Fortunately, Hinksey Outdoor Pool is down the road from the garage, so I ordered good weather and packed up my gear.
I love Hinksey Outdoor Pool, but would it work with my little one?
So, I arrived at about 10 on a Monday morning in May. Despite the glorious weather, the place was pretty empty. The last time I went it was a weekend and rammed!
First problem I spotted for my little one...where was the shade? I hadn't remember the space being so open. There were a few trees around the periphery, but the sun was so high they barely cast any shadow. I spotted one bench in the shade and set up camp there. The bench was pretty comfortable to breastfeed on, so that was a bonus.
I felt so sorry as other families arrived and mournfully eyed up my little patch of shade. It wasn't even big enough to share and rapidly disappearing as the sun rose higher and higher.
My friend arrived and we decamped to the only other piece of shade we could see - by the fence near the cafe. It wasn't very picturesque (the recycling pile was outside), a bit noisy (the fan from the cafe) and smelt of chips (from the fan!), but our bubs (7 and 8 months) were in the shade and we were happy.
Also important for new mums, the cafe serves a pretty good cup of coffee for £1.50. Caffeine and sugar, how do I manage without you? Nothing appropriate for weaning babes though, so pack a picnic.
Next, the pool. Little E was not in the best of moods that day (I think mixture of a runny nose and big developmental surge), but I took him into the water twice for a paddle. There are some water features that spray water, which he was pretty fascinated by. The sloping "beach" effect of the pool meant it was easy to help him "walk" into the water and he started experimenting with stamping his feet. I was hoping to take him into the water a bit more, but despite it being heated, it was pretty cold and Little E didn't look that happy. Another day perhaps.
People are probably not as dim as me, but I leant an important lesson about swimming nappies - they leak. I had heard that their only role was to...ahem...contain solids, but I was hoping to not have to keep changing Little E in and out of his wetsuit. I put him in his swimming nappy, a happy nappy and then his wetsuit, but realised later wee was dribbling down his leg. The pram and my friend's sarong had damp patches. Ewww!
Despite the problems with shade, it was lovely sitting on the grass with our babes, chatting and having a picnic. I even got a swim while Little E was napping. Before I knew it, it was 4pm and the car was ready. Perfect.
I won't add details about Hinksey Pool here. The links and information will change, so just ask Mr Google nicely for opening times, etc.
So, I had a lovely day at Hinksey and can't wait to go again. However, I need to invest in a big umbrella or tent to keep me and Little E from burning. I suggest you do the same!
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