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Stockton-on-Tees
Things to do in Stockton-on-Tees
Billingham Forum
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Billingham Forum

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Billingham Forum
4
#8 of 39 things to do in Stockton-on-Tees
Sports Complexes
7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
6:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
6:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
6:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
177 within 3 miles
La Porto Italiano
628
0.1 mi££ - £££ • Italian • Pizza • European
Li Wah Restaurant
66
0.3 mi££ - £££ • Chinese • Cantonese • Hong Kong
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217
0.2 mi£ • Quick Bites • Bar • British
Kimble's
2
0.3 miCafe • British • Deli • Grill
Hungry Jack's
32
0.3 mi££ - £££ • Quick Bites • Pizza • Fast food
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7
0.2 miPizza
Costa Coffee
14
0.3 mi££ - £££ • Quick Bites • Cafe
The Pepper Mill Bistro
454
0.7 mi££ - £££ • British • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
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0.4 mi££ - £££ • Chinese
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Attractions
63 within 6 miles
Forum Theatre
61
125 ftTheatres
RSPB Saltholme
477
2.7 miNature & Wildlife Areas
Tees Transporter Bridge
725
2.9 miBridges
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298
Parks
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777
Ships
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946
Speciality Museums
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Speciality Museums • History Museums
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411
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401
Beaches
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.0
140 reviews
Excellent
66
Very good
52
Average
9
Poor
7
Terrible
6
Connoisseur226
Darlington, UK205 contributions
Surrounded by horrible people
Oct 2023 • Friends
The forum used to be a great venue to attract big theatre companies and southern productions.
We used to come often. No more.

This recent visit was utterly ruined by the other members of the audience, completely ignored and let loose by the incompetent ushers and theatre staff.

We sat through a performance of The Woman In Black while so many of the audience chatted to each other and mindlessly fiddled with sweet wrappers throughout the entire performance.

The staff and management should be ashamed of themselves - several times we had to painfully watch as even the actors on stage had to stop and wait for people to shut up.

Disgraceful.
Written 1 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Craigveryhappy
Newton Aycliffe, UK2,384 contributions
Reach out and Dance
Jul 2023 • Family
It was an absolute perfect evening
The production by ADA (Ayclffe dance academy) was sublime, the seating was a little cramped however the show was simply brilliant
Written 29 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
captain_adv
Stockton-on-Tees, UK8 contributions
Extremely Disappointed with Nonexistent Customer Service and Communication at Billingham Gym
Jun 2023 • Family
I have been a member of Billingham Gym for several months now, and I must say that the experience has been incredibly frustrating. What bothers me even more is that this lack of customer service, poor communication, and subpar facilities is not limited to just this location but extends to the Ingleby and Stockton gyms as well.

First and foremost, I have had numerous issues trying to get in touch with the gym manager. Despite promises to call me back, it has been over a month, and I am still waiting for that call. The poor communication from the manager is highly disappointing and shows a complete lack of respect for members. My attempts to request a callback have been blatantly ignored, and it is disheartening to see the staff fail to keep their promises.

Furthermore, the gym itself is quite small, which is disappointing. However, what truly aggravates me is the layout of the facilities. Unlike other gyms I have been to, the gym, sauna, and swimming pool are all located in different areas of the center. This makes it inconvenient and time-consuming to access different amenities. Additionally, I find it absurd that I have to book the sauna separately for male and female times. Such a policy only adds to the inconvenience and restricts flexibility.

The swimming pool at Billingham Gym is always overcrowded and chaotic. It feels nearly impossible to find any time to actually swim, especially during the weekends. The lack of available swim lanes due to ongoing lessons only exacerbates the problem. Moreover, my child's swimming sessions have been canceled for five weeks in a row. This is highly frustrating, especially considering that it took six months on the waiting list to secure a spot for them. This level of unreliability is unacceptable and shows a severe lack of organization and consideration for members.

The sauna is another disappointment altogether. It is never warm enough, and people have been observed shaving in there, which is unhygienic and unacceptable. The benches are in dire need of replacement, and the steam room has never been warm during my visits. On top of that, booking a slot for the sauna is a hassle, yet when I manage to secure a booking, the sauna is often underutilized and not full.

