Sad swim left family high and dry

Rose Harland • Published 17 Apr 2008 08:00 0 Comments

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A YOUNG family fear their swimming sessions have been beached by a sudden switch in opening times.

The Hewitt family only discovered swimming pool times had been cut when they were turned away by lifeguards, despite being within sight of the water.

The family-of-four had paid for their weekly swim at Rivermead Leisure Centre and got changed before staff told them the pool had closed.

Adam and Emma Hewitt then had to explain to their young children Daniel, two, and Thomas, nine months, why they could not go in.

Mr Hewitt, 37, of Weald Rise, Tilehurst, said: "Daniel was very upset and confused.

"You get a nearly three-year-old ready to go swimming and then turn around and have to go again, he just couldn't understand it.

"We arrived at the pool between 5.30pm-5.45pm as usual, got in at 5.50pm, and were told the pool was closed. They said it was a change to the timetable.

"My wife asked them for the time-table, but they weren't able to give us a copy of anything, they just told us to check the website."

The pool closed early during the spring break and leisure centre bosses have confirmed that opening hours will be permanently cut.

The pool was open for general swimming until 7.30pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and until 4.15pm on Fridays, but it will now close at 6pm on Mondays and Thursdays, at 3.30pm on Wednesdays.

Mr Hewitt added: "The reduced timetable definitely makes it harder for working parents who want to go during the week. My wife works until 5pm and depending on the traffic, she doesn't get home until 5.30pm, and at the weekends we're tied up with doing other activities. It's such a shame.

"We like to take the kids once a week, and they enjoy going. It's a good, fun thing to do, and it's a very important life skill. My wife and I were very keen on swimming at school, and we want both our boys to know how to swim."

The Hewitt's finally managed to get a 20 minute swim on Wednesday last week when the duty manager intervened.

General manager Ian Davis said: "Rather than turn them away, the duty manager decided they could go in for a short time.

"We had to change the general swimming session times because they really weren't being used, so we are introducing one or two new activities, like lane swimming.

"We don't just make these decisions to close these pools.

"Although we are operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), we are still answerable to Reading Borough Council. These decisions are made on public demand and commercial demands.

"There is no point having a public session that only two people are in."

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This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 17 Apr 08

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