Tag Archives: swimming
Self-preservation society: London’s cold water swimming clubs
Eurostar Metropolitan magazine, February 2010 It is quiet in Hyde Park, and still somewhat dark. The surface of the Serpentine, reflecting a ferris wheel underneath the glowing lights of high-rise hotels in the distance, is frozen solid. It’s an arresting, eerily beautiful scene. But what most concerns the people gathering at the water’s edge is […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
