Wild Swim Climping - May 2019

I last took to the water back at the end of October 2018, in the slightly chilly waters of Devon.  This year's first swim happened later than I've ever swum before; I'm usually in sometime in April or at least the beginning of May, but for some reason this year, I just didn't get my act together.

It was a warm day, with a bustling breeze, and as is often the case, although inland there were clear blue skies, down on the south coast, there was a slight haze, as if someone was gently blowing smoke across the sun.  As usual, the beach was busier just by the car park, but a ten minute walk along the path and we had an entire stretch to ourselves.  The tide was out at it's furthest point and was on the turn. the beach stretched out before me like a lunar landscape, ripples of white sand trailing like dancing ribbons between the groynes. I took off my shoes and picked my way across the pebbles, then onto the sand, heading for the nearest tidal pool.  Warm and soft.  Hard, compact sand.  Gently the waves picked at my toes, scaling my foot with each successive roll.  Breathe.  Ions.  Happiness.

I lay on the sand for a while, just watching the waves curling in on themselves, the breeze creating a lace-edged trim as each wave hit the sand.  No putting it off any longer and worried that the cold water would defeat me, I just catapulted myself into the water, running into the ankle-high waves, and nearly tripping over, hopping and stuttering over unseen rocks beneath the surface.  It wasn't quite the elegant entrance I'd been dreaming of!!!  Moving along the beach I found a rock free patch and once I was knee high, I just dunked myself in.  It was cold, but not that breath holding, ouch inducing cold that usually marks my first swim of the year.  I struck out for the horizon, turning after a few strokes to look back at the beach.  Empty apart from a dog walker.  Lying on my back, my feet to the sky, I watched the light bounce and careen off the breaking waves.  Above, a lone seagull called and soared, curious as to what was happening below.  I can lie floating quite happily for some time, but the tips of my fingers began to go numb, so I struck out for the shore.  I'm always sad to walk away from a swim, the antidote of course, is to plan the next one.  The endorphin high from a wild open water swim is addictive.  The only cure is more of the same.

Gadgets for Girls

It's something else when your children buy you a present because they're too embarrassed to see you using something not quite up to their technological expectations.  That's exactly what happened to me this Christmas.  My present this year was a new camera.  I've been using a Coolpix point and shoot for the last six years and it's served its time I guess.  My kids, in their wisdom, decided it was time I had something a little more up to the job, and bought me a FinePix S4500.  It's not an expensive camera, as camera's go, but provides good quality pictures with a fantastic zoom that delivers.  I'm no 'techie' and worried about getting to grips with the different functions, but I needn't have worried.  A lovely walk along the Wey Navigations gave me ample opportunity to test drive the menu, from scene selection, autofocus, playing with the zoom, to using the panorama setting. As I get more confident I'll have a go with the manual settings too...here's what I've got so far...

{using the zoom lens}

{auto-focus scene selection}

{close up underwater}

{panorama}

So guys, thanks for the presie ... looking forward to playing some more with my new toy!

Mermaids and Mermen

There are some things in folklore that I really wish were true and real; unicorns, talking lions, fairies and hobbits.  As a a child these creatures were my staple bedtime companions, and as I got older I became completely obsessed by Greek mythology, including the Sirens; their haunting voices luring sailors to their death and so began my love-affair with mermaids (although technically the Sirens are not mermaids);   I remember when I first read The Little Mermaid  by Hans Christian Anderson :

'Far out in the ocean the water is as blue as the petals of the loveliest cornflower, and as clear as the purest glass. But it is very deep too. It goes down deeper than any anchor rope will go, and many, many steeples would have to be stacked one on top of another to reach from the bottom to the surface of the sea. It is down there that the sea folk live.' 

My childhood delight and wonder about these 'seafolk' has never truly gone away. 

