Ladies and Mens Sports Wear

I think pretty much everyone knows that swimming as a sport is a great way to keep fit. For those that have had injuries especially, this is because it tends to exercise all parts of the body in a non-impact way. A gentle and easy way to build stamina and tone muscles and something that all kids should learn to do at as early an age as possible. Even if it is only for the reason that it may just save their lives one day should they find themselves suddenly and unexpectedly plunged into water .



You will find swimsuits, legsuits and aqua-aerobic suits, tankinis, and swimwear for the whole family, plus equipment for basic swim training, fitness training, fun and games from all the big names like Speedo, Zoggs, Rival, Aquasphere and Ultraswim. There isn't much to do with swimming that you can't get here except maybe the guys and dolls that go in the suits.



Great snorkelling equipment available from the top names such as TUSA, US Divers, Aqua Lung, Funky snorkelling Fins and Cressi Sub. Also available are underwater cameras, books and instructional videos.

When I was in the military, one of the main benefits of being in the services was that you could often get time off work to pursue a sporting interest. Especially if you could perform the sport to a high standard or had qualified as a training instructor. One of the guys I worked with in Wales was regularly called upon to run courses in scuba diving in some pretty exotic locations. The ones I remember best were the Central American country of Belize and the Ascension Islands near the equator in the South Atlantic Ocean.

You can imagine that I turned a shade of green when he returned from one of his trips and started telling us all about scuba diving in these fantastic places, some of which have been sighted as the best scuba diving locations in the world. They certainly sounded a lot nicer than say the Severn Estuary which was where most of the guys ended up who had not managed to conquer the required skills for training instructor. I never did actually so have never been to any of these places personally, although sometimes, after listening to him talk about it all day, I felt like I had.

You can get fast delivery of the basics: masks, fins and also the dive specific products, such as dive computers, underwater cameras, BCDs, regulators, dive watches, dive torches, underwater lights, wet suits, dry suits, complete diving equipment packages from leading dive equipment manufacturers such as Scubapro, Mares, Suunto, Apeks, Aqua Lung, Oceanic, Tusa, Cressi Sub, Uwatec, Aquion, Atomic.

Open up the world of scuba diving by clicking on the banner below.

Skiing in Austria

For anyone into skiing, you will probably already know that Austria is to skiing as salt is to pepper. It is the quintessential skiing location with quaint towns, alpine architecture and picture postcard scenery. Below is a quick review of one of my favourite Austrian skiing locations.

The first time I visited Zell am See in Austria I was actually staying at a small town further north going back towards Saltzburg called Lofer bie Martin. I was residing in the Schloss Grubhoff castle which was once owned by the king of Bavaria but has now been converted into luxurious apartments which can be rented out as holiday lets. I was enjoying my stay at Lofer and in particular the quaint ski facilities there, which incidentally would be no challenge for anyone who considers themselves good intermediate or advanced level but is well worth a visit for curiosity's sake. It really is oldy worldy Austrian skiing facilities and you will not find much of a presence there beyond the Austrians themselves.

The marked difference I noticed in visiting Zell am See was the level of activity there, lots more people, a thriving little town in a gorgeous setting and much more to offer the higher level skiers, still not a majorly serious challenge for the advanced skiers, but certainly enough to keep them happy for quite a few days with some decent blacks and reds to go at.

The resort in my opinion is best suited to the intermediate level skier with plenty of reds and blues, plus you still have those blacks for when you want to give yourself a bit of a challenge. You should also be able to ski from the top of the mountain to the bottom without too much trouble if you are intermediate level. The top of the mountain (called Schmittenhone) gives you access to a number of runs which you can circuit fairly quickly but if you do prefer a longer run you can ski down to Schuttdorf and get lifts all the way back; or of course you can ski back to Zell am See or to the gondola.

I class myself as intermediate and there was enough at Zell am See for me to visit the resort on 3 separate occasions.

It's not a bad resort for beginners either, other than if you want to ski all the way back to town then you might find it a bit tricky with some fairly steep slopes near the bottom that have to be negotiated. The alternative to the steep slopes being some very shallow cross country tracks which can be really hard work and may put a lot of people off. A lot of the beginners decided to just come back to the bottom on the lift; this is an option that allows you to avoid both the steep lower slopes or the hard work of the almost flat cross country route.

That aside, the slopes at the top of the mountain do cater for beginners and if I was a beginner again I certainly wouldn't rule out Zell am See; particularly if you are moving towards intermediate level, as it may just present you with the challenges you need to get you to that next level.

The addition of the ski lift from the center of town (in place for a few years now) has provided a much needed boost to the convenience level the resort has to offer, previously there was a long trek to the top of the hill going out of the town where you could get the gondola. This is still running and is serviced by a regular bus service or is accessible by people with a car available, personally I would not consider it walking distance from the town center, particularly if you are having to wear ski boots and carry skis, (although I am sure there are probably a number of people who could prove me wrong).

