The joy of swimming (in the wild and indoors)
Eva Watkins: Synchronised Swimmers, Sat (Copyright © Eva Watkins, 2021)
Growing up by the coast, I’ve always loved a splash-around in the sea. Now a city-dweller, the repetitive, meditative nature of lane swimming was one of the things I really missed last year, during lockdown. No surprise, then, that open water swimming soared in popularity, particularly among women over-50. For months confined to our postcodes with indoor pools closed, many of us rediscovered the pleasure of wild swimming. One of my friends Maggie Alderson, already a sea swimmer, joined a Facebook group that went from six to 60 members during the pandemic. The Women Without Wetsuits (WOWs) enjoyed the social side of meeting up (at a safe distance) everyday, together with the health benefits of swimming and the calm that comes from being immersed in water, surrounded by nature. ‘By 9.30 in the morning I’ve done something epic,’ says Maggie, ‘It’s such a great way to start the day.’
There aren’t many opportunities for wild swimming where I live in London; as I discovered to my dismay during lockdown. And those that do exist across the capital became incredibly popular. Recent figures collected by Sport England, suggest half a million people in England are engaging regularly in wild swimming – nearly twice as many as reported three years ago. According to The Guardian, at one point demand was so high that the Outdoor Swimming Society was forced to take down its map of wild swimming spots in an attempt to prevent overcrowding.
Eva Watkins: Synchronised Swimmers (Copyright © Eva Watkins, 2021)
Wild swimming is good for both mind and body. The low-impact exercise releases the hormone ocytocin and chemical endorphins, both of which boost positivity. My friend Maggie lives in Hastings and is evangelical about the power of a sea swim. The first thing she does every morning is reach for her phone and check WhatsApp to see if any of the WOWs are swimming. Then she’ll look at the tide and the wind direction to figure out which beach to go to. As well as being a great form of exercise, swimming outdoors provides the opportunity to take time out, to appreciate nature – and can offer a much-needed reprieve, ‘Sometimes on my walk to the beach, work will click into place,’ adds Maggie, ‘And, this is my theory…I believe beaches are important because you experience all four elements at once. Your feet are grounded on the earth, standing on the sand or the pebbles. There’s the water element, obviously. The fresh air on your skin. And the fire element is the sun. All of this is, and the social side – making new friends – is really good for you.’
(Copyright © Eva Watkins, 2021)
Photographer Eva Watkins has captured the joy of outdoor swimming in her new photo series Synchronised Swimming. Taken at Henleaze Swimming Lake in Bristol, a popular members-only bathing pool, celebrating its 100th Birthday. The club has its own group of synchronised swimmers, aged between 11 and 76 who have bonded over a shared love of the water. ‘Being in the synchro team is deeply nourishing and life-affirming,’ swimmer Becky Thoburn tells It’s Nice That, ‘I value, and can giggle with, new friends. Am super fit and co-ordinated… I’m very happy!”
Marshall Street leisure centre – Soo Burnell (Copyright © Soo Burnell, 2021)
Someone who values the importance of swimming pools and their significance for the local community, perhaps more than most, is Edinburgh-based photographer Soo Burnell. Her photography series Poolside celebrates the beauty of these much-loved historic swimming pools and lidos (including Marshall Street, above, where I used to swim when I first moved to London). She started the project with pictures of Glenogle, the pool in Edinburgh where she learned to swim as a child. ‘When I was back in the space I couldn’t believe how beautiful the building was,’ Burnell says, ‘I fell in love with the architecture, which reminded me of the other beautiful pools we are so lucky to still have.’ Her images are at once glamorous and nostalgic-yet-modern looking – a bit like the stage set of a Wes Anderson film. And they’ve really struck a chord, ‘I get probably around 15 messages a day from people sending me photographs of pools from all over the world,’ says Soo, ‘I love that people want to share them with me.’
