THE LESSON

THE LESSON  - a poem written for me by Alan White, love it Alan, privaliaged to have you write it for me, you are a star!

THE LESSON

 When I first encountered that Pauline Squire
 She ticked all the boxes that said “live wire”’
 She ranged around lakes and tarns and seas.
 They were as nothing. She crossed them with ease.
 And she has helped many hundreds to swim,
 Young and old, fast and slow, whatever their whim.
 If she were a show off, she could justly claim
 However hopeless you are, you’ll learn just the same.
 Bring your granny, and spouse, and let your kiddy come.
 She can even improve the stroke of Ann Widdicombe.
 The first time I went was for me a mistake:
 A social swim in Ellerton lake.
 When first I got in, it was beyond cold.
 I dithered and shivered and felt very old.
 Amid all the jokes and cries of merriment,
 Trapped in a cryogenic experiment.
 It all turned out to be quite insane,
 When they all shot off like rats down a drain.
 There are sinister things in the waters of Ellerton.
 There are even some rumours about a dead skeleton.
 I socialised with the first marker buoy
 With feelings somewhat the converse of joy.
 So  I spent nearly all the swim out of range
 But things improved at the cake exchange.
 After an interval I returned
 To take up the offer of help I had earned.
 At the beginning of this I must emphasise:
 Her slight figure belies a formidable size.
 Her spirit, that is: she eats iron bars,
 Rusty nails, iron filings, and even old cars.
 You’d never think, as she stands on the jetty,
 She sustains herself on barbed wire spaghetti.
 She takes icy baths and wears chain mail.
 She likes nothing better than snow, gales and hail.
 But as a pupil you’ll come to no harm
 Because her demeanour is gentle and calm.
 What can you do? I struck out with a will.
 You look like a buffalo swimming uphill.
 Don’t bash at the water, make yourself slide
 Through the water, perpetual glide.
 Make love to the water, make it your friend.
 When you do this you’ll swim without end.
 Observe the fish and do what they do
 And then it will start to happen for you.
 Rubbish, I said, I can’t be a roach.
 My movements are ugly and grisly and gauche.
 I might be pike. At least I can lurk.
 Being a fish is not my kind of work.
 And then it began, I was long, sleek and sharp,
 Astonished to find I’d turned into a carp.
 I saw that my coach had become a carp too.
 I felt there was something we both had to do.
 The feeling came on as I brushed by the weed
 And saw to my horror, I’d scattered my seed.
 This wasn’t the worst of my terrible plight.
 I couldn’t lay hold of her, try as I might.
 She wriggled enticingly, danced out and in,
 I couldn’t get within range of her fin.
 Then I struggled and flapped and tried to get clear.
 Are you sure you’re feeling all right, my dear?
 Came that calm, gentle voice. The nightmare was done.
 I lay on the bank and blinked in the sun.
 So I still find I swim like a fish in a net.
 But will I go back again? Oh, yes. You bet.

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From swimming to flying!!!

Well we all know how adventurous boys can be. Ethan proved to be no different. His mum brought him on his first open water swim today....he was positively bouncing with excitement and could not wait to get his wetsuit on and no sooner had Michelle given it to him then the burst of speed he developed to get to the changing room would have given Mr Bolt a run for his money!

Before you could turn 360 degrees, he was back with it on......grinning, now the battle would be on to prevent him getting in before everyone arrives and also before Michelle was ready to get in! To prevent him spontaneously combusting he was permitted to go in up to his ankles in the shallows.....but being a typical lad ....that soon became almost thigh height.

Thankfully everyone arrive before Ethan set out on a marathon swim with his mum in hot pursuit. We all got changed...Ethan hopping from leg to leg with excitement and cries of 'can i get in mum' every two seconds! This was a lad who clearly took after his mum in the wanting to get in the water stakes!

A quick safely briefing and we all set off, some trying to pile up the mileage, others going for a splash, Keith  Midgley was celebrating his 60th birthday and had a new gps toy to play with to map his swim, the results are great as you can see....how he managed to swim on land is amazing but that will be the placement of the satellite at the time i am sure and not a poor sense of direction!

