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Recreation

South Africans are renowned for their love of sport and the outdoors, and in its own way London has much of what there is to offer (except the sun, the rivers, the mountains and so on, and so on … ).

 

Sport & Fitness Contact Numbers

 

If you need any information on any of your favourite sports or recreation activities or about facilities in your area, contact the following organisa-tions, which will be able to assist you:

 

•Sport club line, Tel: 020 7222 8000

•Exercise Association of England, Tel: Unit 4 Angel Gate, 326 City Rd., EC1V 2PT. Free advice (Send a big stamped self-addressed envelope with your enquiry)

•Central Council for Physical Recreation, Tel: Francis House, Francis St. SW1P 1DE. Tel: 020 7854 8500 Free advice (Send a big stamped self-addressed envelope with your enquiry)

•Keep Fit Association, Tel: 020 7233 8898 Free info on keep fit classes in London

•UK Sports Council, Tel: 16 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H OQP. Tel: 020 7211 5100 Contacts for different sport bodies (Send a big stamped self-addressed envelope with your enquiry)

•SPORTSLINE Tel: 020 7222 8000 Info about sport facilities in London

•London Cycling Campaign, Tel: 020 7928 7220

•Covent Garden Cycles, Tel: 07000 943 3543

Order the Sport Council’s Directory of Sport in London, Tel: 020 8778 8600

Rugby

South African rugby players are sought after by clubs throughout London. Apart from creating good social and fitness connections, you could also get to earn a few extra pounds.

 

•London Springboks

www.londonspringboks.com *East Lane Pavilion, East Lane, North Wembley, HA0 3LE. Tel: 0794 908 7524 (Chairman)

•Southern Hemisphere Sports Ltd., Tel: 0870 207 8429

•Touch rugby: South African London Touch Association,touchies@hotmail.com, Carle Skein

•In2touch, www.touchrugby.co.za, Michael Abromowitz, Graeme Wallace

Stadiums

Win or lose, attending a sports match at one of London’s excellent and historic stadiums is definitely good for the soul.

 

•Twickenham, Tel: 020 8892 8877, BR Twickenham

•Wimbledon, Tel: 020 8946 2244, Southfields Tube

•Crystal Palace, Tel: 020 8771 8841, BR Crystal Palace

•Wembley, Tel: 020 8900 1234, Wembley Park Tube

•Lords Cricket Ground, Tel: 020 7289 1611, St John's Wood

•Oval Cricket Ground, Tel: 020 7582 7764, Oval Tube

Tennis

Every year thousands of spectators come to watch the annual Wimbledon Tennis Championships. However, not everyone is privileged enough to see the semi-finals or the finals. If you send a self-addressed envelope to the address below (1 Aug-31 Dec each year), your name will be entered in a public ballot and you could find yourself lucky enough to win a ticket.

 

*AELTC, P.O. Box 98, Wimbledon, SW19 5AE

 

To watch the Stella Artois Men’s Championships at the Queen’s Club, Hammersmith (which finishes a week before Wimbledon starts), you should also apply for tickets well in advance. Tel: 020 7385 3421

 

Cricket

 

The season runs from April to September and includes the County Championship Matches, the Benson and Hedges Cup and the NatWest Trophy. To find out more about clubs in your area if you want to participate, call London’s Sportline. Tel: 020 222 8000

 

Horse Riding

 

There are quite a few courses within easy reach of London:

 

•Kempton Park, Sunbury-on-Thames, Tel: 01932 782292

•Sandown, Surrey, Tel: 01372 463072

•Windsor, Berkshire, Tel: 01753 865234

•Ascot, Berkshire, Tel: 01344 622211

•Epsom, Surrey, Tel: 01372 726311

The Derby is a mile-and-a-half race for three-year-old thoroughbreds, and is a very prestigious event on the racing calendar. The Oaks is for fillies only, but Royal Ascot (in June) is the race of the English flat season (which runs from April till September). If you have a strange desire to see the Queen, then this might be your chance.

 

Ascot Racecourse, founded in 1711, is the world’s most famous racecourse. The very best flat racing takes place at Ascot between March and October, with the main highlight undoubtedly being the internationally renowned Royal Ascot (15-19 June 2004).    

