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Olympic medalist Rebecca Adlington is opening a new swimming pool for kids in Leeds
""It has been a joy to watch a new swim facility take shape in Yorkshire, and I hope it encourages local children to learn to love the water as much as I do.”
A new purpose-built facility on Frontier Business Park in Batley (just fifteen minutes from Leeds city centre) will open on Saturday 7 May thanks to four Olympic medalist, Rebecca Adlington OBE and will cater for families with children aged 0 - 11.
The centre is thought to have been designed to offer a unique swimming journey for both babies and children and is set to include modern amenities like a 31 degree warm pool, parent and guest viewing lounge, kids play area, online progress tracking and fun swimming lessons.
Best of all, there's no current waiting lists and upon opening, lessons will run every day of the week, some of which will initially come free of charge.
Named Swim! Leeds Batley, introduction sessions for all children will be available free of charge from Saturday 7th May, with official swimming lessons starting on Monday 16th May.
Double Olympic medalist Rebecca Adlington has been behind the development, as co-founder of Sporting House, a group of Olympian-led brands, which includes swim!, SwimStars and Beth Tweddle Gymnastics.
The athlete has a number of swim-related businesses that help children to access swimming pools. / Image: Becky Adlington's Swim Stars
Becky Adlington is a decorated athlete that's become a household name and an inspiration for young swimmers across the UK since her rise to fame at the 2008 Olympic games.
With a staggering number of accolades to her name, the athlete hopes to encourage little Yorkshire folk to "take the plunge and discover their love for swimming".
The new centre will provide an opportunity for children in Batley the opportunity to do just that- but learning the incredible life skill in the water can also aid additional development skills like confidence, determination, resilience and social skills too.
The new Batley pool is just one of the efforts that the decorated swimmer has made to ensure that children of all ages, abilities and background are able to access swimming lessons.
Speaking about Swim! Leeds Batley, the Becky Adlington commented: “As schools and leisure facilities closed and the pandemic left children with less spaces to get active, we needed to take action and give kids the chance to get moving, socialise with others and hopefully discover a new hobby.“
"Swimming is also an essential life-saving skill and we are determined to break down barriers, whether that be a lack of facilities, teachers or lesson availability, to make sure swimming is accessible for all children.“
"With the opening of the new Batley centre, children will not only learn to swim, but will gain a whole host of transferable skills sure to benefit them as they grow up.
"It has been a joy to watch a new swim facility take shape in Yorkshire, and I hope it encourages local children to learn to love the water as much as I do.”
A Leeds pizza takeaway has received a glowing review from popular review duo.
Edges Pizza opened up their first permanent spot in Leeds back in June this year, after making a name for themselves slinging out pizzas at multiple pop-ups across the city.
Owners Grace and Edge from Harrogate opened Edges Pizza two years ago, taking inspiration from trips to New York over the years.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Their pizzas are a love letter to the class New York slice, think thin and crispy rather than chewy and floppy. But above all else, think absolutely delicious.
And now, they've caught the attention of a major review page, with Bite Twice Food Reviews (a page with almost 300k followers) paying Edges a visit.
The food review duo of Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany popped up in Holbeck beneath the arches to get their hands on a pizza, and the outcome is brilliant.
In the video, Bite Twice said that the pizza is 'f**cking exceptional' and up there with 'one of the best pizzas in the UK'.
Before even taking a bite, they said: "On aesthetic, I don't think anywhere in the UK is doing pizza like this".
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Then after the first bite, they go on to say: "There are very few pizzas in the UK that create this, I’m a little bit blown away".
As Londoners themselves, they go on to say that Edges is 'easily hitting with the best that we’ve got down south'.
And if that's not high praise enough, they sign off the video saying: "Leeds has got an absolute gem. I give this a stamp so hard my foot went through the pizza. Edges. Don Level."
Yorkshire-set Christmas film by Leeds director starring Richard E. Grant set to hit UK cinemas next month
Clementine Hall
A brand-new Christmas film is hitting cinemas nationwide next month - and it’s a proper Leeds success story.
Jack Spring directed his first feature film at just 19 years old and has spent the last decade carving out a career in independent film, as well as co-founding Leeds-based production company Shush Films.
His first movie, Destination: Dewsbury, was shot just down the road in - you guessed it - Dewsbury. And after moving to Leeds from Grimsby, Jack became determined to build his business from the city, putting down roots and growing his production company here.
Image: Supplied
Now, after years of working on independent projects, Jack has taken his biggest leap yet with a brand-new Christmas film, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint.
Set in Yorkshire, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint follows Aubrey Flint, a reclusive model soldier painter with a lifelong hatred of Christmas, who is sentenced to community service at Willow Lodge - a retirement home on the brink of closure.
Roped into helping with a chaotic production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Aubrey clashes with its interesting set of residents...
And the cast is about as star-studded as it gets, featuring Richard E. Grant, John Bradley, Celia Imrie, Adjoa Andoh, Sophia Di Martino, Adrian Rawlins and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.
Image: Supplied
The heartwarming festive comedy will hit cinemas nationwide on Friday 6 November - a huge milestone for a Leeds-based director and production company, taking a homegrown Yorkshire story to audiences across the country.
You just can't beat a proper wholesome British Christmas film, so you can best believe we'll be watching in the cinema, popcorn in hand.
Sophie Smith -
28th April 2022 
