Gurnell Leisure Centre - really that awful?

[LocalEditorEaling]

It's all kicking off in our local Facebook Groups about the Centre being in a very dismal state - shocking reports on hygiene and services.

I haven't been myself for few months now. However, even back then, the changing rooms were often filthy and completely outdated. Reception staff were indeed quite unhelpful at times, in terms of helping to book/find info about classes, etc.

Have you been recently? Please leave your feedback here and also in the Review section (cut and paste). We can start talking to Better about this once we have some ammunition.

local.mumsnet.com/ealing/leisure-centres/169957-gurnell-leisure-centre

My main beef is with accessing the children's pool in peak times - either have a wristband system and stick with it, or don't have one at all. The way it works currently is shambolic and unfair. We waited the best part of an hour one recent Saturday morning, having put our names on the waiting list. Frustration at seeing people without wristbands simply walking in with their children (presumably having said they were using the larger pool for which wristbands are not required) doesn't begin to cover it. It was only when the increasing mass of irritated parents rounded on the ineffective and apathetic reception staff and demanded that the lifeguards get off their backsides and actually enforce the policy, did 15 spaces miraculously appear.
I don't want to cheat the system and say I'm going to the big pool just to get into the children's pool, I'd much rather the existing policy was implemented properly and fairly.

We tend to go after school for swimming lessons. I agree that the admission system doesn't seem quite clear - after a few years we finally just assumed that you could just go in if you are there for lessons. And there is never enough staff to help with entry/booking/info and they don't tell you which queue is which and you just stand around until someone takes pity on you. But I found the changing rooms to be generally OK at those times.

Beware the vending machines though - more often than not they just eat your money. Better to stock up on your own caramel wafers.