An unexpected transformation. The couple turned their family home into a public swimming pool

Husband and wife Bhavika and Mark Kane originally lived in Kellham, Nottinghamshire. In 2021, however, they decided to move more to the countryside. The ancient spa town of Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire caught their eye. Soon after their move, however, they discovered with displeasure that when they wanted to go swimming with their four children, they had to travel 50 minutes there and then back again. Plus, the only nearby pool was usually bursting at the seams.

“I was born and raised in Nottingham, where you have everything at your fingertips. So when we moved to Lincolnshire I was in a bit of a shock about country life and trying to cope with everything because not everything was available. We always wanted a pool and when we moved we had the space to build one. That’s how we did it,” former nurse Ms. Bhavika confided to SWNS.

The Kanes spent several thousand pounds and had a 13x4m indoor swimming pool built in the garden with a depth of 1.2m. It has heat recovery to save on energy, and the fresh air from outside also helps to reduce the smell of chlorine. The water in the pool is constantly heated to 31 to 32 degrees. In short, a wonderful home spa.

“First, the swimming club approached me, asking if they could have swimming lessons here. Then word got out and people started messaging me on Facebook. They faced the same problem regarding the rental and availability of the pool and since then more and more people have been coming,” explains Ms. Bhavika.

So the family opened the pool to the public in December.

“A lot of people walk to us. We had one couple who walked to us from a village several kilometers away, took a bath and then walked home again. We don’t exclude anyone. We have everyone here, from babies to 80-year-olds,” explains Mrs. Bhavika, adding that they charge six pounds (160 CZK) an hour.

Lecko would certainly not be happy if strangers walked through his home and ended up in his pool. But Mrs. Bhavika sees no problem in this. She says that the presence of a swimming pool at home does not bother her at all, and on the contrary, she likes to help the local community to be active.

“Swimming school is there most evenings and we don’t bother anyone. We have our own rules for operating the pool and we insist that people follow them. We have the pool microbiologically tested every month. The water in it is crystal clear. Every time someone swims, we clean the changing rooms. It’s our own pool, so we take good care of it,” says Ms. Bhavika, admitting that running a public pool for the whole family is still something new.

“At first it was just swimming lessons, then a few people rented it privately for the evening. And suddenly it’s so popular that we recently launched a website where people can book lessons,” the owner of the pool does not hide her amazement, saying that its size suits her very well. It is still easy to procure, comply with all hygiene requirements and at the same time the family can still maintain their privacy.

“It’s not about money for us, it’s about promoting a healthy lifestyle,” concludes Ms. Bhavika.

You may find it useful on Zboží.cz: Pools