Even more wild and even more swimming....

Bad news on our house purchase, Tim spoke to the estate agents yesterday, who, in the vein of the last three months said "Oh GREAT news, the vendor has just sent off the VERY LAST piece of paperwork! Should only be another week now...." Shiver my timbers, it is driving us spare. We are going to have to bite the bullet and give a serious deadline. If we are not in by August then that is that. (She sobs.)

If it wasn't for the fact that we are absolutely loving summer we would be going truly bonkers. We have just had the best weekend exploring some wild swims from our new book, and some extras. On Saturday we took a cheapo train to Lewes then cycled 4 miles through the meadows of the South Downs to Barcombe Mill. There we swam in the River Ouse amongst the most glee- inducing scenery and with a very angry vicious swan that tried to take off Tim's toe with his royally protected beak.

On Sunday we took a train to Staines of all places, and there found a hidden delight in an old gravel pit that has since filled with spring water and become a lake to rival many of the UK's best. (This was after a couple of hours getting lost on our bikes on motorways and ending up at the wrong gravel pit that has since become a land fill, wah!) The only people we saw were 4 lads who had their Wild Swimming book tucked under their arm and had been in the water for 2 hours! It was warm and clean and serene.

Then, as if two swims on one weekend wasn't enough we rode up the Thames to Penton Hook Island and jumped in this granddaddy of rivers. You would never think this was the same river that my dad fell in when he was seven and had to get hospitalised for rabies or something like that. There were herons and fish and clear refreshing water. And an ice cream man that gave Tim a freebie because all our money got pinched when we left our bag on the train.

So, here's to a summer quite different to the one we were anticipating. We thought we would be plastering, building and decorating our new home. Instead, we are pregnant and splashing around England's best rivers and lakes. Things could be worse, I guess!

(Me and Tim last week. Who ruined the serenity with a huge blow up dinghy, eh?!)

Wild swimming...

2 different spots in 3 days and both within half an hour of our home in central London! We have had the best swimming times over the last few days - jumping in rivers, ponds and lakes amongst the ducks and the lily pads is the only way to get through this stonking heat.

So the first spot is to remain nameless (we had to have a pact, see) but is in the yard of an old church, on the banks of an Essex river, surrounded by paddocks and horses.

And the second, is open to all (every man and his dog seemed to be there yesterday)- the glorious and ancient Hampstead Heath ponds. More refreshing than a mint choc chip ice cream, even, and the only way to wile away your weekends waiting for your house purchase to go through!

As a result I have gone and bought the book I have been too cheapskate to buy for a year, with England's most delectable Wild Swims in, and our mission is to check out every one within half an hour train trip by the end of July, and every one within an hour by the end of August. The livin' is easy....