Windermere in winter!!!

Windermere in winter!!!

After a nice spell of mild weather the true British weather returned, nice hard frosts, some snow on the hill tops and best of all clear blue sky and sunshine, so after a morning of house chores (major yawn!!!) we decided to head over to the Lake District ....for a coffee.

Now when it was suggested that we go...a cunning plan started to form in my head...could i wangle a swim....oh yes i could...a flutter of the baby browns and swim kit hastily packed and off we headed. Chucking a quick status update on facebook...like you do to notify the world of my potential intentions it was suggested by Keith Bartolo and Louise Barber..that i get in contact with the Gladiator aka Thomas Noblett or Andrew Tighe, the gods of open water swimming in windermere, not to mention a huge variety of other places....now how do i persuade the other half that we should go to Windermere instead of or as well of Skellwith bridge the intended destination. Using my feminine ways....OK i just came straight out and said, the wetsuit is in the car, i intend to swim, can we go to Windermere....oh and we need to find the Langdale Chase Hotel as that's where i am hoping to meet up with someone to swim with...thankfully the good man never even hesitated and even suggested that if there was anywhere else that i wanted to swim along the way i should let him know and we would find a place to park so i could do so!!!!

I would clearly be returning the favour at some point but i wonder what he would be after!!!! Still, i was on a mission...arriving at the hotel, which by the way is stunning, parking i wander....ok practically run into the hotel to find Messrs Noblett and Tighe....to be halted by a large sign outside the door saying private function, hotel closed.....Noooooooooo!!! The other half suggested we go and find somewhere else....as if i was going to listen to that!!!! Pushing open the door I was greeted by a lovely woman on the reception who seemed totally unfazed by my request to speak with either of the messers. It turned out that Messer Noblett was out....(ahhhhhh) but Messer Tighe was in...yipppeee ...but he was dealing with a large wedding function!!!! And then as if by magic Andrew appears looking rather dapper in his clothing and appearing unfazed by my request to swim or the fact that i would like to swim with him. He couldn't he explained due to the function but without drawing breath stated that i could use the jetty to swim from if i liked......if i liked, inside i was singing like a rock group!!!! Me and the lake were about to be reunited...oh what heaven!!!!

While the Geoff faffed on with moving the car i went to inspect the water...just the mere sight of it made up my mind for me...i was getting in!!! Returning to get my stuff, Geoff, telling me i was nuts, was i really going to get in....ok yes i was on both counts, it was too inviting not to! Don't go out too far he said.....i think he was worried that either the cold would get to me...or i might head out for the other side!!!! So being sensible i decided i would swim in circles so his heart did not explode!

But nothing short of a sharks fin luming out of the water was going to stop me getting in so after getting changed i handed the phone over so he could record the moment for me!!! Getting changed was wonderful, had it been the height of summer i might have been tempted with a skinny dip.....there was not a sole around but instead it being winter i got the normal apparel on, and did as requested posed for the pics...i am sure he was just recording the fact that when he last saw me yes i was alive...just in case anything happened!!!

Heading into the water i am sure i uttered words along the lines of ...gosh that's abit chilly on the toes!!!!

Warming up the wetsuit in the normal way, Geoff requesting.....with a slightly pleading note in his voice that i don't go out too far...why i sighed...well what if the cold gets to you....highly possible it was showing 1.5  degrees on my watch, then he said that he was actually worried that i would just bugger off and swim to the other side....ahhhhh another plan forming in my head!!! But then being sensible i knew that at those temperatures i would need someone near me in a boat to enable me to do that....but don't rule it out that i find a way of doing it....so i agreed that i would go round in circles. In my head i already knew that once in he would not be able to get me out until i was ready to get out!!!!

So heading of in line with the shore...to keep him happy... i went a few metres before turning a sharp left...oops i suddenly could not hear him!!!

'

Even when i was starting to shiver i did not want to get out so heading further in til i could touch the shore i staying enjoying the moment...Geoff long having been told to shhhh so he did not interrupt the moment which had long since surpassed sublime, i laid back and enjoyed the sun on my face...

Geoff clearly getting the message that even with my backside almost touching the bottom i was not going to get out til i was well and truly ready, he resorted to taking pics of himself

Do note the woolly hat and multipe layers he had on!!!!

Did i feel guilty for taking such a pleasure, not it was a privilege to have swam today in such a tranquil and stunning location! Getting dressed on the jetty in the sunshine only served to make me want to warm up and get back in but i had to play fair so after a warming from the sun again we headed off, a quick run into the hotel to say thank you to the lady on reception for their welcome and off we headed in the car....the heater on full blast for me!!! Skelwith bridge here we come....given that i had swam and Geoff hadn't...i had cake and refused to share....! You can tell by the grin that my day was amazing!!!





Did i rub it in.....come on of course i did!!!! The journey home was equally wonderful, we took the scenic route up the 'struggle' as it is well known....put your car in third gear at your peril...its that steep but wow the scenery mind blowing on both sides...with lakes calling out and inviting you back in so equally calm and willing you to get in!!! Even with the sunning slowing lowering itself for another day turning the sky from orange to aqua blue in the rear view mirror, the stars starting to appear, we were even treated to the milky way hovering over us on the way home.

Oh and Geoff's treat, the favour to be returned...a trip to one of his favourite pubs for beer in front of  a roaring log fire safe in the knowledge that he could sleep the rest of the journey home!!!

Til next time....i will be contacting the hotel to see if they will let me organise a social swim there so you can all enjoy the magic, Thomas raises money to help children learn to swim.....so i am sure that one and all will happily contribute as payment for letting us swim in his little area of paradise....!!! Hope to see you all there too,....bring your cameras, you really do not want to miss out on such a special place. Have i had a good day, well sat here finishing it off with a glass of read and old faithful drying in front of the fire until my next adventure......in one word.....YES!!!