My family and I have really enjoyed using the Abingdon outdoor pool over the past couple of weeks -- even in the rain, as today!
We always tried to use the pool each summer, but the increased water temperature this year has made such a difference. It feels warm when getting in, even when the weather is cold and overcast. We plan to use the facility much more this summer, as a result.
I was also delighted to read that the council has announced that, at the end of the season, it is going to replace the (rather dilapidated) old pool with a brand-new pool -- they realised that it would be far more cost-effective to do a complete replacement rather than continually repairing the existing structure. So the pool should be even better in 2017!
On a side note -- I bought the kids ice creams at the pool's refreshment kiosk. They chose Cornetto Soft, which they love -- so well done to the pool for stocking that particular brand. I also noticed that Funny Feet lollies were on the ice cream list. I remember these well from my 1970s childhood, but thought they'd been discontinued years ago, so that was an interesting surprise.
All in all, I'd highly recommend a visit to the Abingdon outdoor pool. It's in a beautiful location, is warm and sells ice creams. What more could you want?
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
12 July, 2016
29 May, 2015
Springtime sandal shopping
It's spring which means...time to shop for sandals for the kids again.
I have never been a great fan of shoe shopping for myself -- a legacy of having large feet and it being impossible to find shoes in my size when I was young. I have memories of being dragged from shop to shop with assistants making increasingly cutting remarks about the size of my feet. That wouldn't happen these days, of course -- people actually seem to care about kids and their feelings now! But not so back in the 70s.
My kids have quite large feet too, but at least shops have now tumbled to the fact that not all girls possess petite tootsies and it is possible to purchase larger sizes. However, my oldest is now at the age where Clarks is a no-no and Schuh is much more the thing, whereas my youngest still prefers the offering from Clarks, so we now have to visit twice as many shops. Schuh is also expensive, which rather limits the choices for my oldest, as I (perhaps unreasonably?) baulk at paying over £40 for a pair of kids' sandals.
So, we headed into our local town a couple of days ago and visited the requisite shops. My oldest identified some sandals that she liked, but which were expensive. My youngest was measured up in Clarks, but when the assistant returned from the stock room she declared that they had no sandals whatsoever in my daughter's size. So, we came home empty handed on both fronts.
The problem is that the kids still need their sandals. So, I started up my laptop and managed to find the expensive sandals for sale significantly cheaper with a reputable online supplier. Hurrah! And we managed to find some sandals that my youngest liked the look of in the Clarks online shop. These are now on order for delivery to our local store.
Let's just hope they fit when they arrive, otherwise it'll be back to the drawing board again!
I have never been a great fan of shoe shopping for myself -- a legacy of having large feet and it being impossible to find shoes in my size when I was young. I have memories of being dragged from shop to shop with assistants making increasingly cutting remarks about the size of my feet. That wouldn't happen these days, of course -- people actually seem to care about kids and their feelings now! But not so back in the 70s.
My kids have quite large feet too, but at least shops have now tumbled to the fact that not all girls possess petite tootsies and it is possible to purchase larger sizes. However, my oldest is now at the age where Clarks is a no-no and Schuh is much more the thing, whereas my youngest still prefers the offering from Clarks, so we now have to visit twice as many shops. Schuh is also expensive, which rather limits the choices for my oldest, as I (perhaps unreasonably?) baulk at paying over £40 for a pair of kids' sandals.
So, we headed into our local town a couple of days ago and visited the requisite shops. My oldest identified some sandals that she liked, but which were expensive. My youngest was measured up in Clarks, but when the assistant returned from the stock room she declared that they had no sandals whatsoever in my daughter's size. So, we came home empty handed on both fronts.
The problem is that the kids still need their sandals. So, I started up my laptop and managed to find the expensive sandals for sale significantly cheaper with a reputable online supplier. Hurrah! And we managed to find some sandals that my youngest liked the look of in the Clarks online shop. These are now on order for delivery to our local store.
Let's just hope they fit when they arrive, otherwise it'll be back to the drawing board again!
09 August, 2014
Abingdon open air pool
With this lovely weather and with it being school holidays, the kids and I having been partaking in al fresco activities as much as we can.
We are very lucky to live close to the Abingdon open air pool, which we recently visited. This is a lovely swimming pool on the banks of the Thames, which is open during the summer months. It boasts a large L-shaped pool, a baby pool, free sun loungers, and an ice cream and drinks concession -- all set in grassy grounds, surrounded by trees.
We were fortunate enough to visit during a very quiet session -- there were only five other families and us. This is pretty unusual -- usually, as soon as the sun comes out, the pool is mobbed, even more so during the holidays. I overheard the lifeguards chatting and they reckoned that the low numbers that day were due to the prolonged sunny weather. They thought that people were bored of so much sun and had 'done' the open air pool. Lucky us!
The open air pool is a great Abingdon asset. It has a long and interesting history too, which you can find out about here.
We are very lucky to live close to the Abingdon open air pool, which we recently visited. This is a lovely swimming pool on the banks of the Thames, which is open during the summer months. It boasts a large L-shaped pool, a baby pool, free sun loungers, and an ice cream and drinks concession -- all set in grassy grounds, surrounded by trees.
We were fortunate enough to visit during a very quiet session -- there were only five other families and us. This is pretty unusual -- usually, as soon as the sun comes out, the pool is mobbed, even more so during the holidays. I overheard the lifeguards chatting and they reckoned that the low numbers that day were due to the prolonged sunny weather. They thought that people were bored of so much sun and had 'done' the open air pool. Lucky us!
The open air pool is a great Abingdon asset. It has a long and interesting history too, which you can find out about here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)