Welcome to Waterblogged



Welcome to our Blog. The majority of the content is about our outdoor swimming activities; with other comments, thoughts and pictures along the way. See our website http://community.lincolnshire.gov.uk/blueskyswimming/


and our videos on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Nicola8259



Pages

Friday 30 April 2010

Parents' Contributions - £560 total achieved!

Two separate donations on-line - thank you both - I wonder if there is an element of guilt for the 'near drowning incident' with Nicola on Huttoft beach when I was 7 .... and you're both still arguing over who pulled me out - Mum or Dad ... mmmm conscience money! At least you noticed that one of us was missing - head count: 'where's the 'middle one' gone?' x ;-)

Now, as Dad would say 'Dacker down, or it will end in tears'!



Literary Links

We will be 'launching' our 3 Pools Challenge at the Bathing Beauties Festival in Mablethorpe on Saturday 18 September http://www.bathingbeauties.org.uk/festival.htm We will have a beach chalet and will be recruiting people to swim with us in the sea .... let us know ... we have several interested already.

Just thinking about the literary links with Mablethorpe and D H Lawrence.

Mablethorpe was the destination for the Morel family's first holiday in the D H Lawrence novel, Sons and Lovers, published in 1913, and here's a quote:


"At last they got an answer from Mablethorpe, a cottage such as they wished for thirty shillings a week. There was immense jubilation. Paul was wild with joy for his mother's sake. She would have a real holiday now. He and she sat at evening picturing what it would be like. Annie came in, and Leonard, and Alice, and Kitty. There was wild rejoicing and anticipation. Paul told Miriam. She seemed to brood with joy over it. But the Morel's house rang with excitement."

'Brood with joy' - wow, I suppose this was before we all discovered overseas holidays and warm waters to swim in. However, we are trying to buck the trend with cold swims in the murky, silty North Sea .

More literary quotes soon when I get my Roger Deakin 'Waterlog' out.

Thursday 29 April 2010

New Member ....Our Friend in the South

Wow, only two and half weeks and we're at 82% how fantastic. We're on the top 3 fundraisers for the Children's Holiday home and giving the Mayor of Leicester a run for his money. Sandra and I will review our target next week. We're planning a dip this weekend - maybe Yorkshire... Our friend in the South - Lesley - will be joining us for our South West Country Adventure - in July: Penzance and Plymouth lidos (sea water and cold, cold) and Chagford (stream-fed and cold, cold) and will be meeting us in Wales at LLlyyyclydwdd whatever the place is for our swim there - Fantastic! More soon.

In the meantime here's another classic video from Nic - still not quite got the hang of the technology. 'You Two Boys' (Remember Mrs Darnell's sweet shop Sandra? - have we ever recovered from being mistaken for boys?)

Keep the donations coming in: Thank you!


http://www.justgiving.com/Sandra-Moran

Monday 26 April 2010





3rd Sea Swim in April....






Missed the glorious weather on Saturday doing inland dry stuff but headed off to the coast determinedly on Sunday despite gloomy skies.






Huttoft looked just TOO drab and drear, so we tried a couple of miles further north at charming Sutton on Sea, perhaps hoping that the beach huts might cheer the scene up a bit. Sea was the colour of dishwater latte (those of you who know me well know how little I would find that appealing!) and was merging into the misty murky sky - LOVELY!





Anyhow, after a bit of procrastination, and modelling our new stripy post swim towelling robes, we plucked up the energy to go for it.


Pretty cold, but we're getting tough now so we weren't fazed and enjoyed a really uplifting 20 minutes in great swell and breaking waves to bob around in. Nic lunged in much quicker than me as usual, but also succumbed to dead extremities more quickly too!


Steve was on photographic duties and we were all initially excited to think of the great footage, but... alas, it may have looked good on the phone, but it wasn't saved! My phone curled up and died that evening, so perhaps the sea spray was a bad idea?

Sunday 25 April 2010

Over Half Way There ...


Thanks so much for the donations - we're at 55% now! And many promises in the waiting for donations.

Here's Nic at Trent Bridge on Friday - glorious day.

Thanks for the donation Pete - biggest hitter yet. We don't expect to 'bowl a maiden over' thank you - aiming for a 6 or out the ground with our success - all down to planning and 'tekneek' as Geoffrey B might say.

Thursday 22 April 2010




BLUE SKY BLUES




It's a GORGEOUS day here today and I'm sat at my desk looking wistfully outside at the crystal clear skies dreaming of escaping to the beach...




....Hey ho! My time will come!

Tuesday 20 April 2010


HURRAY!


Bourne Outdoor Pool opens 29th May - my favourite post work swimming pool for the summer, I can't wait for that first dive in......

One Third of the Way There

33% for the numerate amongst you - thank you to everyone so far for their donations. Keep passing the message on .... I've asked niece and nephews to open their piggy banks and contribute so your consciences may prompt you to donate - pay day approaching? http://www.justgiving.com/Sandra-Moran

Monday 19 April 2010



Is it Summer yet?





It certainly FELT summery on Saturday, and we all took the opportunity to educate our children in the joys of outdoor swimming.


