My Facebook posts as I did them with comments and photos after each swim, together with updates about timing and location for those joining me and reflections on each day. In each post I directed people to my Facebook page, as the trip was to raise money for charities relevant to the ends of my parents lives, St Elizabeth Hospice (Suffolk) and the Stroke Association, as well as to remember them one year on. Afterwards I wrote a round up of it: A12 swim journey June 2016: I did it!

This is an account of my trip to recce the first swim on my journey, at Gorleston, just south of Great Yarmouth, on Saturday 7 May 2016. This is where the A12 starts, and my swim journey starts too. I came here as a child, and family friend and artist Bridget Heriz lives here now.

In 2016 I did a swim journey to remember my parents and raise money for charities related to their deaths, at places relevant to the family threaded along the A12 Road. Round up and charity info in post:  A12 swim journey June 2016: I did it!

Mum and Dad often came to Southwold for summer walks along Gun Cliffs, the promenade and the pier, in recent years with my brother pushing the special off road wheelchair he made for mum (named “the buggy”) along the easy surfaces.

In 2016 I did a swim journey to remember my parents and raise money for charities related to their deaths, at places relevant to the family threaded along the A12 Road. Round up and charity info in post:  A12 swim journey June 2016: I did it!

Eastbridge has long been a favourite place for family visits. We would watch insects and birds in the flowery meadows, the woodland, the reed beds and the water lily filled river. I remember one occasion when we watched and laughed at a group of swans feeding with their bottoms in the air. In more recent years it provided easy walking, and was one of many places we went with the off-road wheelchair that my brother made so that mum could still enjoy the countryside when she couldn’t walk very far.

Our family often visited Aldeburgh. We particularly liked Sluice cottage, halfway between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness, a good place to park and walk along the short grass behind the beach and to look at the flowers in the shingle or to walk across the marshes.

In 2016 I did a swim journey to remember my parents and raise money for charities related to their deaths, at places relevant to the family threaded along the A12 Road. Round up and charity info in post:  A12 swim journey June 2016: I did it!

As a family we visited Snape Maltings and Iken Cliff many times, going to concerts at Snape and occasional art exhibitions, walks at Iken or between the two. So I wanted to include it on the trip.

In 2016 I did a swim journey to remember my parents and raise money for charities related to their deaths, at places relevant to the family threaded along the A12 Road. Round up and charity info in post:  A12 swim journey June 2016: I did it!

Several swims on my A12 swim journey were in Ipswich or nearby, as the town played a big part in the lives of my family from when we first came to Suffolk in 1960 to the last year of my parents’ lives 55 years later. It is also a place with an interesting swimming and waterside history.

In June 2016 I did a swim journey to remember my parents and raise money for charities related to their deaths, at places relevant to the family threaded along the A12 Road. Round up and charity info in post:  A12 swim journey June 2016: I did it!

I wrote about the Ipswich places in one story, originally a Facebook Note, still available (though many links are out of date), and the photos are in this Flickr album. I have now split this up into three stories. See XXX and XXX – links to follow

To reflect a year that started sociably, had long periods of lockdown restrictions, and saw outdoor swimming become extremely popular, Breckland swimmers share their favourite swims from 2020 and their hopes for 2021

I decided to mark the shortest day of the year with local swim and paddle trips on a glorious sunny day, Sunday 20 December (the day before the actual solstice which was due to be rainy). In tribute to my longest day of the year trip back in June, I concentrated on local trips and the river Wensum, starting with a sunrise swim, followed by a sunny cycle ride and finishing with a sunset paddle. Continue reading My shortest day swims Dec 2020 →