Swim Journey 2016 Day 3 swims and why I am doing them

From the green river banks of Essex, under more A12 bridges, to urban rivers, to east London pools – an architectural marvel, a popular lido, and a typical indoor pool – to tower block Hackney.

Brief explanations of the memories and significance of all the swim locations on Day 3 of my A12 swim journey (Roundups and charity info in post: A12 swim journey June 2016: I did it! https://www.imogensriverswims.co.uk/blog/imogens-a12-swim-journey-june-2016-i-did-it/). This and the other posts were written in 2016 just before or after the swim journey and updated December 2022.

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A12 swim journey 2016: 33 FB POSTS

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!

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Great Yarmouth, well Gorleston actually 2016

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!

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Southwold and Hen Reed Beds 2016

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!

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Eastbridge and the Minsmere River 2016

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.

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Aldeburgh, Thorpeness 2016

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!

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Iken and Snape 2016

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!

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Ipswich hospital, Fore Street & the docks 2016

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

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Is it only ‘legal’ to swim in 3% of rivers in England?

No. That is a simplistic and inaccurate myth, and is not really helpful. I think that there could be possible negative consequences, with a chilling effect, if you give the impression that it is ‘illegal’ to swim in 97% of rivers in England. Nick Hayes’ Book of Trespass and the Right to Roam campaign are brilliant contributions to campaigning for access to rivers for swimmers and paddlers. But the issue is more complex than that figure suggests, and I’ve only touched on it here, with links for further reading (including the book). I helped put together a piece for the Outdoor Swimming Society which focuses on encouraging swimmers to understand where they can swim – however clear or otherwise the legal position, and includes quotes from the OSS legal adviser: https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/the-3-percent-access-myth/

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swims and swim places, and related issues