 

Greyhound Racing

 

A night out watching high-speed K9s chasing a dummy hare is a very popular outing in London. With seats from around £5, it is also a fairly inexpensive and relaxed spectacle. Two easy stadiums to get to in South London are:

 

•Catford, Tel: 020 8690 8000

•Wimbledon, Tel: 020 8946 8000

 

Other stadiums

 

•Romford, Tel: 01708 762345

•Walthamstow, Tel: 020 8531 4255

 

Golf

 

London has a wide variety of golf courses and you would always be fairly close to one. They vary quite a lot in terms of quality and green fees, but generally most are reasonably playable. Public courses are very cheap, but play is always very slow, and the quality of the fairways and greens is not always great. However, there are a few very good public courses that are worth playing. Courses in England are considered to be slightly shorter than South African courses, but still present a fair challenge. Green fees on public courses vary between £5 and £20, depending on the time of week. A mid-range set of clubs will set you back about £250. Driving ranges are also found across London and cost around £2.50 for 60 balls. A driving range that is fairly central is in King’s Cross, just about 200 m past Backpacker’s Pub (as you walk from the station). Other Central Driving Ranges:

 

•The Edge Indoor Golf Club, 123 Clifton St., London, EC2, Tel: 020 7613 0555

•Central London Golf School, 19/23 Clifton St., EC2, Tel: 020 7729 2300

•Knightsbridge Golf School, 47 Lowndes Square, SW1, Tel: 020 7235 2468

•Regents Park Golf School, Outer Circle, Regents Park, NW1, Tel: 020 7724 0643

For some extra attention to the old swing, you could consider attending the Regent’s Park Golf School (Tel: 020 7724 0643). You can analyse your swing here by computer for £36. If the club adjustments, lessons with pro’s or driving range practice (which you can also do here) doesn’t get it right, well then, you might want to consider taking up croquet.

A club with very reasonable rates and facilities that is recommended is the Hainault Forest Club in North West London (Tel: 020 8500 2131, Hainault, Central Line). With two very different courses plus an excellent clubhouse and facilities, it is really worth visiting.

 

The two famous courses 

 

•Sunningdale Berkshire, Tel: 01344 621681

•Wentworth Surrey, Tel: 01344 842201

 

Other courses

 

•Beckenham Palace, Kent, Tel: 020 8650 2292

•Brent Valley W7, Tel: 020 8567 1287

•Chingford E4, Tel: 020 8529 5708

•Lee Valley E4, Tel: 020 8803 3611

•Perivale Ealing, Tel: 020 8575 7116

•Richmond SW15, Tel: 020 8876 3205

•Stockley Park Middlesex, Tel: 020 8813 5700

Ice Skating

 

Rates are around £5 per session of 2 hours and £2 for skate hire.

 

•Broadgate, at Liverpool Street Station Tel: 020 7505 4068

•Lee Valley, Walthamstow, Tel: 020 8533 3154

•Queens Ice Bowl, Queensway, Tel: 020 7229 0172

•Streatham, Tel: 020 8769 7771

Ten Pin Bowling

Rates range around £5 per game, which includes the hire of bowling shoes.

 

•Airport Bowl Harlington, Tel: 020 8759 1396

•GX Superbowl Becton, Tel: 020 7511 4440

•Rowans Bowl Finsbury Park, Tel: 020 8800 1950

•Streatham Superbowl Streatham Hill, Tel: 020 8671 5021

Multi Fitness Centres

For that bit of rejuvenation:

 

•Chelsea Sport Centre SW3 swimming pool, weights, badminton, yoga and exercise classes, Tel: 020 7352 6985

•Ironmonger Row Baths EC1 steam room, sauna, plunge pool, masseurs, lounge area with beds and large pool, Tel: 020 7253 4011

•Marshall Street Leisure Centre Soho Victorian Pool, gym and room for exercise classes, Tel: 020 7828 8070

•Oasis Sports Centre WC2 heated outdoor pool, gym, sauna, sunbed, massage parlour, badminton and squash courts, Tel: 020 7831 1804

•Porchester Spa W2 Turkish Baths, saunas, plunge pool, steam rooms, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, Tel: 020 7792 3980

•Swiss Cottage Sport Centre NW3 gym, two indoor pools, facilities for squash and badminton, Tel: 020 7413 6490

Swimming

 

Swimming costs around £2.50. And yes, you do get some swimming pools in London.

 

Indoors

 

•Highbury Pool N5, Tel: 020 7704 2312

•Ironmonger Row Baths EC1, Tel: 020 7253 4011

Outdoors

 

•Brockwell Lido, SE24, Tel: 020 7274 3088

•Hampstead Heath, NW3, Tel: 020 7485 4491

•Parliament Hill Lido, NW5, Tel: 020 7485 3873

•Richmond Park, Tel: 020 8940 0561

•Hyde Park, Tel: 020 7298 2100

•Tooting Bec, SW16, Tel: 020 8871 7198

Open Air Swimming

On those hot sticky summer days you'll want to take a dip!

 

•Clapham Common, SW4 Three cafes, a paddling pool and a pond

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