Yesterday morning I walked to Newbold Comyn Leisure Centre for my first Leamington gym session. Travelling to Fitness First in Coventry had become too impractical. It only took me half an hour to get there and, with the sun shining, was extremely pleasant. I used to be out walking in the countryside every day and doing lengthy walks regularly. It’s reinvigorating. Living in cities for the past few years has been very claustrophobic. In future I’ll cycle but the man to whom I entrusted servicing of my bike on Monday and who said ‘Well, we haven’t looked after this very well have we?’ has yet to call me. Over recent weeks I’ve visited a few local gyms. Cannons (£55) didn’t impress me at all; small gym area, small pool and, like so many gyms, large (always 80% empty) lounge area. I don’t know if the huge fee is because they serve Starbucks coffee. Friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks. I’ve been spoilt by Total Fitness in Hull which, although the staff were hopeless, was huge and eighteen pounds a month cheaper than Cannons. We also went to Pure (£47) which looked lovely and new as if they’d cut the ribbon ten seconds before I walked in. The personal trainer at Total Fitness told me to avoid The Treadmill because it’s full of meatheads. And it doesn’t open till nine. I like to have been out, gymned and back home working by nine. The winner was Newbold Comyn for being closest to home and having equipment that’s just as good as the others for only £30 a month. Despite having attended numerous gyms before I wasn't allowed to use this gym until i'd had an induction which I thought was a bit of a nonsense. On arrival I used the ground floor changing rooms which seemed basic and couldn’t have been further from the luxury of Pure. I was thinking of claiming I’d forgotten the direct debit form and making a swift exit. My biggest complaint was the open, bus-shelter-like nature of the showers. You would literally be cheek to cheek with your fellow gym/shower users. Once I was upstairs I found that I’d used the swimming pool changing room where you would be already costumed when using those showers. Upstairs they had more changing rooms which i assumed had proper, modesty protecting cubicles for the showers. They didn't. There was just another, smaller bus shelter. Pure offered free Shampoo and shower gel, Cannons had free towels, this place could offer a free back rub from a random stranger. Kate, who did my induction, had prepared some girls exercises for me. She offered me 6kg for the first exercise and we gradually discovered that 22.5kg was the appropriate weight. I soon wished I’d stuck with the lighter weights since most of the exercises involved balancing on a Swiss ball or a single leg and left me, and especially my buttocks, feeling completely exhausted very quickly. Resting wasn’t a concept she was familiar with. When i left my pride didn't come with me.
Yesterday evening Martin, the architect used by Eddie and Mary opposite, visited. He took the mirrors and carpets all in his stride, making barely any comment. It was quite disappointing, like telling someone your best ghost story or funniest joke and getting no response at all. We finally had to be adult when touring the house. He was pessimistic about extending above the garage, not really seeing it as generating enough space given the expense. He thought we could extend the rear of the house but I’m not keen to alter its symmetry. I did like that he was quite parental and if he was managing our project would be keeping an eye on our budget and be offering Waitrose, Tesco and Aldi options.