Over the years there have been a number of sightings of Mermaids - most notably in the Disney adaptation of The Little Mermaid, and of course Daryl Hannah in Splash.  In reality most mermaid sightings happen in areas of the country/world where there is a deep tradition of 'other-worldly' beings; Ireland, Cornwall and Scotland.  Cornwall, is a county deep in superstition, and boasts it's very own Mermaid of Zennor, who reputedly visits the local church and steals away locals.  It also lays claim to Mermaids Rock, Lamorna, upon which a beautiful mermaid is said to sit, combing her hair and luring the local fishermen to their deaths.

The realisation that Mermaids only ever existed in my books and my imagination, was more of a blow than finding out that Father Christmas was my Dad dressed up!  To this day, I'm still guilty of wistfully gazing out at sea, looking for the splash of a sea-green tail and the trail of long hair as the Mermaid makes her escape.

Gray Malin's Summertime

It's nearly dark by 8pm!  That means that summer is slowly fading out to make way for the crisper mornings and darker evenings of autumn, but I'm so not ready!  Not ready to say goodbye to lazy starts to the day; blue skies and warm evenings; definitely not ready for warmer clothes, forgoing the bikini and flipflops. Too sad.  So when I came across these wonderful photographs by Gray Malin (no relation of Christian!) I found another way to prolong my summer memories.  Aren't they fantastic?  I want them all.

Bondi, Australia

St Tropez, France

Secret Beach, St Tropez, France



St Tropez

Rio, Brazil

Tiki Beach

All Gray's photographs are shot from a doorless helicopter and snap beaches from all over the world.  He shoots from above as it allows the world to become art, the people and objects become patterns recreating pattern, shape and form.  His photographs are a visual celebration of colour, light and shape - not to mention summer bliss.  I'll take it!

Which one is your favourite? 

Weekend Snapshots



When I'm working, one of the things I dream about is time to just sit in a cafe and watch the world go by.  A coffee in hand and sunshine to bask in...heaven.  So, a month into my holiday, I managed just that, getting the weekend off to a great start!  I took myself off for a browse and coffee at Bellevue Road, Wandsworth Common.  Home to several great boutique style shops as well as Village Books, a fantastic friendly bookshop, The Hope pub, and the michelin starred restaurant Chez Bruce where I've had several wonderful meals.  Bellevue Road also has a host of little coffee shops to indulge in a spot of people-watching!

It would, of course, have been rude not to have eaten too!

Then, the weekend really got going as we took off for a weekend of sailing in the Solent.  Thanks go to the lovely Birdsong for looking beautiful in the water at all times; but mostly thanks to the competent crew and patient skipper, who more than made up for my incompetance!  The sun shone, the water glinted; there was wine and nibbles, discussion and laughter, sunsets and swimming and best of all, there was friendship; It doesn't get much better than that!

I hope you all had a wonderfully relaxing weekend and have nice things planned for this week too... x

Five things making me....happy

It's so easy to get drawn into the bigger and better scenario - more belongings, bigger houses, better labels, until the collecting becomes the point and the pleasure is lost because we're drowning under things and expectations.  Stand back.  Stop.  Look.  Here's what I found...

Five simple things, that don't cost money, aren't competative and really mean you live in the moment, just for the simple pleasure of it; because, the simple things are often the best.

Sea, Sun and Sand, Sussex Style

Whenever I return from a break/holiday, it's not long before I'm thinking about the next one. It doesn't necessarily have to be a long-distance holiday, or even a holiday that lasts a week; a few days or a night - it all counts in my book.  There is something totally charming about packing up an overnight bag and sneaking off for a day or so; somewhere by the sea, to breathe in the cool air, smell the salt and feel the sand underfoot.  Just pack your swimmers, a jumper, your beachbag and a book and off you go...

Sussex is a county that boasts both rolling hills (the Downs) and coastline with heritage  (Dover/Hastings/Rye/Dungeness) so there's something to appeal to everyone.  Plus, from London it's only about an hour-and-a-half's drive.  I always head for the sea - there's something about the roll of the waves and good old-fashioned English seaside smells that's so therapeutic.  Here's my pick of some lovely places to stay along the Sussex Coast.

