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Baby steps... |
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adrianl (14:14 4/5/2020)
arawnsley (16:47 4/5/2020)
Phlamethrower (14:47 6/5/2020)
ad (12:36 7/5/2020)
adrianl (13:40 7/5/2020)
adrianl (06:38 14/5/2020)
CJE (13:04 14/5/2020)
adrianl (21:05 14/5/2020)
adrianl (08:43 15/5/2020)
CJE (19:39 16/5/2020)
adrianl (00:15 17/5/2020)
adrianl (01:51 3/6/2020)
CJE (11:32 3/6/2020)
adrianl (22:29 3/6/2020)
adrianl (21:20 21/6/2020)
adrianl (03:42 20/5/2020)
davidb (19:49 21/5/2020)
adrianl (16:49 22/5/2020)
adrianl (02:41 25/5/2020)
davidb (08:48 25/5/2020)
adrianl (13:01 27/5/2020)
adrianl (01:31 3/6/2020)
adrianl (09:39 6/6/2020)
adrianl (22:52 10/6/2020)
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124818, posted by adrianl at 14:14, 4/5/2020 |
Member
Posts: 1637
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Somewhere to record the gradual, positive steps towards our new world...
- local chippy has reopened for a few hours each day, offering a click-and-collect takeaway-only service
- local supermarket has reopened its deli counter for hot food
... |
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Andrew Rawnsley |
Message #124819, posted by arawnsley at 16:47, 4/5/2020, in reply to message #124818 |
R-Comp chap
Posts: 600
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And if that's the chippy I'm thinking of, it was/is pretty tasty!  |
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Jeffrey Lee |
Message #124820, posted by Phlamethrower at 14:47, 6/5/2020, in reply to message #124819 |
 Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot stuff
Posts: 15100
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- My local Asda has reversed the direction of the one-way arrows on their floor, so now I can take my usual path around the shop instead of going down half the isles in the opposite direction to normal |
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Andrew Duffell |
Message #124821, posted by ad at 12:36, 7/5/2020, in reply to message #124820 |
Posts: 3262
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- My local Asda has reversed the direction of the one-way arrows on their floor, so now I can take my usual path around the shop instead of going down half the isles in the opposite direction to normal I avoid Asda and Tesco due to their one-way systems. I went to Tesco, and had to walk up and down 17 aisles to be allowed to go to the checkout, even though the single item I needed was in aisle 2!
Morrisons and Sainsbury's here don't have one way systems. People just use common sense. |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124822, posted by adrianl at 13:40, 7/5/2020, in reply to message #124820 |
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My local Asda has reversed the direction of the one-way arrows on their floor I know this is supposed to be a thread for positive steps, but it does amuse me that the Tesco on Newmarket Road, Cambridge has an aisle with opposing one-way arrays at each end...I imagine a pile-up of confused customers at its mid-point.
Almost as much fun as seeing a socially-distanced line of people ascending an escalator as the queue comes to a standstill at the top!  |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124831, posted by adrianl at 06:38, 14/5/2020, in reply to message #124822 |
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Travel to exercise. That's an huge step for me personally, I can swim. It was unnecessary to prohibit outdoor swimming, it's 11 degrees at this time; never a crowd-puller, but I love it |
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Chris Evans |
Message #124833, posted by CJE at 13:04, 14/5/2020, in reply to message #124831 |
CJE Micros chap
Posts: 228
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A braver man than me!
With or without a wetsuit? |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124834, posted by adrianl at 21:05, 14/5/2020, in reply to message #124833 |
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A braver man than me!
With or without a wetsuit? I don't own a wetsuit. Those who do are given to asking "What are you made of?" when I jump straight in at the Lido this time of year. I love it  It gives a wonderful burning sensation all over your body, but swimming for 90 minutes is about my limit before symptoms of hypothermia start to appear upon leaving the water  |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124835, posted by adrianl at 08:43, 15/5/2020, in reply to message #124833 |
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This is my lovely lido https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R4fFJC_Mzg |
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Chris Evans |
Message #124838, posted by CJE at 19:39, 16/5/2020, in reply to message #124835 |
CJE Micros chap
Posts: 228
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Wow a 100m pool! Swimming that would be shock to my system, I thought the 33 1/3m pool I used to swim in was long before they knocked it down and replaced it with a 25m one that I normally swim in. |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124840, posted by adrianl at 00:15, 17/5/2020, in reply to message #124838 |
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Wow a 100m pool! Swimming that would be shock to my system, I thought the 33 1/3m pool I used to swim in was long before they knocked it down and replaced it with a 25m one that I normally swim in. Yes, it's not the largest in the country but is certainly unusual. It is deepest in the middle because it was originally conceived as two gender-segregated pools.
Something I noticed when first swimming there, is just how deceptive is the perceived length of the pool when viewed from just above the level of the water. I found it very hard when viewing from one end of the pool to accept that the pool entrance was anywhere close to the midpoint of the pool; we're just not accustomed to seeing perspective distortion from 'ground level.'
My local pool, and the one I use most often, is by contrast just ~16m long and therefore very much better for tumble-turn practice, albeit far too warm for my liking.
[Edited by adrianl at 01:17, 17/5/2020] |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124844, posted by adrianl at 03:42, 20/5/2020, in reply to message #124833 |
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Posts: 1637
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A braver man than me!
With or without a wetsuit? Turns out the water is already really warm, presumably a consequence of all the hot weather we've had lately. I'd prefer it a lot colder, because it changes my physiology in some way and also it's more difficult to swim hard in warm water because we need to dissipate heat away from our muscles.
