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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.”
The BBC has announced a brand-new crime drama set to be filmed in Leeds and Hull.
We all love a BBC drama, and luckily for us one is about to be filmed right here in Leeds.
The new drama will be titled Shy & Lola, starring Harley Squires from The Night Manager and Bel Powley from The Diary of A Teenage Girl.
The six-part series has been described as a "dark comedy" about two women caught up in a murder in the criminal underworld.
The plot follows an unassuming pair in a small coastal town in northern England where the pair both realise they have a hidden talent for crime.
The series synopsis states: "As they build an operation that threatens to blow the local bad guys out of the water, opposing futures beckon – using their earnings to fund a fresh start, or becoming the new bosses in town."
The show is based on a popular French TV series and is written by Amanda Coe, an acclaimed English screenwriter and novelist.
Amanda Coe spoke about the announcement: "With such a rich and spiky central relationship at its core, Shy & Lolais a dream of a show to write, full of fun, action and emotion. I can't wait to see our hugely exciting cast and director bring it to life."
Rachelle Constant, executive Producer for Clerkenwell Films, said: "Amanda has written a brilliantly bold series centred on a dynamic female duo, which blends dark comedy with propulsive storytelling.We’re thrilled to have Hayley and Bel as our leads, alongside an exceptional cast and crew."
The new series will begin filming in Leeds and Hull this spring and will air on BBC One and iPlayer and we'll absolutely be tuning in.
Turnstile to play their only UK headline show this year at Halifax Piece Hall
Clementine Hall
Turnstile will headline the Halifax Piece Hall this summer, their only UK headline show.
The Grammy-winning hardcore group have just announced a very special show at historic venue the Halifax Piece Hall.
As part of the venue's huge summer season, Turnstile will take to the stage on Wednesday 26 August marking a whopping 41 shows at the Piece Hall's calendar so far.
The group pulled huge crowds at Glastonbury festival last year and scooped up two Grammy Awards earlier this month, using their platform to thank fans who "swung in the dark" with them.
Nicky Chance-Thompson MBE DL FRSA, CEO of The Piece Hall Trust, says: “2026 will see Turnstile playing at some of the world’s most iconic festivals and then here in Halifax at UK’s most iconic heritage venue.”
“We always aim to deliver for the full spectrum of music lovers in Calderdale and knowing how passionate our rock and metal community is, this gig will be off the scale – truly unmissable!”
Alongside Turnstile, Halifax Piece Hall will welcome the likes of Hollywood Vampires, Paul Weller, Bowling For Soup, Skunk Anansie, Garbage, Empire of the Sun, Sex Pistols, Mcfly, CMAT and Jimmy Eat World this summer. What a season it's going to be.
Baltimore’s hardcore heroes will head to West Yorkshire to play TK Maxx presents Live at The Piece Hall on Wednesday August 26.
Tickets go on sale this Friday 27 February at 10am, and you can get your tickets here.
Find out more about what's going on at the Halifax Piece Hall this summer here.
Sophie Smith -
28th April 2022 
