Hello there, this is a message to the members of the Holland Park Tennis Club. I am a tennis player…read moreand I would love to have a chance to play on grass one day! Since I am not a member myself and I am only going to be in London for the next 5 weeks, I was wondering whether I could play with one among you and so fulfill this little dream of mine. Thanks for your kind attention, Nino

This place is so much more than a tennis club; it's my second home. Tennis clubs and I have known…read morea few can be elitist, cold places, full of cliques and rules. Take Hurlingham, where if you're not wearing 87% white, some haughty octogenarian will shuffle over and delight in ticking you off. And where despite the fact they boast dozens of often deserted, pristine courts, you can't book for more than an hour. And don't get me onto the 10-year waiting list. HPLTC is infinitely friendlier with far more sensible rules. What makes it special is the fact it's small enough to encourage a community feel, but not so small as to feel claustrophobic. The grounds are also wonderful. If you don't have any outdoor space at home as I don't you can while away summer days with a few sets on grass courts, before collapsing with a newspaper and Pimms in a deckchair on their generous lawn. The club, tucked away in Holland Park, has a unique atmosphere and is the type of place where you can turn up alone and find someone to chat to and probably play with. There's a club night on Wednesday with a dinner afterwards, a singles league, tournaments, barbecues in the summer and a dedicated core of regulars. Really, if you're tennis-mad, as I am, there's no better place to be on a sunny day...and no better tennis club in London.

Solid 4 stars. I really enjoy coming here for a swim as they have 2 pools: one indoor and one…read moreoutdoor pool (both are 25m long). They're part of Better Health and so I use their pay-as-you-go membership. The biggest bonus is that this leisure centre is smack in Soho/Covent Garden and thus I can combine a visit here with lunch in Chinatown or I can meet up with a friend for coffee in Seven Dials.

Let's be honest here, i have not tried the sporting facilities here. I wish i could but instead i'm…read morevisiting the osteopath. I was in pain and one of my colleagues who comes here regularly told me they are great here. The osteopath who is taking care of me (Andrew) is really nice and does listen to you and try to distract you from the pain when manipulating your body. He has also been able to give me thorough advice and even email me further suggestions. Anyway, every time i go there, i am drawn to the big glass wall and stare at the outdoor swimming pool. I realised last week that there is also an indoor swimming pool! Generally speaking, the place looks clean and well maintained and all the members of staff i have spoken to are friendly. Hopefully i'll be able to check the facilities further soon and will update this review

Currently closed for a refurbishment that was long overdue. Great pool to learn to swim in for…read moreyounger kids and used by Anaconda Swimming Club. The deep end is deep enough for learning to dive. We miss this pool as was a handy place for training or just a quick local swim. Good showers changing room basic. No doubt they will be updated as part of the refurbishment Edit: Pleased to say this has now reopened as from Saturday 4 February 2012 although Anaconda no longer use it. Not been back not sure we will be back as all the kids have outgrown it.

From the owner: Enjoy the state of the art gym, studio. swimming pool and tennis courts in the heart of the City of…read moreLondon. The centre is brought to you by City of London Corporation, in partnership with Fusion, a highly experienced sports and leisure organisation. As a registered charity, Fusion continually reinvest to improve and develop what's on offer in your community. So why not make us your first choice when you want to get active?

Talk about a foiled plan, but we went for a game all prepared with paraphanelia and turned out…read morethere were not courts free. So my friend and myself just landed up using the sufficient cafe and watched the others play. Watching is good too, since you get to talk about the style and technique of players. Haha. The have a small shop selling basic tennis equipment. So please book before you go to play. The courts seem fine, by the standards I've seen elsewhere in Lawn tennis. Coaching facilities available for young and adults. They have 12 courts.

There are many mini squares in Hoxton…read more Not all are created equal. Of course many will flock to Hoxton Square to grab a patch of grass...errr dirt, and soak up some sun on the off chance there may be some. HSQ is active, lots of bars/restaurants surround it and it's kept very nicely...as are all of the parks I've been to in Hackney. (my council tax at work!). But I much prefer Aske. A quiet little half square just a street over from Hoxton Square on Pitfield Street. It has; - 1 very nice tennis court. - 1 full court basketball court with scoreboard. - Many benches. - Lush green grass. I much prefer to picnic (Pitfield & Kurious Yellow Cafe are nearby or Yours Food Centre is right next to it and has a lovely organic section, drinks, water) or hang out in Aske compared to Hoxton Square Park. Watch some tennis or bball, sit with the dog, walk around a bit. It's smaller, but much nicer in my opinon. *there is always a wait for the tennis courts on a nice day. Be warned! *I feel this park gets less peed on/puked on during the weekends because its more open to a main street. By humans, obviously. *Less dogs running around unleashed because it is near a busier street. *Open Dawn til Dusk, like most parks in London. And the real kicker? One day I was walking my dog through here and was cleaning up after her and one of the Park Attendants came up to me and thanked me for doing so. In my 10 years of having a dog, no one has ever thanked me for this thankless duty (pun intended) -- but I really appreciated it and thought it was nice. Also, pick up after your dog if you have one!

Paddinton Sports Club is in the heart of Maida Vale. It has the only indoor lawn bowls green in…read moreWestminster. Apart from Indoor Bowls, there is also an outdoor bowls green. There are 10 tennis couts, with some floodlit. There are also 2 squash courts and a gym. They have a club house with excellent Thai caterers. Great place to chill out with a beer on a summers evening in the grounds, even if sport is not your thing!

