Pool Closing Dates for Christmas

The pool will be closed on the Friday the 19th December at 2.00pm and
re-open on Saturday 3rd January at 9.00am. This is usually the time of year that everyone stops thinking about exercise and the pool needs a coat of paint.
Starting on Friday 11th December the children will have party games in their lessons.

Pool Refurbishment

Best laid plans…. Unfortunately we have not been successful with our application for planning permission to rebuild the pool building. It may be that we can try again once our parking problems have been eased.

The closure at Christmas will be used to make a detailed inspection of the steelwork in the roof and give us the opportunity to undertake some general maintenance.

In the male changing rooms we are planning a changing cubicle for Dads bringing their daughter’s to swimming lessons. The ladies toilets will also be upgraded.

Changing Room Rules

We have received a complaint about boys being changed in the ladies changing room. With a limited number of cubicles, it is recommended that children should be changing in the correct changing room whenever possible, particularly children over seven.
If you need to go into the “other” changing rooms, please ask at reception and a member of staff will accompany you. Could we ask that clothes are not left in the cubicles. Please use the lockers.

Direct Debits & price rises

Sorry have to announce a price rise in January. This is the first increase in 18 months. Competition from health clubs and the Quays has hit lane & general swimming. Thanks to the ever-popular lesson programme, we are able to keep the pool going. I trust you find the lessons are still providing good value for money.

To help keep administration costs down, we are offering incentives to join the direct debit scheme. If you pay by direct debit the new cost of each lesson is now £5.77, an increase of 77p on 2003 prices.
The major benefit of the direct debit system is that if you have to miss a lesson it can be made up at another time where there is space. Please have a look at the direct debit leaflet for all the benefits of the system.

From January we are also offering direct debit for adult swimming lessons especially to help swimmers who work shifts, and to offer more flexibility in general for our adult lessons. Adult lane swimming is included in the price.

February crash courses

Bookings are now being taken for the one and two hour crash courses in the February half term. These are a great way to accelerate children’s learning, coming every afternoon for the week.

Congratulations - ASA Awards

Diana Gooch is the first Shirley pool customer to achieve the ASA 100 mile swim fit award. Diana, 55,was a terrified non- swimmer with crippling arthritis. She worked her way through the Shirley Swimming Pool adult lesson scheme in just three years to reach the 100 mile award

She has done so well that her achievement has been recognised in the local press and by the ASA, who have invited her to a gala dinner, to celebrate her award with other swimmers through out the country, so well done Diana!

Ron Mosney, 81, took up lessons six months ago after caring for his disabled wife for twenty years and swam through the deep end for the first time this week.

Lauren Davison, 9, became the first child to reach the ASA 100 mile point. Lauren, a dedicated Dolphin, swims three times a week. Francesca Edwards,5, swam one mile during her summer crash course using a mixture of front crawl and backcrawl. Francesca started as a baby at the pool.

West End Swim School

Beechwood School and St Monica’s School are used for swimming lessons run by Shirley Pool. Ruth and Deborah are the teachers on a Monday and Wednesday respectively. If you have any friends on that side of the water with children needing swimming lessons, please let them know.

Pool Parties & Hiring The Pool

Pool parties are available for any member of our swimming lessons, who can hire the whole pool with equipment, all the floats etc, for a birthday or just a party. This is on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, 2.30pm or 1.30pm. For more details and an application form, see a member of staff.

It’s also possible to hire the pool for one off events or a block booking. Rates are very competitive and lifeguards are also available. Speak to a member of staff if you are interested in hiring the pool.

Thank you for your continued support

Happy Christmas – see you 3rd January 2004