Anyway, if you have the option and you miss it, I reckon it's worth giving it a go, before the summer splashers/sun worshippers pile in with the swimmers |
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David Boddie |
Message #124850, posted by davidb at 19:49, 21/5/2020, in reply to message #124844 |
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Just be careful where you go swimming. Deep, cold water can be dangerous. |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124852, posted by adrianl at 16:49, 22/5/2020, in reply to message #124850 |
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Just be careful where you go swimming. Deep, cold water can be dangerous. Fair point, though surely all such abandoned mines/quarries are actually on private land, so there are other reasons that nobody should be in them; just as, though it's legal to swim in our rivers, it is not legal to trespass on private land for access to them.
There are a couple of good sites here where wild swimmers have posted locations that are good in terms of currents/access:
https://www.wildswimming.co.uk/
https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/
That ice swimming image on the latter site (OSS) does funny things to me; it looks so enticing
I know from experience at the lido that I'm good for 90 minutes at 13 degrees (ie. spring/late Autumn), but I suspect that my cold response is unusual. Anyone who is affected by the water being too deep should please become a more confident/experienced swimmer in safer environments first.
[Edited by adrianl at 22:17, 23/5/2020] |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124854, posted by adrianl at 02:41, 25/5/2020, in reply to message #124850 |
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Posts: 1637
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Did you notice that the only reference to England on that page is an image of a closed-off, inaccessible place with a warning sign?
I'm reminded of Roger Deakin's remark that every generation has had its way of scaring people off swimming in the rivers, and now it's Weil's Disease.
We - humans - fear the unknown, but in fearing we make nemeses of that which we have no business fearing, for too often they are fantasies. |
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David Boddie |
Message #124855, posted by davidb at 08:48, 25/5/2020, in reply to message #124854 |
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Posts: 147
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Did you notice that the only reference to England on that page is an image of a closed-off, inaccessible place with a warning sign? Some people don't read the signs, though I don't think that's a problem specific to England.
Anyway, I'm sure you weren't suggesting people swim in quarries. I thought it was worth mentioning given that the effects of swimming in cold water were being discussed. For those who are less acclimatised to it, this page lists the symptoms you can experience. |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124859, posted by adrianl at 13:01, 27/5/2020, in reply to message #124855 |
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Anyway, I'm sure you weren't suggesting people swim in quarries. I thought it was worth mentioning given that the effects of swimming in cold water were being discussed... No, I wasn't, although perversely you've made it more appealing to me; colder than lakes, rivers and seas I am careful, of course, but I have never experienced that 'cold shock/involuntary gasp' response. I have heard of it but I guess my threshold is different, surely still there though. Long before I encountered an explanation for it, I discovered that walking in the cold was beneficial. |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124862, posted by adrianl at 01:31, 3/6/2020, in reply to message #124859 |
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No, I wasn't, although perversely you've made it more appealing to me; colder than lakes, rivers and seas Some of the best places for open water swimming around here (Cambridgeshire) are in fact former quarries, but I'm guessing shallow open-cast and they've become managed watersport sites on private land, so fair enough. Most are, of course, alas still closed.
Now that work on my nearest access point has been allowed to complete, I've upgraded my river swimming to the River Great Ouse now which is deeper so no reeds/riverbed to accommodate - essential for swimming front crawl hard or swimming backstroke at all! - and apparently there is even a friendly seal at one site further upriver
Yay! The water is, however, far too warm at the moment... |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124863, posted by adrianl at 01:51, 3/6/2020, in reply to message #124838 |
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Wow a 100m pool! Swimming that would be shock to my system, I thought the 33 1/3m pool I used to swim in was long before they knocked it down and replaced it with a 25m one that I normally swim in. Drool! - a 400m outdoor 'pool' under development not very far from me.
[Edited by adrianl at 02:53, 3/6/2020] |
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Chris Evans |
Message #124864, posted by CJE at 11:32, 3/6/2020, in reply to message #124863 |
CJE Micros chap
Posts: 228
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Sounds very nice though the 2020 satellite image of their location CB22 5DY shows a field! |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124865, posted by adrianl at 22:29, 3/6/2020, in reply to message #124864 |
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Sounds very nice though the 2020 satellite image of their location CB22 5DY shows a field! Yes, go figure The site is presumably the reservoir about 1.5km S/SW of there with a small island in the middle. People have been accessing its beaches, walking etc. I've seen photos/reports by people on my swimming group and there is - oddly - a Facebook group being run in its name. The land is privately-owned but they are allowing people to use it. Apparently there are 'No swimming' signs.
Somewhat concerning that the site says (C) 2023, but perhaps that means up to 3 years of hassle- and expense-free swimming? |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124873, posted by adrianl at 09:39, 6/6/2020, in reply to message #124833 |
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A braver man than me!
With or without a wetsuit? This is the proper temperature for swimming!
[Edited by adrianl at 10:43, 6/6/2020] |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124876, posted by adrianl at 22:52, 10/6/2020, in reply to message #124873 |
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I have about a 45-minute cut-off with these colder temperatures and the rain lately That's in the Little Ouse which is shallow and flows quite quickly - to cover just a couple of hundred metres upstream can take me as much as 15-20 minutes, a bit like a swimmer's treadmill! - so it's a lot colder than my lido or the Great Ouse.
What are other people appreciating being permitted to do once again? |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #124889, posted by adrianl at 21:20, 21/6/2020, in reply to message #124864 |
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Sounds very nice though the 2020 satellite image of their location CB22 5DY shows a field! Well, my current favourite pool is now about 2km longer, and I can't sensibly go farther upstream but downstream is stall navigable. It's warm enough to swim for 90 mins without any adverse effects, and I have the company of these guys. |
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