Overall, my experience with Billingham Gym and its associated centers, including Ingleby and Stockton, has been nothing short of frustrating. The nonexistent customer service, poor communication from the gym manager, unimpressive facilities, inadequate management of amenities, and the repeated cancellation of swimming sessions for my child after a six-month wait on the waiting list leave much to be desired. I strongly urge the management to address these issues promptly and take necessary steps to improve the overall experience for their members.
Written 16 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alex
Durham, UK3 contributions
Ice skating
Dec 2022 • Family
Really poorly organised, even when you pay for and reserve an aid for children at reception, there aren’t any available on the rink side. We were told to come back in 15 minutes, we did, but still none available. Therefore, one of the party had stand next to the boot collection point to wait, meanwhile the clock is ticking. Also, why no music?!
Written 17 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tees Active
Thank you for getting in touch with us regarding your recent visit to the centre and we are sorry to hear of your disappointment. Whilst this time of year is an extremely busy time for the centre, we are unable to predict the demand on skating and the skating aids. The skating aids are paid for pre use and available on a first come first served basis. Unfortunately, on the day you attended there was a high demand for the skate aids – which is why we have a time restriction on their use, as this allows fair access for all. We are sorry you had to wait for your skate aid in this instance due to this high demand. If you found the session too busy for your family, from April to September we are quieter and the skate aids tend to be more available, if that helps you plan your next visit.
Written 6 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bill H
Stockton-on-Tees, UK6 contributions
Cooks Cafe in Billingham Forum
Nov 2022
Cooks Cafe in the Forum is now open.
I have had two meals there so far and both have been excellent.
Written 23 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tye A
1 contribution
wasted journey
Nov 2021 • Couples
we looked on the website and saw the availability of the sessions and saw that there was a session at 2 o clock so we traveled over an hour to ice skate here only to be turned away because of damage to the roof even though there was no indication this was the case on the website there was children in-front of us crying that they had the same experience wont be visiting again the customer service was appalling
Written 27 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tees Active
We apologise that the Ice Arena was closed on Saturday 27th November. Unfortunately due to damage caused by Storm Arwen we were unable to open on this day. Although the sessions were still showing on our website, the site asks for visitors to check social media to keep up to date with the latest news and we posted on both Forum Ice Arena and Tees Active social media channels around 08:24 on Saturday morning notifying everyone that the Ice Arena was unfortunately closed for the day due to damages. We hope this experience doesn't impact any future visits and thank you for your understanding at this time.
Written 29 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Gottahaveslush
Hartlepool, UK11 contributions
Great venue and cleaner deserves praise!
Aug 2021 • Family
Went to Go Climb at the Forum for a birthday party - great for my daredevil four year old. After the climbing we were transferred to the function room so the kids could eat their Happy Meals. In between, I went to the baby change with my other daughter, and a friend said she’d keep an eye out to point us to where to go. After leaving the baby change I couldn’t for the life of me find a function room, so headed downstairs to ask the receptionist where it was. Her reply was ‘I don’t know, off the top of my head’ and I was left standing there awkwardly. I was quite anxious as I was aware of a time limit on the room, and was up visiting from the Midlands so time was precious with our friends. Thankfully a male member of cleaning staff saw me looking lost and gave me directions - 10/10 to him for customer service!!! Overall a lovely visit to the Forum - it must be 15 years since I last visited and it has improved immensely.
Written 30 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tees Active
Thank you for your review, we're glad that you all enjoyed the party at GoClimb and we hope to see you again. We will pass your feedback for our team to action
Written 12 October 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
kemp1234
125 contributions
Swimming with a baby
May 2021 • Family
Me my partner and my 7 month went to the forum may 2021 to use the pool. I haven't been to the forum in over 15 years so I knew it would have all changed and it has... For the better. It was modern, clean and over all really good. The baby swimming pool was a nice warm temperature and perfect for what we wanted. The changing areas and the toilets were spotless. The only issue we had was there wasn't enough family changing rooms and I don't like where the showers are. I just think it's really odd to shower in front of everyone using the pool, it should be sectioned off. All the staff we came across were friendly and helpful. Will be back.
Written 4 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tees Active
Hello, thank you for your review. We're glad you enjoyed your swim with us! At the moment the other showers are closed as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and we will be able to open these as well as more of the changing facilities as soon as things are safer and social distancing is removed. We hope to see you again!
Written 7 May 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Peter
1 contribution
Ice skating
Sep 2020 • Family
I’m a dad of two and we went on Sunday and a young girl on hockey boots nearly knocked my children over at high speeds multiple times otherwise great fun!!
Written 27 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura T
Middlesbrough, UK6,983 contributions
Decent pool area - but we only visited for scuba diving late on nights
Aug 2019
We recently learnt to scuba dive and visited this pool several nights over a couple of months to practice in the deep pool. There is the normal swimming pool with lane and a smaller deeper pool next to this which we used.

Plenty of changing rooms, all locks worked on doors and lockers all worked satisfactorily. The facilities were clean and well-kept, lifeguards always noticeably present. The showers always had hot water.

Large carparks nearby, which are free to use, so very easy to park right next to the centre.
Written 10 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tees Active
Thank you for your kind review
Written 18 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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BILLINGHAM FORUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Billingham Forum
Billingham Forum is open:
  • Mon - Mon 07:00 - 22:00
  • Tue - Wed 06:30 - 22:00
  • Thu - Thu 07:00 - 22:00
  • Fri - Fri 06:30 - 21:00
  • Sat - Sun 08:00 - 20:00
Attractions near Billingham Forum: View all attractions near Billingham Forum on Tripadvisor