Day 126 - 8th November 2010

Lovely weather to start the week off today. Anyone looking out of their window this morning would not have been surprised to see lashing rain hitting their windows and violent wind throwing leaves and rubbish all around; the clue was in the screaming wind that started at about midnight and was still screaming at 6am. Did that stop me from going for a nice dip in the sea? Did it Eck!

Driving down to the seafront at about 6.45am I did wonder on the sanity of it all and I really didn’t expect many people to be at the Arches. On parking up by the pier who did I see cycling past, almost flying up into the wind? Nope not the wicked witch of the west, although I am sure she was up there somewhere looking out for flying houses, nope, I saw my good friend and fellow crazy, Bob. There was me driving in thinking it was mad, yet he was on his bike! Gotta love that English 'can do' attitude.

Getting into the Arches, already soaked from the rain, we saw three set of clothes for swimmers already in and then we were joined by about another seven. It seems that mad days really do bring out the madness in sea swimmers. By the time we were at the sea itself we were freeing cold from the 6 degree air temperature, crazy wind and lashing rain; upon diving in and through the waves it was fantastic to warm up – the sea must have been a good 13 degrees today; way warmer in the water than on the beach. The sea itself was somewhat odd in so much that despite the conditions around us the waves were not mentally high, although they were extremely constant, and the tide seemed to be having a rest, no real pull left or right. So it was a simply case of swimming in, up and through wave after wave. Simply good fun and good exercise.

Coming out of the sea was cold though because as soon as you came out you were back in the normal world of cold air and rain; but blooming good whilst it lasted. Getting back to the Arches it took me a good minute to just turn the key to open the door as my fingers were so cold; but a warm shower soon sorted that out. Really hoping for another day like this; perhaps without the rain though!

Onto the Starr Trust www.starrtrust.com now; we have sold nearly 250 tickets for the barn dance! Amazing. The venue only holds 300 and that is without the entertainment we have going in; so 250 will completely fill the place up. A fantastic way to get the Trust message out there and get more people following Swim4Smiles and all the good work we are doing.

On the home front; yesterday Sharon and I took down the two cots and built the Twins a bed each. Now all my babies are in proper beds; I guess that means that they are not babies anymore! Where did that time go!!!!!