Henbury Leisure Centre

After last night's swim at another North Bristol pool - followed by an overnight stay at what might just be the weirdest Hilton hotel in the UK - I decided to squeeze in an early morning pre-work swim. The plan was simple: clock another 4km on this week's swim tally and tick a new pool off the list.

We're now down to the last few Bristol pools I've yet to conquer. Henbury Leisure Centre is one of those - practically next to the M5. I must've driven past it hundreds of times, but never actually stopped for a swim.

Getting in wasn't exactly straightforward. I missed the entrance on my first attempt, mistaking it for a staff entrance to a school car park. This resulted in an unplanned scenic detour around a housing estate, but I eventually found my way back and parked up.

Stepping onto the pool deck, I was pleasantly surprised. The pool was bright, clean, and generally in good shape - though busier than I expected for an early morning. I jumped into the furthest fast lane, determined to get going.

That's when the fun started. The lane was absolutely packed - at times with eight or more swimmers - and there was a total free-for-all. Some were swimming at a decent pace, while others were more... leisurely. It didn't help that a few swimmers in the fast lane were getting overtaken by people in the adjacent medium lane. A couple of them refused to let anyone pass at the turn, and to top it off, a few swimmers decided the best place for a chat was at the lane end, completely blocking the wall.

One such lovely local took things a bit far. As I flipped at the wall, he reached over and smacked my legs! Naturally, I popped up and asked what he thought he was doing - in a few more words. The guy looked rather startled and tried to deny it. There were a few raised voices, but I eventually threw in a cheeky “calm down, sweaty” and got back to my set.

Somehow, despite the mayhem, I managed to complete the full 4km. Admittedly, I was ready to call it a day after the first 40 lengths!