But that being said i might have to save up and get myself one of these toys....what good fun they are!!

It was lovely to meet a new swimmer too Vicky Marlow, on her first open water swim, she never stopped grinning the whole way round, two laps of the buoys, stopping to chat and going through the weeds not to mention getting over the fear of putting her fact in the water, it was lovely to hear that she had come to the lake after reading my blogs too. Very touched by that Vicky!!! Hope you enjoyed the swim.

Alison Darley flushed by her recent success of being chosen to be a swim Shaw teacher came for a swim, and brought her monofin for us to play with....now i love this toy and need to get one for my own amusement not to mention the possible injuries i will pick up using it!!!!

Me doing butterfly

And thanks to Alison for her generosity Julie had a go too!, Here she is putting one foot in...that's the easy bit, getting the other foot in and attempting to remain upright in the water is the issue!!!

 

After swimming for a while it was time to get out for food and drinks, this strange yellow ball in the sky had paid us a long overdue visit so it was lovely to stand around in the its warmth for a bit, chatting, the plan being that we would double dip, Jackie and Kate managed to! Ethan having been so eager to get in was ecstatic with his swim, he had loved it!

After returning from the car with a towel round my neck i noticed a young man on the floor face down near a tree, oh no it was Ethan, clearly in distress having given himself a shock at climbing a tree and finding that he couldn't fly as he came tumbling out of it from about a height of 12 to 14 feet! Both mum and child were clearly shaken. Ethan having been told not to climb did that in the split second his mum turned around. Boys will be boys and if there's something to climb, crawl under or over or into, if they can get muddy, stung, wreck clothing, go fast, go slow, in short...they live life on impulse (rather sounds like most of the male adults i know too!!!), well this little speed demon had climbed a tree so fast no one had seen him do it, once up a branch had snapped and sent him plunging to the ground.

Quickly the swimmers dashed to cars to bring their towels to keep him warm, his head secured by hands that also monitored his heart rate, clearly his pain was coming from his upper spinal area. Anxious for him not to move we talked calmly to ease his fears, and checked his body for outward signs of bleeding, a nasty grazed arm and elbow where the only visible outward signs of trauma, but to be safe rather than sorry i gave my mobile to Tracy Myrtle for her to phone an ambulance.

Ambulance en route it was just a matter of keeping Ethan calm and still and alleviating mums fears which you could see where mounting rapidly.  No one wants to see a child in pain but when its your own all rational thought disappears, mum you see has had as big a shock as child! Thankfully there were enough of us to keep both occupied!

After a more thorough assessment it was decided that even with gas and air the pain in the spine might be cause for concern. Mum thankfully had taken herself to the side where Ethan could not see her as she allowed her distress to flow. Every parents heart will have gone out to Michelle  at this point, and even more so when the ambulance staff rolled Ethan on a spinal board where even gas and air would not help. Even at this point i could feel the tears starting to form but the staff had this little man moved swiftly and soon had him alot more comfy.

At this point the effects of the gas and air kicked in big time, eyes like space ships this young man suddenly liked the idea that he might have to go in a helicopter as was trying to be arranged....not to happen due to heavy fog at Newcastle. That being said i am not sure Michelle's nerves could have stood a helicopter journey.

Taking more gas and air on board this brave young man who a short while ago had been borderline hysterical at the thought that he had broken his back, was giggling at nothing....time to remove the gas and air!! Ethan meanwhile was being trussed up like a Christmas turkey to prevent further movement or injury!

Paramedics brought the ambulance onto the grass to take Ethan to hospital, mum rushing round trying to find the simple things that at that vital moment decide to hide themselves from you. Martin Holland retrieving them and averting more stress, it was Martin who went to the hospital with Michelle.

And into the awaiting vehicle he goes off to enjoy his gas and air adventure....  leaving mum to make frantic phone calls before getting in herself.

And finally off they went, no sirens though...hope Ethan does not think i have broken a promise to him, but ambulances with spinal injury patients do not speed rapidly through red lights instead its a slow and steady journey.

