DG One Leisure Complex

They party like it's 2022 here; the arrangements don't seem to have got over Covid in that every session is booked by the hour. There is only one hour of lane swimming after work hours in the week (4:45 on Tuesday for one hour; six places in the fast lane and seven in the medium). And expect lots of kids at lessons and swim club in the other lanes. This bureaucracy has the advantage of course that, with no-shows, the lanes are not overcrowded.

The changing room is in the usual village arrangement with £1 deposit for your locker. Bring your own shampoo. Upstairs you will find barriers against using the nicest seating.

OK, so this pool recently reopened after extensive rebuilding work required following its initial opening (a failed private finance initiative). It could be an amazing facility - eight lanes, proper blocks, lots of seating, good showers, a body drying machine if you forget your towel, a separate teaching pool, and a hydroslide pool.

Maybe I was unlucky, but this really isn't a pool for swimmers. Of the eight lanes, only two were set up for lane swimming (despite the website saying four until 8 AM and then eight until 9 AM), the rest of the pool was open slather head-up breaststrokers. Actually, so were the two lanes for lane swimming. The water was warm, incredibly chlorine-y, and very cloudy. I got out after 1,200 metres. I didn't even swim that far, actually, as I had to keep turning before the end. Oh - and its shallow - a shame with those good starting blocks!

I never found the toilets so can't comment on them, but there were hairdryers on the way out.

£4.40 for a swim; free parking outside; lockers £1 refundable.