debbyeevans's Qype profile

Having just read through all the previous reviews of this place, I must say I'm rather dismayed by some of the disparaging remarks. I've been frequenting the Blue Lagoon for quite a few years now (mainly at night) & have got to know the proprietor Aly & his wife Michala very well in that time. The one thing that really stands out for me is Aly's generosity of spirit & his warm & friendly nature - the way that he takes people under his wing & offers help & genuine care to some of Gloucester Road's more 'challenging' characters. In other words, he doesn't judge people - he takes time to get to know them & cares for those that others may turn away! If you have a valid & reasonable complaint & you speak to him about it in a friendly & reasonable manner, he will always do his best to put things right. So, if you've found the staff rude or unfriendly at any time, maybe you need to examine your own attitude towards them - it can get extremely busy in there at night & the staff do there best to serve people as quickly as possible; if there's any criticism that can be levelled at the Blue Lagoon, it's that sometimes I think they're a victim of their own success. They have some really awesome bands there & I for one always have a great time there & always get a friendly smile, great service & a great welcome.....everyone is entitled to their own opinion & i guess thats what this site is about, but I always try & treat others how I would like to be treated & most of the time, that's reciprocated.....just something to think about there.....

Added 4th Oct 2012: everyone who knows me well knows that I’m passionate in my support of Bubalu & because I know how hard it is for an independent business to survive in the current climate, I believe that a business like Bubalu that is working hard to provide a fantastic facility & service for the benefit of the local community, really deserves the support of that community. Mike and all his staff are welcoming, helpful & very friendly & having been a regular customer since they opened, I know one thing for certain – at the forefront of everything they do & every change they make, the customer has always been Mike’s first consideration – not in the relentless pursuit of profit but because he wants customers to have a great experience. He regularly canvases opinion from his regulars, asking for feedback, he is there day in & day out 7 days a week from early in the morning till late at night, always friendly, always helpful – and for the benefit of the person who has nothing better to do than to pass unpleasant negative comments, Mike is NEVER rude! I have no hesitation in recommending Bubalu to anyone – in fact I regularly do! Keep doing what you’re doing Mike, you have a fantastic business so don’t let the negative comments of one person get you down. Those who know you know that you worry about negative comments because you care…..and that’s why Bubalu is proving to be such a success, because you do care about people! 1st June 2012 – Bubalu Bristol is the best thing to happen to Gloucester Road in the 27+ years that I’ve lived in this area. They have the friendliest staff and the best coffee I’ve tasted anywhere. Their awesome fitness classes are delivered by friendly, helpful and professionally qualified trainers who are all passionate about what they do and none more so than the owner, Mike Bowen. I started going to classes there not long after they first opened and the help and advice I received has helped me more than I can say. I was so unfit and stressed at the start, that on Mike’s advice I had to stop attending my chosen class and try to build up my strength gradually by doing the Fitness Pilates class. Now I go to 3 of these every week as well as Personal Training with Mike and my fitness levels are better than they’ve ever been – in fact, I had a full health assessment this week, arranged through my employer and the result? I was told I have a metabolic age of 45 and my aerobic fitness level is above what would be classed as ‘very good’ for a 20 – 30 year old…..I was 60 this year! So, thanks to the fantastic training from Mike and the two lovely Fitness Pilates trainers at Bubalu, Lou Cole and Daisy Leahy, next week I am doing the ‘Mendip Challenge’ – a sponsored 20 mile walk over the Mendips for charity! I call that a result and that’s just one of the many reasons I love this place : ) 11th June 2012 – I completed that 20 mile walk over the Mendip hills yesterday, to raise money for Weston Hospicecare….and it’s all thanks to the awesome training I’ve been having at Bubalu. The support & encouragement they gave me (& continue to give me) is really above and beyond the call of duty! These guys are really something special