Christmas Day Swim 2012

It should come of no surprise to Stroud Master’s members that Richard Searle took part in his now customary non-wetsuit dip at Cheltenham Lido on Christmas Day - along with 249 other fools, all of who were watched by 300 sensibly dressed spectators.

This year, due to the large number of people attending the swim, the usual start time of 11am was delayed by 30 minutes. Fortunately the rain (who could forget it in 2012!) stayed away long enough to make the spectacle - and pre / post changing - that much more pleasant.

Richard was first back across the two width swim (now something of a habit), although this year - as he endeavoured to make his way back across the 27m pool - he was confronted by a wall, several bodies deep, of raised heads and flailing arms of his fellow ‘swimmers’ - most of who opted to swim the single width option.

Richard then joined several fellow open water swimmers and swam a number of lengths of the 50m pool … just for fun of course!

The water temperature this year was a tropical 7oC.

Richard’s next outdoor swims are to see in 2013 on New Year’s Day at Lake 32, Cirencester and then on the 6th January at Cheltenham Lido’s inaugural ‘Brass Monkey’ long distance cold water swims’, which are to be swum over 500m (£15 entry fee) and 1000m (£20 entry fee) .. and which should help raise enough funds to offset the £1000 in pool chemicals it costs to put on the Christmas Day swim each year.

http://www.sandfordparkslido.org.uk/e21-brass-monkey-swim.html

Richard Searle