THE NORTH SEA IS STILL BROWN!

Lizzie and I went to Aldeburgh on the weekend. Great day to pick as it was festival day and there was not a single parking space closer than the Martello Tower end of the beach.

No matter, I jumped in and had a really good swim. I read last night that people in my home town of Auckland had a mid winter swim in the harbour and the water was a "numbing" 16C. Well I have news for you kids. The MID SUMMER temperature in the North Sea yesterday was 16C. Toughen up.

No Jellyfish at all, hurrah!

Swam today with William Owens in the river. He is 12 wants to swim the channel when he is 16. This was his first swim in open water and he did really well. One more of us, one less of them.

I am organising a record breaking swim in August. Still secret squirrel so details to follow.

Led Zep month continues on Planet Rock. It's like a stairway to heaven.

WELCOMED WELSH SUN

I am now home safe and sound from my week in West Wales with 36 children.
We had fantastic weather and we are all now a different colour from when we left Maidwell. Of course I have gone Kiwi brown whilst most of the children are now Pommy pink!

I managed to get 2 really long swims in at Whitesands beach, good to get back in the sea water. The water was 14C so getting more pleasant. My swim team was at Dover this weekend so I am pleased that they got better conditions than last month.

I am in the process of organising a unique, challenging swim for August but it needs to be secret squirrel at the moment as I don't want anyone else to don't before me. Details to follow!

One month now to the Channel. Feeling good and looking for a good crossing.
DIABETES raffle tickets still available!

Led Zep month in Planet Rock. Doesn't get better than that. Well perhaps Lynyrd Skynyrd.

OH WHEN THE SAINTS

Go marching in, oh when the Saints go marching in.......................... Championies, championies........
What a day at Twickenham, what a result. If you are going to win a Grand Final in front of 85,000 wait until the very last second, EASY! I have never heard a crowd as loud as the noise that went up when the ref signalled T R Y time.
Swimming this week has been indoors as the rain in Spain moved here permanently for the week. The river was MENTAL, totally unswimmable after 4 days of continuous rain. I had 5 big swims in the pool but not quite what I planned for half term.
With the countdown to the Channel in July I had planned 10 hours of cold water so I will need to get up to the river plenty of times in the coming weeks.
Don't forget my DIABETES raffle tickets, they are going fast. Contact me if you would like to buy one and have a chance to win a case of Champagne.
G'luck to the guys and gals doing CE this week.
Remember, meat should be thick, music should be loud.

ON PORPOISE!

Great name for my DIABETES UK Channel Relay team swim on the week beginning 11 July.

We have a team of 5 for this daunting challenge but every swimmer is up for it and with Mike Oram as pilot I expect to get across the Channel in a pretty good time.
We have an international team, 2 swimmers from the Netherlands, 1 from Ireland with only 1 other British based swimmer so it will be hard to get together too much before the actual swim.

I am selling raffle tickets to raise money for DIABETES UK. There are 145 tickets at £10 each. The prize is a case of Champagne. Please let me know if you would like some! Tickets that is, I am not sending out free Champagne.

Half term this week, plenty of cold water in the river and over in the North Sea.

As Frank said, Who'd thought that rock and roll would save us all.

DIABETES UK WEEKEND

I am now back home safely after a fantastic training weekend in Dover in preparation for the DIABETES UK Channel relay in July.

After the river, the water was surprisingly warmer, although the conditions were pretty windy, choppy and downright yucky. ( spelling gizmo on the I pad comes up with interesting variations for yucky) We had 3 good swims although I have 3 lovely fingernail gouges on my chest after a midwater meeting!

Met some great people. Kia Ora to Lottie, Sally, Ian and Crispin. Thanks for your great company and loads'a laughs. I hope to see you in June.

I have some new fundraising ideas, so you, yes you, I'm coming for your money!

Don' forget to keep rocking the Kasbah.

Brown, Cold and Lovely

I am back into full swing in the mighty Nene.

Every week the water gets a little cleaner, yesterday I could actually see my hand in the water. The river was about 8C and I did a good hour. The first 5 minutes are like being stabbed by knives, then your face goes numb like you have had 10 injections at the dentist. Then, magically I settle in the water and don't notice the cold at all. This fat is not just for decoration!

Gave the Wadenhoe ladies a thrill yesterday as they emerged into the car park after aerobics. The sight of Koro about to enter the water will live with them forever. Lucky girls.

The best part about the Wadenhoe swims is the bacon roll and pot of green tea after at the Old Barn in the village. Classy. Highly recommend it.

Lots of school this weekend, no Bank holiday for us.

If you rock, don't forget to roll.

TAKE ME TO THE RIVER

After 3 weeks training in the United States I am now back in the embracing hold of the mighty Nene. This week it has hit 8C and still a bit murky from the rain.

Back to school this week so back to squeezing in swims between field work, cricket, school and sleeping. In 2 weeks I am off to Dover to meet the Diabetes team in preparation for our 10 July Channel swim. Really looking forward to it and I'm feeling fit as!

Hoped you enjoyed the Channel photos, there is supposed to be a DVD on the way if I can figure out how to get it on this blog.

Right into Blackberry Smoke at the moment. check it out. It is a band, not an illicit substance!