Friday rant....

I am a regular swimmer as it relaxes me as just the mindless laps up and down the pool sends me into a trance. Unfortunately the chlorine play havoc with my hair and skin, and the lanes are usually called "slow", "medium" and "fast" though should be known as "a tortoise could overtake you", "mediocre" and "show-off".. And another downer, lots of Speedo...

But I like it and have always liked swimming since childhood. And it is the best form of exercise as you use all your muscles, apparently.

So...for my morning endorphin fix (Wow, that first rush is better than sex!) I wandered off but when I got there the pool was closed. It was explained to me that the swimming pool won't be opened again until June 2008 as it is being refurbished. And the nearest swimming pool for me is over 2 miles. Bloody marvellous...

Fine, it is being refurbished but where are people meant to go as it is a popular pool? So many swimming pools are closing around London and in other parts of the UK. The government bang on about obesity rates and health issues but they would rather plunder cash into that elitist monstrosity known as the 2012 Olympics.

Many swimming pools are indeed old and in need of refurbishment (the pool I go to was built around 1960s) but many councils seem to close them as opposed to replace them. And some of these swimming pools have beautiful 1930s architecture (for example, the now defunct Marshall Street Baths).

The government has claimed that it is unsustainable to run many of these swimming pools due to subsidies and there are many private swimming pools. Well yeah, there are but they cost a lot especially gym membership. This has an dramatic impact on poorer sections of society who can ill afford these rates. Cheap and affordable council run sport centres are needed.

So the government will carry on pouring money into the Olympics yet council run sports centres are usually the first to get its budget slashed and also selling off the swimming pool sites is rather similar to selling off green spaces as it makes a massive profit. That's what it's all about!