Monthly Archives: December 2010
Swimming in the snow at London Fields lido
Snow can rekindle a childlike enthusiasm in even the most Scrooge-like of city dwellers – and when, during recent heavy snowfall, Hackney became Antarctica for the day, swimmers at London Fields lido couldn’t believe their luck. Lidos tend to be happy places anyway, but whoops filled the air as people rejoiced at being in this […]
David Cameron: outdoor swimmer
When David Cameron entered Downing Street he may have felt he was thrown in the deep end. If the stress gets too much, perhaps he should go for an outdoor swim – evidence suggests that it’s a habit that the new Prime Minister is not unacquainted with. Cameron, who is the patron of Chipping Norton […]
The truth about reservoir swimming
A great deal of confusion surrounds the issue of swimming in reservoirs. Many reservoirs have watersports centres, and hold mass swims and triathlons – but most British and Welsh reservoirs explicitly ban swimming and advertise it as dangerous. Wary of the contradiction, one water authority, United Utilities, has now banned swimming in any water owned […]
What to eat when you swim
We all know swimming makes you hungry, but knowing what to eat and when can be tricky. Eat too much beforehand and you will feel lethargic and risk getting cramp, eat too little and you’ll deprive your body of the energy it needs. On longer swims you’ll also have to know what you can eat […]
MP campaigning for inland bathing locations
The issue of outdoor swimming emerged in politics again recently when an MP pressed the government on its responsibility to increase the number of outdoor bathing locations. Matthew Offord, the MP for Hendon in North London, recently asked a question to the Environment Minister on the government’s plans to increase the number of inland bathing […]
Rick Stein on outdoor swimming
After the Padstow to Rock swim, June 2010 I put some questions to Rick Stein about his love of outdoor swimming: For how many years have you been participating in the Padstow to Rock swim? Two. Do you swim in the sea, lakes or rivers anywhere else? Yes, I’m a member of the Serpentine Swimming […]
Campaign to save Bude Sea Pool
A campaign to save Bude Sea Pool in Cornwall has begun after its future was thrown into doubt by the local council. The iconic 90 m tidal pool has existed since the 1930′s. The council hopes to stop the £30,000 it pays each year towards funding the pool at the end of November, but local […]
