The Frost Is Back

Coming out my front door this morning there was no escaping the cold ... the frost had been back over night .. albeit not too heavily - car windscreens and roofs had a thin layer of ice. Ice also featured on the grass on the common. The paddle pool was frozen.

The pool itself was (fortunately) ice free - but the water temperature would have definitely been affected by the cold night. Michael was walking up the long side of the pool and when we crossed one another he simply said, almost filled with joy : "this is more like real winter now!"

As I reached the shallow end of the pool, Alex was tumble turning ...

and gasping for air ... he swam 6 lengths again today ... when most "hardies" cut down to 4 or even "only" 2 lengths (count me in for 2 lengths!)!

next Tricky appeared ... I just missed his post sauna plunge

(but heard it while I was changing!)

I never got round to asking Tricky how many lengths he swam this morning ..

but judging by his exuberant reaction ... not only at seeing me ...

he must have swam quite a few!

Vince as ever, in trance!

As I finished my second length, Pip was approaching the steps and asked me: "can I do 2 lengths?" Of course you can ... to which I got a half hearted smile ... :) "yes, Pip, you can!"

I crawled out, grabbed my camera ... hands rather frozen, and watched which way Pip would turn, up (to do lengths)? or sideways (to do widths)?

up!! well done Pip! ... over to you, I'm off to the sauna ... can't feel my hands at all .. no, I can actually : they HURT!

this is when the "odd couple" recruited another ("mad man") and became "The Three Musketeers"

Pip leading the way followed by Ian (on the left) and Nando (on the right)

yes, Nando... you want to do what..?

ahhh, I see, a Bbbbbbb...

.... bbbBOMB!!!

next .... : 2 dives ?! ok then ..

ready steady ... ggggg .. noooo

Pip lost his balance and only had one way to go while Ian was still getting ready!

the they both swam a width - not sure why Ian is waving?!

Nando is looking on ... rather bemused

Nick didn't want to know (his "play pal", Jonathan, wasn't here ... )

so he went off to have his shower

David on his way to take the water temperature -

he made it just .. but only just, over 3C,

that's cold!

The Three (lido) Musketeers - reunited -

after their separate show pieces

For some January stats go the Alex's blog dated Jan 31st

Dive Everybody

A day for all to dive!

still rather dark when I arrived .. hence Stephanie's beautiful dive is (sadly) a bit blurred

even though I had set the camera at 800 ASA!

"some days I really look forward to my dive (after sauna) and some days I don't ... as much"

.. and yet Stephanie too is a creature of habit!

Stephanie swam 6 lengths before her stint in the sauna

who did I spot strolling in .. casually? no other than Mr. Bubbles!

... who after 2 weeks holiday in Tunisia was (probably) in for a bit of a shock... :)

... and yet he performed his usual "dive" from a sitting position

after my 2 lengths I jumped back in when I saw Alex approaching ... not sure why I did that?! it was soooo cold today .. not only the water but there was a definite nip in the air too!

well, I do know why .. really :) because I just had to get another shot of Alex under water ... (absence makes the camera grow fonder ?!)

in this shot Alex has just completed his tumble turn and is pushing off the wall -

he swam 6 lengths in all

oh yessss, I too enjoy a dive

... followed by a couple of widths after the sauna :)

Ian took the photos

As I was leaving, Mark was about to enter the pool ..

"I'm not really looking forward to this, it's hard today!"

and yet ... of course Mark went in, albeit gingerly, in his own time, following his personal routine, he swam 4 lengths.

Proud Medallists

After my swim, more members started to trickle in ... in particular some of the SLSC members/medallists from the Cold Water Swimming Championships who competed in Latvia last weekend!

This is the spontaneous reaction I got from Katherine when I congratulated her for winning a silver medal at the Cold WAter World Championships in Latvia (which

took last weekend)

Spider women Mandy (coming back from a stint in the sauna after her morning swim)won 2 medals too ...

As did Sue ... who had also already been for her morning swim

ok then .. get get together for a photo .. all smile ..!

Ann also came back with a medal (gold for Ann -

she even defended her title from 2 years ago!

Well done Ann !

here she is in action - she only take a breath on the right ...

so I couldn't catch her on her "breathing side !"

which would have made for a nicer photo!

Angus full of patriotism (spot the union jack cap!) swimming for england ..

yes .. you can laugh Ian ...

Mandy, showing off her leggings ... shame I had already decided to take a tight shot of her face .. if only I had known she was so proud of her leggings I would have obliged!

OK, time to see this medals - silver for Katherine

let's take a better look at it ...

by the way, Katherine is swimming the channel in a relay this summer

and Sue's bronze (she won her medal in the same race as Katherine)

Amazing how long the ribbon is :)

A delighted Sue!

These medals are truly lovely -

here a closer look at Katherine's silver medal!

Odd Couple

This morning I met up with seriously dedicated cyclist and cold water swimmers, Andy and Ken. Andy has been coming to the Lido for many many years. Ken was introduced to the Lido by his ex neighbour Andy one summer when the water temperature was (much) warmer than in winter " but still much colder than in an indoor pool". He loved it and was soon hooked too! Come rain or sunshine these friends make their journey from Bromley to the Lido (and back!)

Today, the water temperature fell back down a smidgeon from yesterday - 2 lengths was enough for me ... and after the sauna I enjoyed diving back in for another 2 widths - this seemed to have been my January routine so far ... apart from when it was above 5C, when I add another 2 widths to my pre sauna swim ... The forecast for next week, however is that we are apparently in for "a colder spell" ... so, you never know, February may turn out to be a colder month than January?

Before I left the pool, I'm happy to say, "The Odd Couple", no, not Walther Matthau and Tony Curtis but Ian and Pip where back too!

Andy (from Bromley!)

enjoying his well deserved cup of hot chocolate ...

... which (Andy's friend) Ken (also from Bromley!)

brings to the pool every morning ...

Ken didn't swim this morning, mind you, because he has a bit of a sore throat and simply came along for the bike ride (there and back!) and to share a good cup of chocolate!

Andy in full attire now, almost ready for their cycle ride back

(to Bromley!) These guys are seriously fit ... cause there are quite a few hills to tackle between the Tooting Bec Lido and Bromley!

looks relaxing , backstroke in 4 C water ... up and down with a smile

Both Clare and Sue (independently from one another)

asked me whether this multicoloured cap was mine?!

No .. but whose is it?? the 3 items have been sitting there for a few days now...!

the odd couple (Pip and Ian) were back again this morning...

Ian all ready, while Pip is still getting in ...

and they are off ...

with (quite) a bit of a splish ... Pip leading the way ...

not for too long, Ian was steadily catching up and edging ahead

I followed them for the first lengths and by the end of it,

Ian was definitely ahead.

Pip has great endurance though and I'm sure that overall (depending on how many lengths they ended up swimming, Pip would "pip" Ian ! :)