answer: "Yeah, talk to Simon, the heavily-tattooed guy who's relaxing in the steam room over there." Non sooner advised than done. I went up to Simon and he told me that he'd be happy to give me a massage in about half-an-hours time. Deal! I made the best use of the 30 minutes and went into the hottest sauna and beat myself up with oak branches... Turns out that Simon had actually grown up in Germany and so we chatted in German for some time. Then he suggested that I should just relax and let him do his work. It was really a very nice massage and I felt great afterwards. I paid £15 for a thirty-minutes massage. (60 minutes would be £25.) Aside from the Jewish and Russian men, there's a third group of men here: the can drivers (my guess). They mostly sat in the common area, chatting and washing themselves ritually. It's really a funny bunch that hangs out here...including myself! All in all, I find this to be a wonderful oasis of some old-world London. I'm so glad that a place like this still exists. I might not become a regular, but I will certainly be back!

All I can say is avoid this place! It's situated in a rough area of London that appears to be a…read moregiant scrapyard - lovely! When you go in it's just as bad. People are rough, unfriendly and the place seems to be occupied by East End ruffians. It could be so good and the treatments could be superb. But nobody talks to you, nobody helps you on your first visit and nobody offers a massage. This place is terrible. Avoid at all costs!

What a great 25m pool, and gym if you want to use for £6.50 per day single entry…read more Friendly staff, really clean facility. No restrictions on using fins or snorkel for lap swimming. Swimmers are super friendly, and considerate. Helped me get comfortable when one lane was too slow for me, and the other a little fast. Food in snack bar is delicious, vegan options, and super friendly staff. Water is perfect temperature for me. I like warm water, this is not too warm, or too cold. You can get in without shivering, but it's not bath water. I'm going to spend a lot of time here! If you have kids there's a play room. Basketball, five a side football, tennis, huge work out rooms. Go see for yourself when in London. It's a 15 min taxi ride from Camden Market. Stephen

This is a new pool. It is generally well run and kept clean, the water is not chlorinaed and it's…read moreall quite warm. Its overlooked by a good but expensive cafe. There are good changing facilities and a whole sports centre and library in the complex. The pool is also overlooked by the gym. This makes it more interesting swimming around as you can look at the various people in the cafe and gym. If you're a Camden Resident you have to take out club membership or you can have a one off swim for the usual price, something over £3. I get concessionary swim rates so it's free for me in the mornings. ou cannot dive as it's only 2 metres deep at the deep end, shallow end is quite deep too at about 1 metre, so not suitable for little kids. They do allow kids with floats in most times, and sometimes it's crowded if you are trying just to do laps. Showers are warm (I am talking about the ladies here but I believe its the same in the gents) and staff are polite. This is a big improvement on the pool there used to be, but unfortunately its' smaller There's a smaller pool which they can vary the depth of - this is usually used for little kids and classes like water aerobics. Very small kids like to play outside in the big water feature which is very shallow and just right for toddlers and tots. There is also a soft play on the site, in my opinoin pretty expensive at about 8 pounds

I am so fed up with this gym and would happily fill this up with expletives, the list is quite…read moreextensive with what is wrong with place its ok for them to cancel classes give you hardly any notice but if you do the same they'll happily add debts to your membership and get told nonsense about making it fair for everyone who attends classes I'd understand fines for serial offenders but how about not fining these who show up on time might i add and the centre is closed and then go on to add charges to my account they don't answer their phones either or their emails. Many instructors for the classes don't even arrive on time especially step and zumba.

I am very disappointed because of swimming pool staff especially the manager lady today as she was…read morerude and unprofessional towards special need children, when my 6 years old DS child was not coming out of paddling pool.

This pool is only 5 minutes away from my work so recently I have started doing one swim in the…read moremorning and one swim in the evening each week. If you're an adult I definitely recommend going in the morning as the whole pool is lanes and there is plenty of space to swim. In the evening there are a lot more swimmers and if you want to really get your pace up it's difficult as you are constantly having to slow down so as not to hit the person in front of you! Good lockers (the ones where you get your £1 back) and its only £4 to swim which is really decent. Staff are friendly, changing rooms are clean and the pool itself serves its purpose very well! If you have really high standard for your swimming pools I wouldn't recommend this one as it really is just a basic, functional public swimming pool but if you literally just one to get in for a quick half an hour exercise before work then it's a big thumbs up!

So they refurbished and remodelled the changing rooms recently - definitely an improvement but not…read moreenough for another star...the reception area remains functional and basic...guess the budget didn't stretch that far...

Wanted to simply look at the metal architecture of the pool whilst walking the park, an officious…read moreugly clown of a Parliament Hill pool admin staff member with her iPad insisted we pay to enter even though we were only to be there 5 minutes. Unfriendly and rude Parliament Hill staff individual adds to the poor experience of what is a public place. What a miserable bunch of pratts.

This is a lovely Lido situated close to Gospel Oak overground station on Hampstead Heath. But be…read moreaware for young parents/infirm people that the Gospel Oak platform is very high and served by steps only. The lido is one of the biggest in London with a pool that is around 90m long by 30m wide. The lido is divided into a children's section on the sunniest third of the pool complete with slides and slopes down to the water to allow for safer bathing. There is a fountain at this end but its enclosed to prevent people from climbing onto it. The pool is popular with families and young people who come to sunbathe on its terrace and to splash around. So for those who like do lengths may be frustrated by the frolicking adults and children. There are plenty of life guards around to keep order. The Lido is served by a cafe which sells smelly burgers and obviously has not been updated since the complex was built in 1938. Its crying out for a refurbishment to improve the facilities. The range of food needs to be improved as tastes have radically changed since the thirties. So it loses a star for that. The changing rooms/cubicles are gloriously retro painted in bright colours. But for those seeking a bit of privacy while changing may feel little embarrassed. A lovely lido to enjoy a hot summer day without ever having to worry about planes!

I live a good swim. And here at the Kentish Town Pool I get to have a good swim in a beautiful…read moreenvironment. The main pool here is one of the Victorian-era swimming pools and it's really quite magnificent to swim in it...especially when at certain times of the day the sun hits the water just right. I use the Better Health App to sign up for a swim. I avoid the busy times - early mornings and evenings - and so most of the times I share the lane only with a few other folks.

A fabulous new gym at a price to…read more suit everyones pocket : love it!

I love this place. I have visited the Lido a few times in recent weeks and have been impressed by…read morehow clean and organised everything is. It is such an amazing feeling to swim in the early morning sunshine- I highly recommend it. The pool is a great temperature too. Remember to bring a pound coin for the lockers!

Splishy sploshy splashy, that's just how my afternoon went when me and the girls decided to don our…read moreswimwear, some of us wearing a little inappropriate outfits (not naming anyone Huddy!) and head on down to the local pool. Who cares if it's a breezy day, we are British after all. We swim n the Atlantic Ocean, a little pool in Hackney does not fill us with fear. Well actually it was the crazy OAPs splashing around that did but that being said this place is awesome. Seriously cool! It's a heated pool so you'd rather be in swimming than hanging about. There are loads of lanes and it's big enough to fit everyone in. they even have a little cafe there so you can sit pool side and nosh on chips and Slush Puppies like you did when you were a kid. It's not even pricey, a few bob a ticket and you can swim for hours. Thank you Hackney Council, I knew the money I paid you was going somewhere!