The Gallivant Hotel is set in a beautiful location, directly opposite the long golden sands of Camber.  It's in the Top 30 Times best hotels for value, which in these careful times, is nothing to sneer at.  It has the feel of a beach house, bleached wood, beach-hut restaurant and nautically themed rooms.

The chef Trevor Hambley, serves local ingredients all sourced within a thirty-mile radius of the hotel, in a New England style bistro.  The ambiance is informal and glass doors lead out onto sunny terraces where you can relax and enjoy the view whilst eating locally caught fish.

You can work off the delicious food with long walks along the beach, or a visit to Historic Rye, where you can mooch through the cobbled streets, enjoy the boutiques or browse in the vintage sheds down by the harbour.

If a hotel just isn't your style, and you prefer to do-it-yourself, then check out this site.  Not only do they have houses in Sussex, but Uruguay too!  My favourite is this Hamptons Beach House in West Sussex.  The feel and look of the sophisticated Hamptons, but the charm and accessability of Sussex.  The house is only a few minutes walk from the sea and has it's own beach hut too.  It can accommodate up to 14 so perfect for big family get-togethers in a chic and stylish environment.  What's not to love?

Where do you go when you want a quick escape from the city? - somewhere to laze and dream; somewhere for laughter, champagne and fanciful thoughts...

*Image credits//1//2//3//4//5//6//7//

Moments from the Weekend

Scenes from the beach

Summer has finally arrived and I made the most of it this weekend...It's been a crazy, crazy few weeks so I needed some down-time badly.  I spent Saturday indulging my inner child by taking my Godaughter for lunch and joining her on the Victorian funfare ride as well as catching up with an old friend and having a long overdue chat. Sunday was a blissful day by the beach at the Witterings.  It's amazing how if you walk just ten minutes along the beach you can have the entire place to yourself.  I had a magic moment too, when I was floating in the sea, no one around but me and right in front of me a bird did a perfect dive into the blue waters emerging with a fish. 

The cutest mini-bar cocktails (Thank you Lisa!) and glasses of wine in the sunshine with my bestie (was going to say 'oldest' friend!!!), followed by kisses in the sky, love all round ...

Gorgeous clapboard house and garden in West Wittering (want, want, want!)  If you look closely behind the white picket fence, you can see not only a wall-mounted shower to get rid of the sand, BUT a big bath too..

What did you do to celebrate the sunshine this weekend?

Azure Waters

 Just because I love this image!  Don't you?  The play of light on the surface of the water; the shapes it makes; the invitation to dive into the blueness and become immersed; the questions it makes me ask..where is it?  what surrounds it? It totally transports me to somewhere else, somewhere with blue skies, laughter, and warmth..I hope on this blustery and wet day that it takes you there too.

Books by my bedside

Although I'm back home in London, I'm still on a nautical theme with today's post.  On my last day in Norfolk I visited a shop that had some wonderful inspiration for decorating with a nod to the sea and for creating that lifestyle look that goes with it.  I thought I'd share some of my favourites - they can all be ordered from Amazon if you're interested in seeing more.

For nautical inspiration

Casual Living - it doesn't get any more casual than when you're by the sea

Coastal Style

52 Weekends by the Sea - Rick Stein.  Who wouldn't be tempted?!

I love this book - some wonderful ideas

Seaside Interiors

So here I am by the sea and it seemed rude not to do a post on seaside interiors...Taschen do a wonderful book called

 that is full of inspiration from all over the globe.  I personally love the Scandinavian approach to seaside decor; it's simple but elegant; comfortable yet stylish.  The thing about it is that it's not just about the soft furnishings but more about buying into a lifestyle.  Seaside decor when it's done right, reminds you that you're here to relax, to unwind, to talk, lounge, swim, eat and live in the moment.  Here are some photos for your inspiration.

You can make one of these very easily by just threading shells onto rough brown string

I was given this bag - it's just the right size for a book, water and swimmers

Here in Norfolk there are numerous seaside interior shops to choose from, but these are some of my favourites - I hope you enjoy browsing - here, here and here