A swim a day

Monday afternoon.

Swimming laps at my local pool.

I love swimming. I love the freedom. The rhythm. The time to think. The lightness and the endorphins that kick in afterwards.

I’ve discovered two great pools nearby: Kensington Leisure Centre or Ken Les is wonderfully close to my apartment and Porchester Centre in Bayswater.

Ken Les is a modern swimming pool in the heart of Notting Dale and, like the immediate area, feels like a faded council initiative of the 70s.  It could do with a facelift but I am grateful for a pool so close to home that I love it for its faults.

It’s a standard 25m but has a variable length (and depth) and can go to 33m. They change the lengths daily and all swimmers need to exit while the change is made.  After school and Saturday mornings are best avoided as priority is given to swimming lessons and lap swimming is often reduced to one lane.

Porchester is housed in a grand art deco pool at the end of Queensway and it’ s always a surprise that there is a pool in there as it also contains a large formal ballroom used for high class functions and events.  It’s an odd 30m length (100 foot) and is deeper and cooler than Ken Les and the water feels cleaner and less chlorinated as a result.  The lanes are wider and kids under 8 are not allowed.

Both offer small pools for kids which are excellent with plenty of kickboards, noodles and other flotation aides with fun. Kids under 8 must have an adult in the pool with them.

Both offer swimming lessons run by Swimming Nature which are excellent, although Ken Les only offers 2 :1 and 1:1 lessons while Porchester also offers up to 8 to 1.

Both are run by Nuffield Health and offer monthly swim passes for £30 which you can use between the two. Ken Les is £3.30 for an adult entry and Porchester is a stiff £5.10. Make sure you bring a £1 coin for the locker at Ken Les and a 20p coin for Porchester.