As you can imagine all us adults were very anxious hoping to hear swiftly from Michelle that Ethan was fit and well, this came later that night and the flood of well wishing hopefully has shown Michelle the love we have for her and her wonderful son...who has promised faithfully not to climb any more trees!! Well i suspect that the promise will end with the next succulent tree that takes his fancy...but just maybe then next time when mum says NO ...just maybe he might listen!!

Once everyone has calmed down from the excitement it was decision time, to swim again or get changed. For most the worry of such a lovely lad meant we did not want to return to the water, however there was no stopping another gorgeous little person, badgering mum Tracey to get in....dressed and ready and in this little water babe got, giggling the whole time. And even tried to beat mum....excuse our voices!!!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb8yrWPT6Uc&feature=plcp

Next time Ethan and this little water babe can swim together...although Ethan....no tree climbing!!! We are all so glad you are injury free if not a little sore.....i am sure that when your mums nerves have returned to normal we will see you back in the water!!!



THE GREAT MORPH SWIM, RYDAL 2011

THE GREAT MORPH SWIM, RYDAL 2011-PAULINE SQUIRE

First we did Buttermere, then Grasmere, this weekend it was Rydal. In the last week the air temperatures have dropped, most of the country was hit by a frost at the end of the week, central heating systems dormant during the summer were being fired up, log burners lit, thick coats pulled out and dusted off. The swim posted as just a normal social swim was changed shortly after posting after i was inspired by Jo Lade's recent Mankini's and Moustaches swim to make this one a little different......so morph suits it was, and so the Great Morph swim title came about. As is all the worry....would people want to swim (many had put the wetsuits away for the winter months), would they turn up.

Where to get in.....in what is now becoming a bit of a trend, i wanted to find somewhere we can get warmed up afterwards and have a coffee. Chatting with facebook swimmy friends i was recommended a pub. A quick phone call later to the Badger Bar and it was sorted, use of the car park, hot soup and drinks for afterwards.....excellent!!!! Numbers started to creep up, again i was not going to be swimming on  my own - fab.

Checking the weather forecast the friday night before the swim, fingers and toes crossed as it loaded onto the computer......please let it be sunny. Shoulders sagging.....it was informing me that we were going to have heavy rain!!! Again!

Everything organised on Facebook, morph suit in the car and off we headed to Rydal, which greeted us overcast, the odd bit of drizzle but on the whole not too bad. Parking up it soon became clear that the majority of cars in the carpark belonged to swimmers.

It was really great to see so many people, with their families and with numerous dogs in tow to, i hoped they would all get in the water. Welcomes were exchanged, a few last minute stragglers turned up and then it was time to get dressed up. We must a looked a right sight to all those passing by in cars and out hiking!

It was great to see so many had turned up in costume too, what a brilliant start to an afternoons swimming. The faces of walkers as we made our way to the side of the lake were priceless with many just uttering a stunned 'good afternoon' before continuing on their stroll.

And for those that did not bring anything.....David Donaldson....they got to wear a mankini! And rather cute he looked walking along the road in it!

The walk to the lake does not take that long but its just as well we were not trying to sneek in the number of astonished people we passed. But soon enough the water loomed infront of us. Would it be as cold as it looked, the air temperature was not too bad, which was good as our swimmers had brought spectators, who's masses swelled as passers by stopped to witness the costume clad swimmers in front of them.

Some eager beavers getting in sans suits whilst the rest of us posed for pics!!! Chilly

Standing together for photos was great, our collective body heat helping to keep us warm. Photos taken it was time to get in the water, it did not look inviting at all!

Getting in was a cold affair with none of us rushing to submerge ourselve but pretty soon we were in, setting off in our respective groups we decided in which direction we would go. The nearest island was the first choice, oh how cold was that water...!!! We soon adjusted though and set off swimming, with those of us in costume stopping every so often to mutter!!! You see Sam Plum had on a tutu...which acted as a drag suit for her and my morph suit felt like i was dragging a wet nappy behind me.....a nappy which got heavier with each stroke! Eventually we got to the island, the waters clarity allowing us to carefully make our way onto it, after the harshness of the rocks beneath our feet, it was  lovely surprise to feel the softness of moss below.

