New plan b

[cailin maith]

Has the light switched on up there? Hellooooooo is there anybody in there?

(sound of echoey empty space)

Oh, piss off - it's too early!

[DimPrawn]

Oh, piss off - it's too early!

In the old days that would have been worth a few

[cailin maith]

In the old days that would have been worth a few

Maybe after I've had my first cuppa.....

[gingerjedi]

How do they swim in the sea? Is it a blasphemy for Muslim women to swim at Woolacombe if there's a chance of a man is doing the same thing (Allah forbid) around the headland at Croyde?

Lack of vitamin D causes depression which might go some way to explain why Muslims in the UK seem so feckin miserable.

[cailin maith]

How do they swim in the sea? Is it a blasphemy for Muslim women to swim at Woolacombe if there's a chance of a man is doing the same thing (Allah forbid) around the headland at Croyde?

Lack of vitamin D causes depression which might go some way to explain why Muslims in the UK seem so flipin miserable.

Is vitamin D the sunshine one?

[RichardCranium]

Swimmers were told last week on the centre's website that "during special Muslim sessions male costumes must cover the body from the navel to the knee and females must be covered from the neck to the ankles and wrists".

Non story.

So where are the special sessions for Christians, Sikhs, Hindus or atheists?

That's silly. We don't need then because we don;t have special requirements.

There are, however, special sessions for dieters, commercial sports clubs, physically and/or mentally disabled, experienced swimmers only, school children only...

You can book swimming pools. If, however, you have a special case, the council may decide to provide it for free. For example, I wouldn't be surprised if built-up areas with lots of standing water (Birmingham with its canals for example) provided free swimming lessons for people coming in from countries where they would be unlikely to get the opportunity to swim. That seems like a sensible idea to me.

Or are Muslims paying extra for this exclusive use of publicly funded facilities?

Probably:

In Glasgow, a men-only swimming session is organised by a local mosque group at North Woodside Leisure Centre, at which swimmers must be covered from navel to knee.

At a women-only class organised by a Muslim teacher at Blackbird Leys Swimming Pool, Oxford, to encourage Muslim women to learn to swim, most participants wear "modest" outfits although normal costumes are permitted.

Special treatments for groups whose life style is purely a personal decision, whether Muslims, travellers or MPs causes resentment and is bad policy.

I'm a devout atheist and even I can see religion is not a "lifestyle choice". And getting smelly travellers in the pool seems like good socialist sense to me.

Given the number of while male British people I saw at Bournemouth the other day wearing shorts that go from above the beer belly to halfway down the shin, it seems that most men conform to the Muslim requirements out of choice anyway, FFS.

Non-story.

[Andy2]

Is vitamin D the sunshine one?

yes sunshine

[minestrone]

The big deal is the UK councils are imposing the Muslim dress restriction on all swimmers, Muslim or not in public swimming pools. In other words, everyone has to integrate with Muslim dress codes in the UK, not the other way round in a public place.

If you don't wear Muslim attire you are not allowed to swim.

3 hours a week.

[RichardCranium]

How do they swim in the sea? Is it a blasphemy for Muslim women to swim at Woolacombe if there's a chance of a man is doing the same thing (Allah forbid) around the headland at Croyde?

They tend to swim at night or in secluded beaches.

At Brighton you can just about see the Moslem women swimming in the sea in the bikinis in the dark while their menfolk 'guard' (i.e. stand around smoking and gossiping) that bit of the stones.

Lack of vitamin D causes depression which might go some way to explain why Muslims in the UK seem so flipin miserable.

There's probably a lot of truth in that.

[cailin maith]

Prawn.... prawny!!!!!

I've had a lovely cup of tea...