Finchley Lido

Absolutely ridiculous, bought 2 swimming passes to the outdoor lido, only to arrive to an overcrowded mess. Firstly we arrived and stood in line for a few minutes as it was not clearly marked anywhere that if you already have passes you can just go through. The people in line were clearly just waiting to purchase the passes. Tried scanning our QR codes at the gates which just straight up didn’t work, so ended up just going through without scanning. The dude sitting at the gates just did not give a damn, didn’t even bat an eye, anyone can waltz in as they please. The pool is FULL to the brim with about 30 people, whilst during booking process it stated there is a maximum of 20 people per slot, goes to show they just let everyone in. What’s the point of buying a specific time slot? There are 2 dingy benches which are taken obviously so nowhere to sit other than on the grass near the pool which has empty cans, crisp packets and someone’s fake press on nails lying around. Absolute mess, money wasted, was considering buying a membership to go to the gym etc, absolutely not.

· via Google

We went to the lido (outside pool) on an extremely hot day. The unheated water was just right and it was lovely to cool off in the water. We were also allowed to use the inside pool with the wave machine which the kids enjoyed. The lido itself is quite small, with a sectioned off area for small kids, and it's the same depth throughout (0.9metres) so no diving! It did feel crowded, but it was a very hot day. There are showers beside the pool which I didn't see until in the pool and did not seem to be used much, perhaps because people didn't know they are there! There was a kiosk but it was closed on our visit- no opening times visible. The landscaping around the lido is heavily concreted but there is a grassy area to the side where there was shade and a few sunloungers. Overall our visit was great and it was lovely to cool off outside on a hot day!

· via Google

Its a small gym with everything you need but gets crowded during peak hours. Gym etiquette is poor and its often dirty. Today the cleaner mostly stood around watching her child who was definitely too young to be on equipment whilst areas were covered in dirt. On numerous occasions I have seen children using free weights. There is a middle aged male gym instructor who is really on it and does his job. The changing rooms have no air con and are always dirty, lack of lockers on busy days. The adult pool is nice, the lido is past its sell by date.

· via Google

I was genuinely disappointed by the cleanliness of the facilities. The changing rooms, the pool, and the overall hygiene standards were far below what I expected. It was very upsetting to see used baby diapers and children’s underwear soiled with feces left at the entrance and inside the changing rooms. In addition, the adult pool contained a noticeable amount of hair, and there was an unpleasant odor at the entrance to the pool area. I honestly did not expect the facility to be this unclean. I would like to ask: Is there regular management supervision? Are there cleaning staff assigned to monitor these areas? Why are the facilities not being checked more frequently, and why are visitors not reminded to follow basic hygiene rules? As someone with an underlying medical condition and a weakened immune system, I have been advised by my physician to use a swimming pool as part of my treatment. I also pay membership fees for this service. It is very disappointing that, because of the lack of proper management and maintenance, I have to worry about my health or even limit my visits. I sincerely hope the management takes this feedback seriously and improves the cleanliness and hygiene standards for everyone’s safety and comfort.

· via Google