ok so i'm a student. our student gym on campus is open to the public all day but students are restricted access. gyms in the modern age have to many machines and not enough free weigths, its like they are left with a few square feet int he corner so they dump a bench an some lose weights (normally an compliations of lb's and kg discs from different manufacturers i might add) all the "beatiful people" look at you in the free weight section with a mild amusment and curious glances. and why is the only water fountain in the free weights section. if it isn't enough to have to deal with snobby people sniggering at you as they look at you. you then have to deal with a constant dripping wet out of breath lycra clad snake of people tromping through the middle of the area.
there is never a squat rack or power rack, when you ask they say oh we dont' that we have a smith machine!! great but it doesn't build soft supporting tissue does it! there is never anywhere to skip! (jump rope)
they never open early enough there is 2 gyms in the city (the most expensive ones) that open before 8.30am.
there is always multipul cardio machines and weight machines but ususally only one of each free weight system (flat bench, angled bench, bar, E Z bar).
ok so some of this might not be universal but it certainly seems to be. i just get fed up with having to move things between sets for someone to get past or that inevitable "what are you doing that for?" when doing squats.
When you aren't restricted to a student gym, go look around. Maybe it's different in the UK, but there is a great variety of gyms within 10 miles of where I live: 3 "bodybuilder gyms (one where I work). one country club type gym including a track, pool, soft everything and no squat racks (sweating is forbidden), 2 private training studios, 1 new circuit machine club with a few free weights which sounds like what you are talking about, and at least 3 women's Curves. The hardcore gyms are there- and they welcome the not so hardocre as well as having the equipment and space for those who do need lots of bars, benches, and free weights. Except for Curves, all open at 5am or are open 24 hrs/day.
Mel, I think it probably is a bit different in the UK, in smaller towns and cities anyway. (Although I suppose that is the same in North America too.) A 5am opening time is unknown round here. Perhaps by the time Si finishes his course things may have changed.
Like Mel said, I'm not sure what's available in the UK. But here there's a lot of variety too. The YMCA down the street is just like you described. The free weight section is just thrown together while they have every kind of machine you could imagine. However, the Bally's gym not too much further has a free weight section that rocks! It's almost twice as big as the machine section and has every advantage you could imagine. Keep looking around and hopefully you'll find a good fit. Do you have the room in your house to invest slowly in your own home free weight gym? Good luck!
My small college gym had a pretty good free weight room, which was entirely equipped with donated equipment.
Here at the medical school there is a free weight "club" which you can join for a small fee that has a pretty good weight room. I lift at the Westside YMCA (w.63rd and Central Park West) which is a bit nicer. I would, however, consider joining a "hardcore" gym like Mel described if I get strong enough to need the really big dumbells (150#+) you won't find in a regular gym.
I think this means your future should be as a successful gym owner. No bunnies allowed! Meanwhile, don't back down. Nod and say hello. I imagine it would be harder to be nasty to somebody that is being nice to me.
*Maybe* they are laughing not at you, but at the prospects of lifting that much themselves? I'm a perpetual optimist, feel free to slap me.
You can make your own power rack if you're handy with a lathe... I'm sure I saw the link on Krista's website!
There is only one hardcore weight gym in my area but it's full of posers and scary grunty sweaty guys so I don't go in because it smells and I'm only there when I use the hall there for kickboxing so I guess it would be slightly derranged to try and lift and kickbox in the same coupla hours! Even in the heart of London I haven't stumbled across any hardcore gyms... usually the Holmes Places and the Fitness Firsts - although I could be wrong! I'm sure there's a boxing-type gym around Covent Garden somewhere
i live on the very outskirts of the city there is a gym in the hospital over the road but its like £20 a month member ship i pay 145 for 3 years of my course so i can't complain to much i guess. the nearest hardcore gym to me is a good 20 min drive. what with fuel at £4+ a gallon and me a poor desolate student its not feesable. we have one ymca gym but its the middle of town so thats a trip to town plus bus fair. parking fees. i have a student loan of 1600 every 4 months and thats it. out of which 1000 is rent.
*rant!!!!* Why Gyms Annoy Me!
It's almost twice as big as the machine section and has every advantage you could imagine. Keep looking around and hopefully you'll find a good fit. Do you have the room in your house to invest slowly in your own home free weight gym? Good luck! 
I'm sure I saw the link on Krista's website!
Even in the heart of London I haven't stumbled across any hardcore gyms... usually the Holmes Places and the Fitness Firsts - although I could be wrong! I'm sure there's a boxing-type gym around Covent Garden somewhere 
