Celebrity Summer!

We haven’t had the driest of summers this year, but we hope you’ve managed to stay active while dodging the rain! Whilst on the subject of getting wet, we were pleased to open the Outdoor Pool on schedule, following the re-tiling in the spring. We intend to keep the Outdoor Pool itself open throughout the winter (with the possible exception of a two-week window in February), although we will reduce the temperature to around 15°C from mid-November until March next year. Swimming in colder water doesn’t have to be just for the brave – if you acclimatise your body, it is an extremely healthy form of exercise with a huge number of benefits. This temperature is not dissimilar to swimming in open water, so do give it a try! 

The Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic was bigger and better than ever this summer. The slight relocation of the grandstand provided a more spacious experience in and around the court. We were treated to some exceptional tennis – most notably a match between Djokovic and Medvedev, which was worthy of a Grand Slam Final encounter. 

The addition of the Alfred Dunhill Padel Classic this year was a successful inaugural event, and one which we anticipate will become more and more popular, given the extraordinary growth of padel in the UK. 

We now have our own Golf Simulator in the Fitness Centre. After an induction, you can either practise your game using the amazing tools provided for technical analysis, or you can select from an array of courses and enjoy the experience with friends. Why not try this out if you enjoy golf?

Intense work continues behind the scenes on the Masterplan projects, which includes the gathering of usage data for each sports facility; this is why all users of the Indoor Pool, especially children, are being asked to swipe their membership cards on entry. We know this can be inconvenient, but this data is vital when considering the design and size of facilities in the West Wing.

SHARON RAWLINSON, CHAIR, SPORT AND DANNY SITTON, DIRECTOR OF SPORT