Tarlair pool – Soo Burnell (Copyright © Soo Burnell, 2021)
She, too has seen a surge in popularity in wild and sea swimming in Scotland, recently, ‘When you might have previously seen a couple of very brave swimmers, now you see whole crowds of people heading out into the water.’ When the pools were closed, Soo also headed to the beach at Tyninghame in East Lothian, ‘It was nice to take the components of the architectural pool shots – with the clean lines, pastel tones, the orderliness of the horizon, and the symmetry of the models – and use that for some images on the coast.’
After swimming Tyninghame – Soo Burnell (Copyright © Soo Burnell, 2021)
Her next stop is Berlin, ‘There’s a couple of pools I really want to shoot there and also a beautiful pool in Stockholm.’ And of course, she’ll be stopping off in Paris, where she is hosting her next exhibition at Christmas. Perhaps, Soo will venture outside the local piscines to find new inspiration amongst the city’s renegade ‘Canal Club swimmers‘.
Portobello swim – Soo Burnell (Copyright © Soo Burnell, 2021)
At a time when swimming pools face threat of closure (Swim England has estimated that almost 2,000 pools across the country could be closed by the end of the decade if action is not taken) Soo hopes her work will encourage people back into the pool. ‘We are so lucky to have these beautiful pools still in use in our cities,’ she tells me, ‘maybe the photographs will remind people how lovely they are.’
You can buy prints from Eva Watkins HERE.
You can buy prints from Soo Burnell HERE. Soo has just released a beautiful book of her Poolside series called To the Water. It includes a forward by Wally Koval, creator of Accidentally Wes Anderson. From £45.
Find out more about Soo’s Paris Exhibition by signing up to her newsletter HERE.
Discussion (23 Comments)
Shirley says:
Interesting article and timely as have just purchased myself a swimsuit ready for outdoor swimming (took a while to find one that fitted well with bust support and length in the body). Struggling to find a swim hat at the moment. Any suggestions? The ones in the photograph are like the type i am looking for. Thanks.
Elaine Crisp says:
Hi Shirley. I wear those caps. They are bubble caps by Beco and I get mine (I have 3) from simplyswim.com. I recommend also Aquasphere Vista goggles.
Mrs Tonia says:
Try finesaratoga..com.
They have colourful old school bathing caps. These are hard to find in shops. I need one of these too. Mine is an old French Arena brand cap which stays on and covers ears well.
Wendy Jupp says:
Thank you once again for introducing me to something new- the wonderful photos of amazing places. I feel anger and sadness that such valuable and beautiful facilities are being closed and neglected. This past 18 months have shown us how important the outdoors and exercise, in particular swimming, is for our mental health but such is the ignorance our leaders, proper investment isn’t made. Probably they have their own private pools!
Elizabeth says:
Love these photos they are so beautiful and a real celebration of amazingly lovely, strong and brave women. I do envy those who can swim daily, people swim in the reservoirs near me even when there is ice on the water! I recently managed a quick dip on Scotland’s west coast, but I find it just too cold. However why the ‘wild’ wish it was just called swimming like it was when I was growing up when I swam in the sea whenever I could.
On another note, the beach in East Lothian is spelled Tyninghame, not the spelling in the article, it’s stunningly beautiful. Shh …don’t tell everyone!
When I took a bicycle trip around France in the 1980s, my route was organized around where I could find a “piscine.” There were so many and they were lovely. I remember a gigantic indoor salt-water pool in, I think, either Dinard (or Dinan). There was one on the outskirts of Beaune. And a beautiful old pool in Paris, that had a balcony. The Michelin guide indicated whether the pools were indoors or outdoors, making finding them easy.
Thanks Alyson for this valuable article and the work of the photographers which accompany it.
I’m not one for swimming in cold water but I’ve been fortunate to have access first to a leisure centre pool once they reopened post lockdown and then since May an outdoor heated lido pool set in a garden a short walk from my house. This has been a great pleasure for months. Final swim yesterday in cooler water. I won’t be opting for their cold water swims through November but will go back to the indoor heated one.
