4 More Swimming Pools

st pancras pool is never this empty

I swim wherever I go as its the only real exercise I can do nowadays because of rugby and motorbike knee injuries. (Do yourself a favour and tell your kids not to ride motorbikes or play rugby past their twenties.) So I've become a bit of a swimming pool, lake and swimming pond expert. This is my third post on this subject. Apologies if this is the most boring thing in the world to read...

4 more swimming pools reviewed from my recent trip to the UK, Ireland and back...

1. Singapore Airport Pool. This used to be a great little pool on the roof of a short stay hotel at Singapore Airport. Located right overlooking the runways there was a swim up bar and deck chairs and the best part was that it was always completely empty. So empty in fact that you cd always sneak in without paying and have a quick swim between long haul flights (I did this many times.) But then Anthony Bourdain opened his big mouth and now its always packed with the kind of people who love Anthony Bourdain who (with the exception of course of Dan Woodrell & Ian Rankin) can be a bit hard to take sometimes.

2. St Pancras Leisure Centre Pool. Right behind St Pancras station another hidden gem in the heart of London. A couple of quid and you are in clear blue water swimming laps either clockwise or anti-clockwise with local elderly eccentrics, the occasional beardy hipster swimming butterfly, earnest young women doing the crawl and the odd disgraced geography teacher with a moustache and combover just hanging out creepily in the shallow end.

3. Harrogate Hydro Pool. Walkable from just about everywhere in Harrogate. Its the place to be when the temperature shoots up into the 20's. (Yes, I'm being sarcastic here, I do live in Melbourne you know.) Three pools: an eight-lane 25m short-course competition standard swimming pool; multi-purpose activity pool with moving floor and a training pool for our learners. Usually all very empty in the mornings which is perfect. Men and women get changed in the same place which can be awkward but a scone and a cup of tea at the cafe costs less than 3 quid which cant be beat.

4. Carrickfergus Leisure Centre Pool. Back here again. Lovely pool overlooking a lake and bird sanctuary. Full of crazy people swimming "widths" and if you swim too slowly people think you want to chat. Love this place.