It's A Bit Nippy In Dorset

This is a picture of Sandbanks beach. As you can see the sea is actually frozen.

No wonder we've all been feeling so cold. This is the fountain in Poole park.

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.