You can't come in here wearing that!

Last week I took the children swimming at our local leisure centre. We have been swimming at this particular pool every month for over a year and have never had any problems until last week. I was about to get into the water when a life guard approached me and told me I wouldn't be able to swim in their pool any more because they have introduced a new 'acceptable' swimwear policy and my modest swimming costume breaches their new policy's health and safety guidelines.

They seemed very unsure as to what their policy actually was and gave me conflicting opinions as to why my costume was no longer acceptable. One woman said it was because the pieces of the costume are not joined and when I pointed out that they are joined she changed her mind and said it was because it was too baggy.

When I asked her for a copy of the policy she said she didn't have one and she then admitted that she didn't really know what the policy was and she would have to look into it and get back to me.

She seemed very surprised when I informed her that I wore the costume because of my religious beliefs as she was only prepared for Muslim women to want to cover up. She suggested I buy a so called burkini as they are allowed under their new policy.

http://www.wholesomewear.com/

A few days later I was contacted by the person in charge of health and safety at the Littledown centre and I asked him for more information about the burkini that they say is acceptable. He sent me a link to their website and I was surprised to see that it's really not a lot different to my costume. The skirt is just as baggy but unlike mine the pieces are separate.

This is the other style they do. The skirt's not quite as baggy as mine but it's still separate pieces.

Anyway I phoned another localish pool in Christchurch and they were more than happy to let me swim there. We went yesterday and it was so much nicer, it was lovely and quiet and unlike the Littledown centre it was really clean.

Update

It's been ages since I last blogged so in no particular order this is what we've been up to.

Lyme Regis

We finally got to go to Lyme Regis. First we went to the Philpot Museum and then we went fossil hunting along the beach.

It was great fun until Wendy nearly died when a huge slab of rock fell from the cliff and only missed her head by a few inches. But apart from that we had a great day.

Bournemouth air show

We had an air show in Bournemouth this year. The children really enjoyed it. Here you can see them waiting for the red arrows.

There was a tent with loads of puzzles to try and solve. This one involves trying to unlink the ropes without taking your hands out.

In the end the man had to show them how to do it.

Levi asked if we could have a look in the Early Learning Centre on the way home. We were looking round and I suddenly realised how much my boys have grown. I don't think there is anything in that shop that either of my boys would want now. We've outgrown the Early Learning Centre!

A little pixie

Late night baking

To distract him from his really foul mood I got Theo to make some cookies at about 11.30pm. It worked a treat, he was so busy thinking about what he was doing he forgot to be a stroppy teenager.

Vegetables

Last year our onions were tiny but this year they've been lovely and big.

We grew these summer squashes this year.

Sonny Oshen

Annette finally had her baby. She popped round to see Brian (the daddy) and ended up giving birth in his bedroom.

Dorset County Museum

I took Theo to Dorset County Museum. It was really good value. You only pay for adults, all children go free and you get a pass which means you can go back as many times as you like for a year.

You're never to big to go in the Wendy house,

or ride go-karts,

or make a Punch and Judy show.

Adam's birthday

We went to Adam's birthday party.

The Rendezvous festival

Theo and his band played a few songs at the Rendezvous festival in Bournemouth.

Christchurch

Levi and I went for a walk in Christchurch. We found this man painting outside the mill.

We picked quite a few apples.

We found a plum tree that was covered in fruit but only one plum was ripe.

Laura's mum

On Laura's birthday we went out for high tea with her mum.

Sadly a couple of weeks later her mum passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Red House Museum

I took Levi to the Red House Museum in Christchurch.

At last

There is no window in my bathroom and in October last year the extractor fan broke. It has taken Signpost housing association a whole year to actually fix it. They sent lots of workmen to come and look at it but none of them had the parts to replace it so they kept saying they'd have to order a new one but then they never came back and did the job. I must have had about 15 different appointments.

As you can imagine with no ventilation in the bathroom it was really beginning to pong. In the end I contacted environmental health. As soon as I told Signpost that's what I intended to do they pulled their finger out and actually fixed it.

Outdoor cooking

The children decided they wanted to do some outdoor cooking.

Crab fishing

We went crab fishing at Mudeford. We got a few bites but they kept dropping off when we were pulling the line up.

Afterwards we went to the park and the children caught grasshoppers.

Nights away training

In September Laura and I went down to Buddens to do the nights away module of our Scout leadership training. Everyone else slept together in patrol tents but we decided to be anti-social and sleep in our own tent.

This is what happened when Brian took us into the woods to show us his chopper.

First we had to cut a small section of wood.

Then we had to chop it up with an axe.

Laura only had a little accident.