Love Bites: Poolside People

I daydream of being a mermaid often – living amongst sea creatures and corals, enjoying all the diversity of an underwater haven. And so, when the winter months draw in and the sea becomes a faraway reality, I retreat to indoor pools to regulate my body. 

Recently, after trying out an overpriced chain gym with a pool attached as an afterthought, I was reminded of my original love – Edinburgh Leisure’s community swimming pools. 

The first time I visited one, it was a rare sunny day in Edinburgh. Dappled sunlight poured through the glass ceilings and danced through the chlorinated water. I leapt into the beams and felt the warmth drench my bones. On a later visit, the full moon bathed me as I swam lengths across the pool. Early mornings, late evenings – the pool awaits.

Different bodies swim alongside me: Black, brown, disabled, young, elderly, pregnant, babes in arms. The pool’s beauty is available to anyone in the city, not just those with a full time, well-paid job. You’re not tied to a yearly contract and you get to join a rich history of people gathering in the city to commune with the water. This luxury of escape to an underwater world feels truly accessible. 

Music for (and by) all plays on the speakers: the local radio station offers city-wide updates; water aerobics classes sync themselves to 70s Bollywood music; and, sometimes, a snippet of Beethoven's 5th Symphony joins for a length or two. There's something for everyone. The joyous screams of eight-year-olds combine with the chatter of neighbours on their weekly swim, forming the delicious soundscape of a true community gathering.

In a rapidly gentrifying city, the Edinburgh Leisure pools signal how anyone can be part of the conversation. Creating and sustaining environments that nurture this communion allows us to hold the heart of our cities.