Cambs trip May Bank hols roundup

I met many lovely local swimmers and swam at a variety of wonderful spots during my late May bank holiday four-day swim safari in Cambridgeshire. This was the next in my series of clusters of swims in East Anglia to mark becoming 60 this year. I’m now planning the next one – Essex mid June.

swimmers in river, blue sky
Cuckoo Bridge, Ely

This year I reach 60, so I am marking this with a lot of swimming – recapturing the joy of my 2016 swim trips.  My swim journeys are adventures in which I discover new swimming places and revisit old favourites, and take the chance to make new swimming friends as well as catch up with those I have met before.

4 swimmer selfie
Catherine, Imogen, Barbs, Bryn at RBC Cambridge

I invited local swimmers to join me to swim (with all swims at our own risk and taking responsibility for our own safety), and I had wonderful company for over half of my swims, with lots of laughs and support for each other as we explored new places together or I showed spots I’d discovered to others. And I met and talked to other people near the water who took photos for me, pointed out spots and told me about their history.

people on river edge, reflected in water
Family at Great Shelford, with Barbs (right)

My lone swims were also a treat. In a rainy green stretch of the river Lark I trod water quietly and watched a kingfisher catch its fish, shake its head from side to side to turn the fish around the right way before swallowing and eating it, totally unaware of me.

swimmers in lake, trees
Milton Lake, organised venue

I swam in a mixture of lakes, rivers, lidos and lodes, mostly wild swimming plus a couple of organised lake venues and two iconic lidos (Jesus Green and Peterborough). I took in the Great Ouse from Huntingdon to Ely, the Cam and Granta in Cambridge and around, the Lark and several Lodes in the fen edge/Suffolk border, and the Nene and other waters around Peterborough and the Cambridgeshire Fens.

water, reeds, blue sky
Reach Lode, Adventurers Fen

The whole experience was a joy, and I especially appreciated the support of those who swam, came along and met me, or supported me on social media.

swimmer under bridge
Lofty under Milton Ferry Bridge

I look forward to meeting many more swimmers on future trips. Look out for more detail in the Swims section of this website.

tall trees around long lido
Jesus Green lido

I am inviting people to sponsor me if they would like to. The two charities are important to me in remembering my parents at the end of their lives four years ago.

swimmer in googles under water
Imogen underwater at Gildenburgh Lake

Find location info for all 21 swims in the Places section

Read my account of Wicken and Adventurers Fen Sun 26 May

[swim log 920-940.5]