While others were exploring the island several of us who were starting to feel chilly decided to swim to a rather prominant rock we could see displaying itself through the water, the rock when we reached it was rather slipperly when we got on it so we used it jagged edges to keep ourselves on, by this time my 'nappy'  had taken on sand bag proportions and the swim was starting to feel like a workout! But never the less we made it to the rock and waited for the others to join us, Debbie Taylor arriving immediately informed us that we were sat on 'bird shit island'....yes before you ask we did ask why before collectively saying yuk and sliding in the water!!!

It was decided that we would head to the furthest point in the lake, thankfully Martin Ord noticed my asthma kicking in at the same time i felt it making its presence known. For anyone who suffers from the condition you will understand that its not funny when it kicks in let alone in the middle of a cold lake being weighed down by a nappy. A dilemia, do i get out and walk back or keep to the side and swim back, for those that know me the first is not an option if i can help it, I also had Martin by my side to ensure that i was staying within my limits and mightly glad i was too. Panic can make asthma worse and it was a very grateful swimmer that had Martin next to her to keep her calm that day. Martin is a wonderfully fast swimmer so he must have been getting cold staying by my side as i could not get any speed up due to the 'nappy' but stayed he did. Eternally grateful to you Martin!

Heading back in the lake was calm, cold and like glass, it was wonderful to be in, swimmers heading back in could be heard as they exited stating how cold it was, only about 8 degrees, the levels of ice cream head ache they had had but mostly about how they had loved it.



Heading back to the cars to get changed we were all looking forward to the warm of the pub and some hot food! Now for some reason at all the swims i have organised there have been chinese or japanese tourists there waiting to talk to us or taking pictures of us, there had been a chorus of disappointment as we exited the water that this was not the same...however, entering the carpark what do we find a coach full of bemused tourists all clapping, smiling and taking pictures..what treat!

Waiting for food to arrive!

The swim was almost the last large group swim of the year, the cold air temperatures putting many off and making the wetsuits redundant for the rest of the year, for others like myself the best was yet to come, swimming on clear sunny ice cold days in minus temperatures surrounded by snow....year round swimming....now i wonder if i can start a new trend!!!! Happy swimming everyone!!!

Another historically written blog, sorry folks but you know what its like...the water calls and i have to get in it....oh and David Donaldson....you are sooooo lucky i can not find the video of you walking in that mankini!!!! xx

 

MASS PRIVATE SWIM - PAULINE SQUIRE

Written historically, hope you enjoy!

Having participated in open water swim races in Capenwray Dive centre, i have been desperate to organise a private swim there all year, but been told a variety of things, maybe, no, only if its a race! Now those of you who have raced in Capenwray you will be able to testify to gliding along the surface of the water, breathing hard, trying to beat a time or the person next to you.....you do not have time to take in the sights in the water below you. In between breathing you catch a glimpse of something that takes your head out of its usual swim position as you fight to maintain your pace but also try to continue to see that precious sight. There is a myriad of sights to be seen there, planes, deck chair complete with umbrella, large carnaval  horses (big enough to sit on) boats and even for the divers gnomes. Now this site boasts clean, clear water and it certainly is. Who could ask for more!! Clean changing rooms hot showers, a cafe with a balcony overlooking the swim area, and the added bonus that swimmers can get out of the water, go up to the cafe, get hot drinks lounge around then go for another swim....without having to get dressed in between...imagine that on a hot and sunny day!!

 

It turns out that a decision has been made to allow swimmers to use Capenwray any time it is open....oh that got the brain going.....could we still fit in a swim before the winter set in....of course we could.  Disappointed that the decision to open it up to swimmers only filtered down to me literally when we were nearing the end of October.....just think of the swims we could have organised there over the summer. After discussions with the owners they were very receptive to a social swim being organised....we were on! Fingers flying over the keyboard, a quick check of the diary and it was done, a mass private swim!!! The water temperature was hovering at a steady 14 to 16 degrees....please let it stay that way for this swim!!!!

