My local swimming baths.
After much pestering from my step son and nephew, I give in and agree to a family swim session. So, the whole clan - myself in all my pinkness, purpleGod, miniGod and neph all trudge down to the local leisure centre. Im not known for my fitness, just change the i for an a and ask anyone who knows me, so I havent been to this centre for a while (ok, years) and as purpleGod isn't from these parts (I forced him to move to chav central) he has never been here either. Knowing the area well though, I had the brains to leave all valuables at home, including wedding rings, toe rings, wallet, purse, keys, coats, shoes (honestly, its that bad we all had to wear cheap flip flops). Nothing could have prepared me for what we were about to see. We pay ok (yep, they had the cheek to charge) and divvy up for our respective changing room. I take neph with me as he's only 6 and theres no way purpleGod can deal with 2 kids and himself. Changing rooms were gross, soaked in what smelt like piss but hopefully was dripped off swim water. We decide not to risk the cubicles that didn't lock and looked like some-one had shat all over the walls of them, as we had our cossies on under our clothes. We put all our stuff into a bag and went in search of a locker. We found some, but would have been walking home in our wet cossies if we had used them as they had ruffians hanging around them. We found the one locker that actually had a key and reluctantly left our stuff. I should have stayed in the locker rooms as it only gets worse. The showers were full of hairy, smelly, sweaty men, and kids pissing down the drain. (This is the womens changing rooms dont forget) Met up with Purple and MiniGod and hit the play pool. Which was littered with tissue, pubes, hairballs, plastic bags. Lets try the main pool suggests I, maybe adults will be less gross. Again, littered with the same yukness but the kids are moaning so I get in, and see that the sides are grimy with yellowed crusty sweat/piss/puss. Im freaking at this point but the kids are loving it so I stay in this hell hole for two and a half hours, the kids still didnt want to get out, but I insisted after brushing past something that looked disturbingly like a turd, We got out, by-passed the showers, put our clothes on wet bodies and came home and all showered and scrubbed til we bled. I still smell of bleach now.

Apologies for length- you need to be warned never to go to st*ch!ord swimming baths.
( randomwomanwholikespink, Mon 25 Jun 2007, 14:01, Reply)