A trip to Nana's to celebrate Great Nana's 98th Birthday (tough genes run in the family you see!) was followed by a good couple of hours paddling and rope swinging at the beck down the fen from Mum's house. The willow tree was bending precariously when me and Steve (not together!!) had a go swinging out over the water - it's definitely easier to get on than off!


Really satisfying to continue the tradition into the next generation and to see that Felix has the makings of a champion rope swinger!




Friday 16 April 2010

Welcome Big Sister Belinda!


You're now a Contributor. Perhaps you can start by taking off that other blog of yours on your profile on 'working age dementia' ..... a bit downbeat and not very watery! x

Thursday 15 April 2010

Fundraising Update





Wow! What a great start to the fundraising - thanks to all those brilliant, generous friends who've already put their virtual hands in their virtual pockets and donated to The Leicester Children's Holiday Centre.

We've reached 22% of our £500 target on Day 1 and with Gift Aid that takes the total donated to £141.03.

Nic is brimming over with the next round of ideas to keep up the momentum, so expect to hear from her soon!!!

Thanks again, and remember to keep up to date at http://www.justgiving.com/Sandra-Moran

Wednesday 14 April 2010

Blog Goes Public - 3 Lakes

Llyn Colwyd 50 m
Loch Morar 310 metres deep ....

Wastwater, Lake District 70 m

We've opened up the Blog .... and got our first donations. Thank you! x

Just seen the pictures of these lakes ..... not shown to me before I committed - thanks Sand! At 310 metres deep I won't be attempting surface dives.

Any ideas for wet suit sponsorship?

Sunday 11 April 2010

Eight Go To Gibraltar Point - Saturday 10th April







.... and 3 women swim in the sea. Sunny day, cool wind off the sea. Sue, Sandra and Nicola wade out - very shallow today with a low tide (Sandra has consulted the tide timetable) - so it takes a while before we get enough depth (not so far as the wind turbines though as Felix thought). Water is cold with freezing cold flows passing by, but also some warmer bits too. Once we've accustomed to the cold we get in 'the zone' - ha! It's great to be swimming again in the sea, buoyed up by the water. Sandra swims out too far as usual .... We stay in for nearly half an hour - pretty good going. Then pay the price once we're out and shivering with cold for the next hour. Steve and Pete are on beach duties .... but failed to take any video of us in the water.


Nicola's first attempt at a video clip - a bit cack-handed (Lincolnshire terminology) - amateurish - but there's time for improvement or some technical instruction and back up.


Friday 9 April 2010

Gibraltar Point 8 February, late photo.




These are late in - taken on pre-digital camera and not great quality - you can get a sense of the weather - 0.5 C above freezing and sleet and wind - we actually went in twice - Nicola having only managed to submerge half way first time, then we had to undress and do it all again because she felt such a failure - and Sandra did it twice fully submerged. We need to get a thermometer to take the water temperature - it was probably not much more than 4 - 5 degrees. We felt nauseous afterwards and had to traipse all they way back through the sand dunes to the car park - Nicola looking like some sort of asylum seeker drifted off course from Dover with her blanket wrapped around her. We knew if we could survive this one then that was our benchmark!

Latest News - Video Clip and 3 Pools Challenge

Watch this space for video footage of 8 April and - second swim of the month already - tomorrow at Gibraltar Point ..... come along! Also, see our link for our September 3 Pools Challenge - we are raising money for Leicester Children's Home in Mablethorpe. Anyone who wants to be in our support / back up team (towel holders, drivers, tea-makers) get in touch nmarshall@lincoln.ac.uk sandram6665@yahoo.com

http://www.justgiving.com/Sandra-Moran

http://www.childrensholidaycentre.co.uk/ Check out this site - and see their good work which we want to support. Thank you.

Sea Swim # 3, Thursday 8 April 2010




Here we go again, still the lovely Lincolnshire North Sea - this time Sutton-on-Sea. Weather is an improvement on February's sleet and freezing temperature and the sun is shining. We feel almost blase - is it enough of a challenge for us? We make our pitch on the beach and go for it - it is cold but not as cold as before. As usual Nicola is in first and Sandra is dithering at waist height. But we are in and swim for about 10 minutes - it is fantastic to swim in the sea again - it is cold, cold but not life-threatening cold and we can feel hands, feet and legs. We get out and then go back again - twice. Amazing - we love it!!! No seals this time. And no one else getting in either. We try to get some pictures and video clip.

Saturday 3 April 2010

Early Days

On the beach where it all started - Sandra and Nicola. And not forgetting big sister Belinda in charge of me on the horse.




Lido season




Good news .... Hathersage outdoor swimming pool (left) is open already - end of March! Jubilee Park is later this year - 15th May ..... Bourne awaiting date but likely end of May. Outdoor swimming will then begin in earnest.

This year's project - swim three 1930's lidos on the south coast: Tinside at Plymouth, Jubilee at Penzance and Saltdean at Brighton (threatened with closure). Anyone who wants to be in the back-up team let me know.

Friday 2 April 2010

The Start


New Year's Day 2010 and first swim of the year at Huttoft.
8th February - Swim No 2 at Gibraltar Point - no piccie though ......
Swim No 3 in preparation for April.