12. Swim beautiful

Kings Hall in Hackney is a mysterious place.

I loathe it because it's a reminder of what Hackney doesn't get quite right. Trying to bring its services into the 21st century but mostly missing the mark. It's dirty; it stinks thanks to a Victorian drainage system that seems not to be fixable; it's mostly freezing cold thanks to a 1960s boiler system which also seems not to be fixable and the 'Better' company who run it wouldn't know what 'better' was if it ran them down in the road.

But I also love it because it's relic from those great Victorians who did such a lot to get the Great Unwashed of Hackney a bit cleaner and healthier. It's a beautiful building, retains many Victorian features and (handily) is only a short walk from our house. However the main reason we schlepp there every Monday after school for swimming lessons is because they have the Best People Ever teaching swimming. I don't know how they manage to retain such teachers. They're the sweetest, kindest, most encouraging bunch of people I've met. They seem to know exactly what each kid needs to get them progressing through the stages. They make the lessons a good mix of hard work and lots of fun. Really, I can't fault them.

So it seems quite ironic that when my middle boy and I were waiting to pick the eldest up from her lesson we choose one of the 'Better' posters to place our sticker on. I would have liked to put it slap bang in the middle of the staff changing area, but you have to be a bit unobtrusive with these things. Once it was up there I was worried that the message might be understood as part of Better's (what kind of name is that for a company anyway??) marketing machine and I wanted to take it off and stick it on a wall. But it was all too late, the kids arrived with their wet pyjamas (it was my eldest's birthday and she'd requested a 'swim in your clothes' lesson. And of course, because those teachers are brilliant, that's what she got!) and we had a birthday tea to rush back for.

But that's the nice thing about Lent - it's so very long that I might have another chance to leave a sticker in some place where those lovely people will some how know it's for them.