If you do park at the gondola and want to ski back to it, then you are stuck with the cross country track that goes out to it from the main piste (number 4) which I mentioned earlier. There are sections of it that are actually flat to uphill and no decent run that lets your speed carry you through those sections, so a lot of puffing and panting goes on. The alternative is to come down the steeper slopes, also mentioned earlier or to ski to the bottom in Zell am See and then get the bus back up. If you caught the bus or walked (mad fools) from Zell am See, then there is obviously no problem.

Another bonus of staying at Zell am See is that you are pretty close to Kaprun, where if the worst occurs and there is no snow you have a glacier, although whenever I have been there snow has not been a problem.

You are also quite close to Salbaach-Hinterglemm which is another great resort that has pistes either side of the valley where it is located, it also offers a few more challenges to the experienced and advanced level skiers; as does Kaprun. Both of these resorts can be reached on the ski bus which can be used inclusively as a part of your ski lift pass at no extra charge. The ski pass also gives you free parking in the ski areas.

If you have your own transport you can go visit Lofer which I mentioned earlier or you are also not too far away from, Bad Gastein-Bad Hofgastein, Wagrain, Schladming and Obertauern.

I have to say I really enjoyed my skiing at Zell am See but I also really enjoyed the apres ski and evenings out as well, there are loads of bars and restaurants to choose from and the place has a real buzz to it. If you are there at the right time of year you might be lucky enough to see some of the traditional Austrian celebrations; for example the seeing out of the winter and welcoming in of the spring, I have memories of the band coming into the bar dressed as chickens and playing music aimed at getting everyone to have a good time and into the street to join in with the locals dancing.

I hope you have found this review useful and that it has given you a flavor of one of my favorite ski resorts in Austria, I have skied in a few different places and countries, including Italy, Bulgaria, Germany and Canada but cannot think of anywhere that delivers the full package quite as well as Zell am See. Although to be honest I would not knock any of the other places I have been to either, all of them have their special characteristics and are also worth visiting in their own right.

If I have managed to convince you skiing is a good idea then you can get ski wear from the top names like Westbeach, Helly Hansen, Five, Columbia and Tsunami. Ski goggles from Julbo, Bolle and Salice for the ultimate in eye protection.

You can also get your ski trousers (salapets)and other ski clothes and gear right here.

Loads of stuff for the skier, ladies ski or boarder available here and only a click away.

My life of camping started when I was a teenager and was fortunate enough to be invited on a European tour of France, Andorra and Spain. The tour lasted 3 weeks and involved changing camp sites every 4 or 5 days as we travelled through France, into Andorra in the Pyrenees and then on to Spain and the Costa Brava. Camping in mainland Europe is a totally different experience to camping in the UK. The facilities are much better, the climate as you head south is much kinder for the outdoors experience and the cost is pretty affordable for a small budget. So as a teenager with limited funds this is a great way to explore a country. Obviously there is a need to invest initially in basic equipment, but you can probably get by with a tent, sleeping bag, gas burner and basic pots and pans to start off.

having got this first trip out of the way, I was pretty much hooked and the following year we repeated the process but this time heading off to Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland via France of course as this was where we landed off the hovercraft that used to operate across the English channel back in those days, Long gone now, but an experience in itself. It is a while ago but I think we also managed to take in Luxembourg and Liechtenstein and returned to Switzerland from Italy via the Stelvio Pass. That was a bit bizarre because they were actually skiing up there in July and we were wandering about in flip flops and shorts having just left the heat of Italy just north of Milan.

Camping holidays definitely bring with them lasting memories and can provide a means of travelling which might otherwise be unaffordable. Even as a family unit much later it allowed me to share some of my experiences with my own kids by taking them to the South of France for a camping holiday and if I am honest was probably the only way I could have afforded to do it with 3 kids in tow.

There are tents, sleeping bags, camping stoves, walking boots, sporting shoes, rucksacks and much more.

Berghaus, Mountain Equipment, Coleman, Craghoppers, Garmin, Campingaz, Vango and Suunto are some of the top brands available here with that simple click on the banner.



Or perhaps you would like to



with someone else. Just click on the banner for a look, you never know there might just be a clearance sale going on for camping & hiking equipment or maybe hiking boots.

Now I have to be honest, working out in a gym is not my personal idea of heaven. For me it brings to mind the image of a hamster on a wheel and it can be a bit of an individual exercise. That said, for many others it is a place where there is a community, you can arrange to meet friends and it does after all keep you fit and as a consequence healthier than you would be otherwise. So I am not going to knock it, just because I prefer a game of squash or some sort of team training. No it is a case of horses for courses and if working out in a gym rings your bell, then that is definitely better than sitting on a sofa watching the TV. So here you go, enjoy the 'sweat section'.

The SWEAT Shop is one for the ladies. you can shop for general fitness, yoga and pilates, tennis, running and casual gear including capris, pants, shorts, tops, jackets and a whole range of accessories! Leading names like the top Swedish brand Casall and USA Pro and featuring Reebok fitness training equipment.

There are new fitness clothing, equipment and large machine ranges now available at John Lewis. 3-year parts and labour guarantee on all large fitness equipment.
See individual offer for details.

To see all these great fitness deals, click the link below:

Sport & Leisure -John Lewis

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