This past summer I went to Corfu to participate in the Albania to Corfu swim which is run by a local charity that supports four marine environmental initiatives: https://www.albaniaoverboard.com/swim-info On the day of the swim, sea conditions prevented the crossing which meant a rearranged swim from one bay in Corfu to another. Although it was…
Open Water Slogging
There never seems to be a shortage of inspirational swimmers. For me these include the ones who can be seen everyday in their local pools and who are dedicated to just showing up. Other inspiring swimmers include the people dedicated to ensuring that there are affordable and welcoming swimming facilities for all who want to…
It’s all happening at the London Royal Docks
I’ve been dipping a little toe back into open water swimming and recently visited the London Royal Docks. On a soggy ‘summer’s’ day more akin to November, I made my way via Canning Town tube and the Docklands Light Railway for a swim that I pre-booked on the Love The Open Water website which required…
An inspiring breakthrough at Yorkshire Swim Works
The ‘Chats, Stories and Memories’ pages feature a conversation with Caroline Kindy from Yorkshire Swim Works. At the time of our conversation, the group had poured blood, sweat and tears into a project to establish a naturally filtered outdoor swimming pool in Yorkshire which in Caroline’s words just didn’t quite make it across the finish…
The campaign for bodily autonomy and belonging in Grenoble France: resisting epistemic violence, media discourse and othering.
It has taken quite a long time, but I’m happy to say that the article written with Souad Boumechaal on the experience of a group of brave campaigners fighting for more inclusive swimwear regulations at municipal swimming pools in Grenoble, France has finally been published. I plan to update the research and literature pages of…
Swimming Inequality
I was struck by the photo of the goggles in the dirt held together with rubber bands and string. It suggests a determination to swim no matter what. The photo is from the Dollar Street website which is a collection of images from around the world largely of families and individuals with their material items…
Swimming for the masses!
Without wishing to overgeneralise, Eastern European countries seem to place a great deal of attention on health and sports facilities. On a recent visit to Prague, I explored potential swimming sites and was impressed by the number of possibilities even for a relatively cold March. I settled on one (ČEZ – Plavecký stadion Podolí) aka…
Chats with Extraordinary Swimmers: Chris Romer-Lee (Sea Pools, Future Lidos Group and Studio Octopi)
I had the good fortune to speak with Chris Romer-Lee author of Sea Pools who is the first 2024 guest in the chats with extraordinary swimmers’ series. This is available on the ‘Chat, Stories and Memories’ page. Quoting his bio in Sea Pools: ‘Chris is co-founder of architects Studio Octopi where he leads on all…
Chats with Extraordinary Swimmers: Joe Stanhope Jubilee Park
The third ‘Chat with Extraordinary Swimmers’ is now available on the ‘Chats, Stories and Memories’ page. This features Joe Stanhope from Jubilee Park in Lincolnshire who is incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of UK swimming environments. I was particularly interested in hearing about the ‘Donate a Swim’ campaign which Joe has been instrumental in initiating….
Chats with Extraordinary Swimmers: Caroline Kindy – Yorkshire Swim Works & Future Lidos
The second ‘Chat with Extraordinary Swimmers’ is available on the ‘Chats, Stories and Memories’ page. This features Caroline Kindy (Yorkshire Swim Works and Future Lidos) whose tireless dedication and vision for accessible outdoor swimming is truly inspiring. Support for these organisations is highly recommended. Credit to Planit for the image above: https://planit-ie.com/
An Anthropology of Swimming 