Now for those of you that have not read it you need to stop reading this and read my blog on the LONE SWIMMER CASTING COUCH  as this is pretty much the follow on (and more from that). For those of you have have read it you will recall a certain young man was coming up to be trained in the art of open water swimming and acclimatisation by me, i had organised the Mass Private Swim and what an ideal place for him to start, clean clear water and extremely safe!!!!

He was due to arrive on the Friday night, so we sat at Durham train station waiting but also praying that the man dressed as the joker from the film the Black Knight would disappear before he got here!!! This fair haired 18 year old got off the train looking shattered and more than a little nervous, his name Tom Litten. Did he realise that we were just as nervous as him, lets hope it did not show, i really needed him to trust me, after all i was about to introduce him to the wonderful world of open water swimming.

One first thought, this young man arrived with a huge suitcase...good he had got the message about lots of warm clothes......the first thing i noticed...he wasn't wearing any socks....that would change within an hour i told him....we were dressed in full northern kit...multi layers the lot!!!

Tom it turns out has a good sense of humour and wasn't afraid to show it! After dropping him off at his hotel to dump is suitcase off he came back to the house for some food, bless him he looked shattered, he had come up from the south of England on a train, not the most pleasant methods of travel. Emerging from the hotel several layers of clothing heavier plus socks!!! We ate then departed to the local watering hole for light refreshments! Now being a southern lad and also an athlete in training i expected him to be a light weight in the drinking department after all those that do sport are known for their low tolerance, but even the local inn keeper suggested that he could serve 'mans' drinks as he places the lager top in front of Tom, thankfully he took it in good humour and a fab evening was had. Depositing Tom back at the hotel we returned home for the night.

The following morning i was up and ready to head towards Capenwray, i had organised the swim so as will all swims i like to be there early (tardiness a personal dislike of mine), kit secured in the car i awaited Dorothy Mills arrival, a woman who has truly become a firm friend, she was to travel with us. Dorothy secured  we picked up Tom and headed to Capenwray, the humour flowed the journey, Tom desperate to sleep had been warned by me that if he did he would go in the gallery of sleepers with the others....this young man was now determined to stay awake!

How nervous!!!!

Arriving at Capenwray, the car park was full, divers in various states of dress and undress!!! We paid the man on the gate and headed indoors to register at the venue. Cards in hand it was time to introduce Tom to his new swim venue. Capenwray is a wonderful place, clean clear water which holds its temperatures well, today it was 13 degrees, not the best of temperatures to start off with but good enough. Pretty soon the cafe was filling up with swimmers some of whom had travelled great distances to be there. It was brilliant to see swimmers of all ages including children getting kitted up ready to get in. It was great to see some new faces too, Rebecca Jarre, Sarah Robson and several others that normally contact is limited to facebook encounters. And as is normal, there are those that do not state that they are attending but turn up any way, its all good and we had in total about 30 people there to swim with many bringing friends and family to watch.

Tom quickly got changed into his full wetsuit, hood, boots and gloves, the air temperature was not too bad and the sun was attempting to show its face. Letting everyone else it in the water, a chorus of gasps followed by wow's as the clarity of the water reached the swimmers attention. Neoprene clad swimmers and some sans wetsuit went off in various directions to try to find the goodies awaiting them under the turquoise depths.

Tom gingerly entered the water, he's not a novice to open water as he is a keen surfer, so the fish around him were not a bother.

 Some look more eager to get in than others!

As the water crept into his suit the breathing quickly sped up, staying in the shallows until Tom had it under control, which he managed as if a seasoned pro, he was a faster learners and took in all that i was telling him. Once he was comfortable it was time to start swimming, a bullet out of a gun would have been slower than Tom shot off....holy cow how were we mere mortals meant to keep up with him.....and then it hit.....the icecream headache! And just like that he came to a grinding halt. Every open water swimmer knows the pain of an icecream headache and Tom had just learnt one valuable lesson on the differences of pool to open water. Alternating his stroke from crawl to breast stroke, we managed a lap round...one huge grin on Toms face, was he feeling cold....no i am fine apart from my face he responds.

