Money: The parliamentary ombudsman is 'duty bound' to reopen her inquiry into Equitable Life's regulators, insists the society's chairman. [Guardian Unlimited]

Apparantly there is no need to explore the need for a temporary pool while we are in the present Hackney Council created mess. At the open day a vague councillor said that no one was asking for a temporary pool - so it isn't needed and won't be investigated. Despite queues around the block for free swimming in the borough, "a temporary pool would not represent good value-for-money" - that's £500,00 one-off for the tank and £40,000 a year running costs. This from the council obstructing the community's best efforts to take matters into our own hands and provide pools for ourselves.

What can you expect from berks that think we have sufficient water with one pool NOW and who have given the responsiblity for managing leisure centres to an elite private gym club feeding parasitically off Hackney residents for the next 13 years under a secret contract! [Clissold Leisure Users' News]

this in a publicly accessible profile. "I have three months free and $X burning a hole in my pocket. I'd like to have an inspiring experience, in a place I've never been before, but I'd also like to have meals provided (healthy please) and I require a high-speed Internet connection. I like to swim, hike, and have long discussions about the future of writing, journalism, politics, networks, humans. Massages a plus. No smoking." You'd leave this hanging around, with links to places you've been and what you thought of them. Within 24 hours the offers would start coming in. They'd be pitches of course. Custom-designed for your needs. Perhaps some reconfiguring of an existing resort would be needed, that would be factored into the offer. I think they had something like this service in a Heinlein book. [Scripting News]

It is not surprising that demand (for "Kids Swim Free") was high in Hackney. Not only is it one of the poorest authorities in England but the number of swimming pools has plummeted over the past 15 years. In 1988 there were eight pools, including a large lido and a leisure pool. Today there is just the leisure pool and one lane pool left.

[ It's time to stop pulling the plug on our pools

By Kate Hoey 

(Filed: 17/05/2004)] [london pools campaign]

Exclusive: Gerard Houllier tells BBC Sport it is business as usual amid claims his job at Liverpool is under threat. [BBC News | UK]

The ASA is hoping to put together a national scheme of awards that can be presented to Volunteers in recognition of their service and contributions, from Club level through to National level.

Before it does so, the ASA would like to know what is currently awarded (so that it can use all your good ideas!)

Please can a Club representative take a few minutes to complete the ASA's online questionnaire and return it to lorna.fenlon@swimming.org or by post to c/o Matt Sturgess, ASA, Harold Fern House, Derby Square, Loughborough, LE11 5AL

The ASA will be most grateful for any help or suggestions as to what you would like to see in such a scheme.

Click to download the survey. [Western Counties ASA]

Mark Foster, who was back training at the University of Bath yesterday after finishing a disappointing fifth at the European Championships, expects to hear the result of his appeal against his exclusion from the Olympic team by Friday.

He has admitted that the last few weeks have been among the most stressful and frustrating of his career.

"I was a bit disappointed not to swim inside the qualifying time in Madrid as it would have strengthened my case," said Foster.

"But I didn't even know two weeks before that I would be able to compete at the Europeans. [Western Counties ASA]

A man got too close to a jaguar at the Rio Grande Zoo and lost a finger. Before zoo employees realized what had happened, the guy fled the scene. Apparently, it's illegal to pet the predator. After the finger was found outside the jaguar's cage, police took a print from the detached digit and tracked the guy down through his zoo pass. Sadly, the frequent visitor who came to the zoo almost daily is now banned. I bet the jaguar will miss him. "They're not your friends, they're not your pets," the zoo director said. "They're wild animals." Link [Boing Boing]