Queen Mother Sports Centre

In order to swim here, you need to register on their website. Not being from UK, however, I had troubles, so front staff did it for me. Then you get a card but you can also download the APP and use your phone. The cost for a swim is £8.05. From the APP you book a one-hour lane swim specifically in a fast, medium, or slow lane.

I found that they’re pretty laidback if you enter sooner or leave later. But you can’t get into the facility until 30 minutes before your time.

The changing room is basic but nice. They do have hair dryers. And you should bring a lock for the lockers. If you forget your goggles, ear plugs, swim cap, swimsuit or lock, you can buy them at the centre.

I swim here regularly. At 27º - 28º, the pool temperature is better than it was years ago - not too hot for faster swimming. Cleanliness, however, is a problem. This is a council pool managed by a third-party management company that does a terrible job. It has a very high use by many different groups but that is not an excuse. You shouldn't worry about bacteria, as there is so much chlorine in the water that you will be well and truly sterilized by the time you get out. The lanes are often busy but they're a decent width for over-taking, which you will need as the lifeguards, like most of the staff here, have a horrible work-ethic. The lanes are marked slow, medium, etc. but nobody takes any notice - it can get pretty chaotic. The change rooms are in appalling state, as are the toilets (faeces smeared on walls, etc.). It is an OK choice in a city with very poor public swimming options - at least they keep it a decent temperature.

During a late morning weekday visit, I found the water a good cool temperature for swimming. The fast and medium lanes were not crowded or aggressive.

Towel hire is £2 with a £5 deposit. The changing room is upstairs, then down stairs. It is single sex communal and the lockers take a £1 returnable deposit.

The lap pool is clean, not over-chlorinated, but slightly on the warm side. Between 8 and 9 AM on a Thursday, there were two to four swimmers per lane. Decent speed regulation. Pull buoys and small kickboards are available poolside. The communal shower area is a bit cramped; the showers and changing areas reasonably clean.

I swam here in October, 2014, in the morning. Eight swimmers per lane. A little cold. But I still got a decent workout.

Swam at 8:30 a.m. on a weekday; the crowd was modest and lane speed was being followed by all. Medium seemed to mean "okay for breast stroke" and I didn't encounter any breaststrokers in the fast lane. Agree on the locker room comment -- much improved.

The change rooms have been recently renovated; they are pleasant but there are not enough benches, so they get very crowded. Lane discipline has gone downhill. There a lot of very slow swimmers in the fast lane - and aggressive with it! It's getting hotter all the time - 30ºC. This pool used to be a pleasure but is now very disappointing.

Nice and clean. Not crowded at 8 AM. Two lanes with lane lines, the rest, a free-for-all. Water too warm; probably 86ºF (30ºC).

Not too warm: ~82º F (28ºC). Very crowded at 6 PM on a Monday, but bright, clean, and good for a workout.

Nice facilities, but at 29ºC (84ºF), it's too hot for training.

Rating: 6 on a scale of 10. Crowded, many breaststrokers in the freestyle lane, making it hard to swim hard.

Busy, especially evenings. Staff laissez-faire.