Now for the film that Tom was starring in he needed to be out of his wetsuit.....trunks only!!! Getting out of the water still full of swimmers, the jetty area overcrowded with divers watching. I am sure that all that were watching him came out in a sympathy shiver as the wetsuit came off. Gloves and boots quickly back on and it was time to get back in the water.....now comes the hard part!!! Never have i seen such a look of pain on someones face as i did as he slowly entered the water, inch by inch the water went higher up his body.

Ok....i AM trying to sympathise!

 Holding them so does stop them disappearing!

The divers weren't slow in calling out words of encouragement that went along the lines of ....don't do it mate, fook that, you are nuts, grow a pair....Tom despite breathing rapidly managed a grin or maybe that was a grimace!

But in he got, breathing hard as he fought his bodies reaction to the cold. The time came to push off the bottom and swim, we would aim to get as far as we could, mindful of Tom's body not used to being in such temperatures was rapidly closing on him. But on he swam and even started to relax, his sense of humour quickly returning as he became more at ease with the water. Tom is a pool based swimmers, trying out for the olymics and also in training for the commonwealth, so is used to warmth! But as had become his nature he took the ribbing he was getting and added alot of his own to it, even permitting a pic or two under the water!

 

Before long it was time to get Tom out of the water, he was keen to remain in but it was clear that he was loosing logical thought and was starting to become unaware of his surroundings, ignoring his words of i am fine, i insisted that he got out, wrapping in foils and a towel, then it was a gathering of bags and shoving him into the shower. Now this is an experience i am not sure what to make of, if anyone had told me that in my life time i would be watching a male model (oh yes he does that too!) and top athletic swimmer in the shower i would never have beleived it but there i was doing just that, as soon as he warmed up enough i promise i vanished out of the changing room but watching a shivering male in the shower will stay in my memory...i did tell him that i wish i had brought a camera to prove it!!!

Pretty soon Tom emerged from the changing room, dressed i think in the entire contents of his suitcases! Still looking chilly, it was into the cafe for hot drinks and some food.  It was lovely to see so many rosy faces grinning from the exhileration of a cold swim. Although this blog has been written historically, i can with delight say that those that turned up have swam with us many times since and some have become great friends!

After much giggling and warming up fully it was time to head home, a meal and a few glasses of lemonade with Tom later that night showed that he can more than hold his own!

The next day brought new adventures for this budding open water swimmer, a trip to Ellerton lake near Catterick, Richmond! Now this lake was considerably colder at 9 degrees, but the lad was prepared to get in (saves me pushing him in!) and swim. This lake was darker water than the previous day, a much larger water area and the whole area more exposed to the elements, thankfully the rain held off. But it did not stop a chilly breeze. Arriving in the carpark the nerves kicked in again, its a healthy reminder of how i first felt knowing i was going to be getting in a cold lake. Surprisingly enough though he was in good form and although not jumping with joy was keen to get in and see what this swim would bring. Some of the regulars turned up to swim with him and support him which was good, David Donaldson option for sans wetsuit as well!

Now not one to let an opportunity pass out came the mankini.....it had to be done and don it he did!!! Pictures of which were posted on facebook to ensure all his mates could see! A reminder here should they have forgotten.

 

Again there were divers, these a little more sympathtic to the young man wincing as he entered the water, the cold quickly making him shiver even though he was not fully submerged. Adusting faster both physically and mentally ment swimming was easier this time round for him, and we were soon able to set off out into the middle of the lake. All this Tom took in his stride!

 The look on the divers faces say it all!

But in he got and swam he did, the centre of the lake having some seriously cold spots that can take away even the most acclimatised swimmers breath!

Eventually retreating from the water to enjoy the delights of cake and coffee, once warmed up Tom found the last picture highly approprate!! Has it helped him prepare for his role in the up and coming film, i hope so, i and a whole host of others are looking forward to seeing it, simply entitled 'Swimmer'!

I have had the pleasure and exhileration of watching Tom race and hope that some day he will come back and swim with us again!!! Never say never Tom!!