Everything now requires prebooking. For the lido we got season tickets but still had to book slots ahead. This isn’t bad for timetable and making one turn up to do it. It’s been therapeutic and good for my health and general well being.K says:
What a great article! In North America, we call wild swimming…..swimming. It is pool swimming that is specified, as in “going to the pool”. Or “had a dip in my pool”. Now that I am old and dry, I only swim outdoors or in a salt water pool. Chlorinated pools are too harsh. But in theory I LOVE the idea of touring pools.
Ruth says:
I’m a lifelong swimmer who has mainly stuck to pools in winter (I live in Sydney so that still means swimming outdoors, but in heated water). One of the many benefits of menopause is that in the last couple of years I’ve braved swimming in the sea all year round – and yes, the stories are all true – it makes you feel fully alive. Best of all its made me re-evaluate age and how I navigate it. Thanks for the lovely article and images.
Sierra says:
Great photos! I particularly like the first one of all the ladies in black cozzies with their backs to the camera, just lovely!
I would never wild swim in a pond or river, far too squeamish. Please take care and stay safe those who do. You never know what dangers are lurking under the surface in the form of weeds that can entangle your lower legs. Sorry to be such a party pooper
Give me the sea and the beach anyday. We moved from Brighton to North Bucks 38 years ago and I still get homesick for the seaside.
Quite happy to swim in a clean sea (no matter how high the waves) or a public swimming pool.
Have very fond memories of visiting my grandparents as a child. They lived in Saltdean, which has a wonderful Art Deco lido.I’m still a seasider at heart too, Sienna. The first thing I did last year when we could travel again was head down to the south coast.
MaureenC says:
This is also one of my favourite posts, the images are stunning and I shall be investigating the photographers. I grew up on unheated outdoor pools in the 1960s and 70s and never feel totally at home in the indoor pools that were my only option for many years. Sometimes in bad weather that’s still the only option. However I moved to Devon thirty years ago where we have many outdoor pools ranging from the Art Deco wonder that is Tinside Lido in Plymouth to many modern pools often like Chagford and Topsham run by community groups. We also have the sea of course so we are very lucky here.
A few years ago a made a small contribution to a crowdfunded book ‘The Lido Guide’ By Janet Wilkinson and Emma Pusill which I would thoroughly recommend for anyone planning a Lido Tour in the UK next summer.Jen says:
Perhaps a follow up article on swimsuits; the kind that are good to actually swim in and offer decent coverage (good arse / coverage / no legs up to the hipbones / accommodate a good amount of boob?)
Elizabeth J Nevin says:
Greetings from the beautiful state of Maine in the USA. What a wonderful homage to my favorite pastime. And the pictures! I swim open water during summer – indoor lap pool in winter. I look forward to a tour of open water swimming in the UK.. Ive have the pleasure of swimming the Kenwood Ladies Pond in Hampstead Heath. What a thrill! I skipped all my planned museums and swam every day. Swimming = my salvation.
Love the photos, especially the second one. As a child, the ocean was practically in our backyard and many decades later, I still miss it. There is nowhere to swim anywhere near where I live, so I settle for hiking in the summer and snowshoeing in the winter for mind and body.
Janet says:
I absolutely loved this article. I’m a regular swimmer and have been most of my life, although not a particularly fast one. I now swim in a warm indoor pool ten minutes walk from my home, but have swum in many outdoor pools, the sea, and a river in France. One of our favourite things to do on holidays , mostly in France was to find an outdoor swimming spot, pool or beach and spend a morning or afternoon there. I learnt to swim at about 3 years of age, taught at first by my father, then other adults., including coaching by the games mistress at school, where the pool we used was salt-water, rather than fresh.
I think the closure of swimming pools is almost disastrous, as swimming is on the school curriculum, for one thing, and is often one of the ways older people can still exercise relatively inexpensively. The photos are lovely.
Lk 
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My local pool is my favourite ever ! It is a 50 yard pool originally built as part of the Quaker owned complex for chocolate factory workers in York . It is very popular with local people like me who can walk there and is open every day from 7am (8 at weekends) . It has survived many attempts by the local council to close it and is now managed by Better UK .
I echo what is said above about it being a great way to start the day !