News

One of our three phone lines is currently out of action. BT are working on it, very slowly…

You can text us on the following number 0793 438 4515 and we can call you.

Email is info@shirleyswimmingpool.co.uk

Underwater Photography

These fantastic portraits are the work of Dee Harmer, an underwater portrait artist from The Underwater Studio in Brighton.

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As part of the 2018 summer refurbishment, the pool was redesigned to install new lane rope holders and receivers. These gave the flexibility to have two, three or four lanes.

With three lanes during selected adult lane swimming times now available, a lane could be reserved for walking and hydrotherapy, one for mixed strokes and one a front crawl only lane.

At one end of the pool there are graduated walk in steps. These now have hip height hand rails to give support when entering and leaving the water. At the other end is a traditional climb in ladder. With two shallow ends, the pool is ideal for exercising.

Designed for those recovering from injury or surgery or simply wanting the benefits of water resistance while walking, a practice in common in the Southern Hemisphere.

Pool boss Dave Perry:

” I went to New Zealand last year and every pool I visited had loads of people just walking. Here we have plenty of times during the day when adults can come in and use the pool to practice their hydrotherapy exercises, but nothing before or after work. We will experiment on a few sessions and see how it works”

Writing for the International Journal of Sport and Health Science, an article by Mitsumasa Miyashita from the University of Tokyo, details the benefits of walking in water,

• Water’s buoyancy reduces the impact on joints.
• Working out in water can help improve cardiovascular fitness, balance and range of motion.
• Heated pools can help soothe pain.
• Water also has greater resistance than air, which means walking in water requires more effort and ultimately burns more calories than walking on land.

In the conclusion he states that, particularly in the older generation, symptoms of frailty such as slow walking speed can be alleviated, aerobic capacity and cognitive function improved.

A full read of the article is available here:

To see the full time table click here

The Swimming Pool reopened on time last Saturday after a frenzy of refurbishment in August.

The new climbing ropes in the deep end

A new liner in the main pool, re grouting the small pool and installation of the new 4″ pipe lines have given the pool a fresh clean look. Larger pipes mean faster circulation giving cleaner water and more efficient Ultra Violet cleansing. Higher hand rails at one end make entry and exit easier.

A new ceiling in the pool hall and changing rooms, resurfaced car park and line painting  have all been completed in four weeks. The  replacement pool cover  improve heat loss and condensation at night. The children’s playground has received a lick of paint and the surface has received a soft pour finish.

The new pool party inflatable arrives at the end of the month to link to our deep end climbing ropes.(The ropes are raised out of the way in lessons and lane swimming).

The addition of lane rope anchors means that the pool can now be designed as a one, two three or four lane pool for lane swimming and Dolphins.

Read all about the new design for walking in water

Pictures from the refit are here

The pools are ready and waiting.Timetable

The team at Shirley Pool and outside contractors have worked tirelessly throughout August to get everything ready for our re-opening on September 1st and we are nearly there.

We’re far too excited to wait and show off our new main pool, so do come along and have a swim.

Next week we shall be opening our Main Pool only for a few hours each day. Swimming is free for members. Children in lessons can bring their families.

The opening times are as follows,

Tuesday 28^th – Friday 31^st August

12:00-14:00              Adult Lane Swim only

14:00-18:00              Members Family Swim (Members only)

18:00-19:00              Adult Lane Swim only

The Small Pool work is still on-going.  When we get it finished we shall open that for Members Baby / Toddler Family swim too– Please check with Reception for updates next week.

There will be some works still on-going externally with the Car Park and Playground so there will be NO parking in our Car Park. Access to Shirley Pool will be from the side entrance nearest the playground.

The Bus will be open daily for Refreshments between 12-5.30pm, again there will be limited access outside but you are welcome to sit on the Bus upstairs.

All as normal from Saturday September 1st.

We look forward to welcoming you back!

Water going in Monday 20th August

The new cream and blue shell give a Mediterranean look to the water. Heating and filters will go on this week and the clean up can start. looking good for reopen on Saturday September 1st 2018. More pictures here:

Final Top Coat goes on August 15th

Great progress since work started just 10 days ago, the final gel coat was applied today with just two days work left before the water can start to go back in. New drains have been added in the deep end to give a huge uplift in the water circulation to cope with the ever increasing demand for swimming tuition and coaching. All on target to open September 1st. You can see more pictures here:

2018 Pool Shutdown

Day two of the refit started dramatically with water bursting through the liner from below. Drilling through the black osmosis spots to kill the menace brought a shocking release of water that had seeped through the liner over the years. First thoughts were to create a release for the water but the pool engineers quickly switched tack and opted to lift the whole liner.

A bold and correct decision, but a tough Sunday in the heat. The cavalry arrived in the form of Luke and Jack and by the end of the day the pool was cleared of glass fibre, Despite 44 years of hurt, the concrete base was in great shape and within a couple of days will be ready to receive a brand new coat of many colours.

In the meantime, the lads are planning a temporary skateboard park.

See all the pictures here.

Shirley Pool swimmer Issy Turner (12) competed in her first Summer Nationals in Ponds Forge Sheffield, taking on the countries best young swimmers in the 200m backstroke.

Head Coach Matt Boyd-Wallis was delighted with her attitude,

” She went out a bit fast (34.6 at 50m 1.12 at 100m) and paid the price on the last 100. But she is very positive and knows what to do next time. Sometimes it can be hard to keep focus and hold the adrenaline back. Issy is very positive and will be back next year”

Pools were both drained on Friday 3rd August, starting at 5pm. Ironically for a leaking pool, it took until 8am Saturday to finally pump out all the water and leave it dry for the glass fibre work to begin. A long night.

The good news is that pool expert, Steve Grinyer, tracked down the leak in the small pool to the tiling around the sump.

Saturday has been spent grinding off the previous floor and walls of the main pool, which had started to flake and discolour. The plan is that by Wednesday the preparations will be complete and the new surface can be started. It’s going to be cream with blue lines.

Its very quiet here without any swimmers; quite spooky with no water, pumps or fans. Roll on September 1st.