Has a small but clean and reasonably well equipped gym. squash courts are reasonably well…read moremaintained. The pub is nice and cosy and great for watching your games. Thai caterer is super nice, really cheap and is probably the best around this area. I think non members are allowed only when accompanied by the members into the pub. The pricing is quite reasonable though and I'm a pretty happy member here

Wimbledon is absolutely beautiful! I can't believe I finally made it here. It's so cool being…read moreable to walk where Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Alcaraz, and all of the former greats have played. We booked a tour online. On the tour we got to see court 1, centre court, the press room, a roofop, and walk the grounds. After the tour we had tickets for the museum. The grass is absolutely breathtaking. I can't believe what great care everything is in. Especially after I toured the Australian Open in Melbroune this past summer. This venue is certainly the granddaddy of them all. I like how they leave the scores of the championship matches on the scoreboard all year. And then, throughout the park they have the entire bracket scores from every single match played during Wimbledon of that year. I liked all of the history and facts that they tell you along the way. The only downside is they need to give more time for photos. You'd get like exactly 1 minute for a photo and then get yelled at about moving onto the next location.

It's been a lifelong dream to visit the All England Lawn Tennis Club to see Wimbledon. Finally just…read moredecided to step up and actually try and get tickets. Was fortunate enough to score both Centre Court and No. 1 Court tickets for the same day! I should start with actually getting here. It's pretty straightforward. If you're taking the Tube, you want to take the District Line and the closest station is Southfields. Be prepared to walk though, it is about a 20 min walk to AELTC. You get to also pass by the Queue too...very fortunate I did not have to go through overnight camping at the Queue. I have nothing but amazing things to say about the facilities here. Even though it's a very very old place, you wouldn't be able to tell with all the modernization they have done here. Quite beautiful honestly! Centre Court is obviously where everyone wants to be, I do wish that the corridors were less tight but it is after all a very old structure in the first place. No. 1 Court is much more modern since it was built in 1997 and thus has more concourse space. But both have amazing leg room. Never felt more comfortable! Food options are plentiful. There are quick service options as well as three different sitdown restaurants that you can make reservations for. And of course, you can't come here without having the famous strawberries and cream! Every tennis fan must find a way to come to AELTC one day. It basically is a pilgrimage for tennis fans!

I don't know how anyone could have anything negative to say about Primrose Hill. Perhaps I'm biased…read moreas it's the closest park to me (Hampstead Heath being the second) but I just find it so idyllic. On a warm day you'll find many people having picnics, walking their dogs, or just enjoying the view. There are also many cafes and shops within walking distance, so if you find you want something to eat you can easily get to a cafe in 10-15 minutes walking. I personally recommend Lemonia or Alma for a nice lunch. Overall I think Primrose Hill is magical and I will spend every possible second of free time I have there

Before gnawing on turkey legs and slabs of rare prime rib, Henry VIII used this patch of greenery…read moreas his hunting grounds presumably while his six wives looked on with royal comportment. The only thing that has lasted through the last six centuries is the patch of greenery which Jamie W. and I trodded upon after walking along the Regent's Canal. It was a swelteringly hot day in London except for one slight breeze we felt once we made it to the top of the hill summit. From there, you get quite the unexpected views of central London. A crowd did gather but nothing like the masses that swarm the Sky Garden or the Shard. I suggest offering to take photos of people in front of the view in order for them to reciprocate in kind. Most were very accommodating, and for those few who demur and refused to take your picture, there's a special place in hell for them where they're constantly blinded by flash bulbs. The walk down the hill was also lovely as you see civilized people doing civilized things like having a white tablecloth picnic or creating a landscape painting under a leafy tree suitable for a mid-priced motel. We just crossed Prince Albert Road to walk through Regent's Park, one of the city's more splendorous parks. RELATED - Exploring London? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3zFACrx

I'm not really one for paying to make myself push myself and sweat. However luck was on my side and…read moreI won week of personal training in a charity raffle donated by the trainer himself. You can imagine my face as I accepted my prize (I was hoping for the Kindle!) I've always loved playing sports, tennis, squash, lacrosse etc but to me that's not hard work, it's the keeping in shape and staying fit I've always hated! Personally I don't see the point in running unless I'm being chased or for the bus! So with this prize I thought I'd turn a new leaf and embrace the training that waited for me. Enough about me back to the review. The trainer Conor is a really lovely chap, he does tailor made fitness classes for individuals and small groups. But he also invited me to do a boxing class he runs at the Nuffield gym in Bloomsbury. It was AWESOME! The class was really hard work but fun way to do a work out. Major sweat and lots of burning but really worth it. Unfortunately I was only a guest as you have to be a member of the gym to do the classes. Seriously considering joining the gym for the class. As for the gym it's the nicest one I've ever been into. Bright and clean like you would hope and only a faint smell of chlorine from the pool. No mouldy smell and the changing rooms were lush with all the essentials provided, including complementary towels and good hairdryers! I haven't done a complete u-turn but I'm not so anti gyms and fitness now!

As gyms go, Cannons in Bloomsbury is fairly decent. There is a good selection of machines, which…read morerarely fill up. The staff are friendly, and seemingly quite determined to encourage you to have all sorts of fitness assessments and reviews. The swimming pool is well designed and relaxing, with a parents and kids session on a Sunday morning. There is also a beauty treatment centre on site, offering small discounts to fitness club members. My one complaint about Cannons would be that, because it is underground, you can't watch the world go by as you work out. This feels fairly oppressive during the summer, but in the winter is hardly noticeable. The best times to use the gym are, between 10 and 12 in the morning and 2 to 5 in the afternoons.