I have always loved the sea and the seaside. I grew up in London and, more often than not, when we were young, a day trip to the beach meant going south to Winchelsea, near Rye in Sussex. The last few miles were magical, going down winding roads between fields of sheep.
When you arrived, you couldn’t see the sea; you had to climb up steps. Invariably, the tide was out and you had to walk for miles to get to the sea.
You could see Dungeness nuclear power station in the distance. Probably not the best place to go swimming. Later on, we went to Botany Bay near Broadstairs, Kent to see family.
Summer holidays invariably meant going to France and ending up on the beach in southern Brittany or the Cote d’Azur.
I started swimming in Tooting Bec Lido, which was the best that London had to offer, but the sea eventually called me and I had to move near to it.
I have lived by the sea for the last 15 years and am a regular sea swimmer.
There’s always something interesting or unusual going on at the beach. People seem more friendly and relaxed and willing to chat.
Despite Torbay being blessed with a number of Blue Flag beaches, I am finding more and more that my choice of places to swim, is severely limited by The Surfers Against Sewage App telling me that it is unsafe to swim at them every time it rains. The same thing is happening all around the coast of the UK. It’s time to re-nationalise the water companies who have put profit over people for too long.
I have been told twice this year; first in May, then in October by people on two different beaches that I have been followed by a seal. It gives me a nice feeling to know this, once I’m safe back on dry land…