Unusual Love Affair in London: By Popular Demand

Holiday in Wales

I hope you have all had a superb summer season - whether at the Lido, holidaying in the UK or abroad! Main thing is you got some "serious" swimming done in pleasant water temperatures!

Thanks to Gail's suggestion, I went to Wales for the last week of August 1st week of September- Cardigan Bay - it was simply wonderful! I even met up with Gail who happened to holiday in Wales at the same time, albeit a little further down and at the top end of the Pembrokeshire cost. But we did meet one day for a lovely walk and an amazing and memorable swim at Poppit Sands.

This summer Gail's finished her goal of walking of the entire Pembrokeshire Cost (with her friend Kate)

Walking waking waking and ...

a some swimming - this is the bay (at Aberporth) I swam in every day .. at least once!

I was lucky enough to have my daily (swimmin) fix practicaly just outside the front door of the bungalow, my friend and I stayed in . The village is Aberporth on the Irish Sea. Well worth a visit!

As wonderful as the holiday had been, I managed to crack a rib on the penultimate day, fooling around for .. believe it or not... a photo "opportunity"!

I won't bore you with the details, suffice it to say that my father's words from when I was exuberantly fooling around as a child, rang immediately in my ears, : "until something happens" he used to say ... and there it was.. OUCH! I cracked a rib.

Never mind, I thought, that won't spoil my last day and it will certainly not keep me from swimming ... ohh but I soon had to think again, when, all ready and in my cosy, I made a bee line for the beach at Aberporth that same evening. Not a good idea! walking and driving was fine. Swimming not!

Once back in London I couldn't help myself for trying to come to the Lido for a swim. With a days rest behind me, I was willing to give it another go. Sitting at the edge of the shallow end of the pool, I bent forward to get in when I heard a(nother) crack and a mighty stab. OUCH - a much worse OUCH this time! Actually I haven't had such a sharp pain ever before! It was certainly no fun and this time I thought I'd better take it more seriously. No swimming for 10 (agonising) days. The doctor advised that a broken rib takes 4 - 6 weeks to mend. "No way!" I'll heal much faster!

Wanting to stay acclimatised to the water temperature I started "wading" (!) through the water for 20 minutes - quite fun, actually and great for the legs!

Fast forward 2 weeks of wading and I'm swimming - breaststroke doesn't hurst, nor does backstroke .. freestyle is still painful ... not sure why? I am in the sixth week since the accident and things are improving daily.

Also, I have discovered swimming without goggles and am loving it!

However, now that an increasing amount of leaves are floating on the surface of the water, I may have to resort to my "old" habit and put my goggles back on!?!

But enough of that infamous rib and on to what's happening at the Lido!

The weather is being truly kind to us, and yes, technically speaking we are well into the winter season at the Lido ... SLSC members have the pool to themselves again, the entrance is at the top end/ deep end of the pool and opening hours have been reduced to from 7am - 2pm.

The great news is that the water temperature has been hovering around 15 -16 degrees celsius since the end of the summer season. That heatwave at the beginning of October, specially during the weekend Oct.1st and 2nd, meant that the the Lido extended the season and the general public was allowed in ... can you image the uproar, shutting the pool to the public would have created! Better not!

All worked out well and for that "generosity" we have been rewarded with more mild weather!

Here some photos of this past sunday: