Lake Swimming

I have a few friends & acquaintances who go swimming in the lake all year round & much as I’m tempted by the idea of wild swimming, I’ve not fully engaged with it (yet).

After a morning pottering in the garden amidst the heat of the sun, the idea of a cool open water swim was just too tempting so we set off to the lake. My eldest predicted it might be busy & she was right- it was utterly heaving.

The first bay of the lake was lined with ‘day trippers’ who had arrived in their masses.

I refer to these people as ‘day trippers’ because there they were; cars parked upon the shore; inflatable dinghies with motors attached; fire pits & Heineken cans.

Local people don’t do this: It’s not okay & it doesn’t usually happen. Hasn’t humanity learned its lesson yet?

Apparently, not!

Naturally & with my hackles raised, I wanted to turn around & head home but I didn’t want to disappoint the girls so we carried on to the next bay; to a spot we have a fondness for- a mound of craggy rocks which have naturally formed some useful seating areas & which was luckily, unoccupied.

There, we spent a lovely couple of hours; the protruding rock formation became an imaginary house for my youngest & my eldest had a good swim & took lots of posey shots to share with her friends.

I managed to convince my eldest to “watch” her sister for a short while whilst I had a swim. It was beautifully refreshing & I could have swam much further but maternal duty had to prevail...

I’m sure we can do it all again soon- it is on our doorstep, after all!