December 2023

This month I wanted to start with a huge thank you to Alix, Anne, Dave and David from Winterfest.

On Christmas Day, after my morning swim, Anne got Dave to represent me with a brand new pair of Crocs to replace the ones taken from the hut when it was broken into earlier in the year, which Alix had kindly sourced for me. Anne also bought the lovely, post swim treat dish, which goes perfectly with the decor of the hut, which anyone who has been inside will know is Sandra’s homage to Frida Khalo. I’m also grateful to David for the photographs and additional coverage he has managed to get for the challenge. It’s so motivating to have these involved with the charity I’m raising money for coming regularly to watch me swim. Thank you all. I hope you’ll still be there at the end of Feb when it can get really grim!

Several people have mentioned this remarkable likeness that I couldn’t wait another month before sharing this uncanny resemblance.

On a slightly more serious note, I did encounter my first ‘refusal’ on Saturday 30th. I had made a pie for myself, using pastry left over from our Nut & Cranberry Wellington on Christmas Day and was looking forward to earning it with a swim during the afternoon of 30th. Although I’d been for a lovely walk in beautiful sunshine in the morning as the time to set off for the swim got nearer the clouds opened and the combination of the rain, cold and what I can only put down to as a post Christmas lethargy, I’m embarrassed to say, I cancelled the swim. I still managed the pie though! Fortunately normal service was resumed at 14:40 the next day when I completed the final swim of 2023.

The unedited version of the start of the Christmas Day swim.