New years day, always a weird one in my view as it always feels like two separate ones, the first one recovering from the night before and the other spend wandering aimlessly trying to find something on the telly or somewhere that's open to go to. This year though would be different, 2011 would be started in the same spirit I hope to maintain all year; it would be started off with a swim in the sea.
This was another one of those 1/2 dreading 1/2 looking forward to entries in the book. It was Mum's idea as naturally once it had been mentioned, it had to be done. I'd been told that wild swimming was quite invigorating but was dreading it as I've inherited my Dad's hatred of cold water. We're the same in the sense that once water of a certain temperature gets as high as the thighs and beyond we start cursing and singing soprano.
After failing to find any official New Year swims we thought we'd just find the closest coast and get it done. Mum picked out Hayling Island as it had some post-swim things to do and she'd been there as a kid with some pretty vivid memories, brought back once we'd crossed the bridge onto the island. After finding a spot full of beach huts (glorified sheds at ten times the price) the beach seemed clear so we shifted all the post swim stuff ready onto the beach, robes and hundreds of towels ready to get warm again after the dip. After returning from the car though the beach suddenly seemed to be crowded, all dog walkers, no one else daft enough to do what we had planned. I thought about waiting for the beach to clear but then thought 'sod it', let's get it done. Top off, shoes off, flip flops on and leg it into the water. Water up to my feet, cold! Up to the shins, not nice! Up to the thighs, I'm cursing, up to the waist and I'm singing soprano! There must have been a step in the sand as I suddenly sank up to my neck and started swimming. This was it, I was swimming in the sea! It was the weirdest sensation, it felt like having hundreds of nails prodding me all over and that feeling when your half asleep and someone rips the duvet off you and open the curtains all in one but in a good way, really invigorating. Mum didn't quite managed the swim bit as she found the same step I did and fell in but I'll let her off as she made it in the water and it was her idea for the day. The whole experience felt like the compost mile, bloody stupid in theory, painful in doing it but an infinite sense of satisfaction once it was done.
After getting out and trying desperately to get warm it was off for grub, cuppas and what else we can find. If you ever find yourself on the Island, go to Delia's diner and get yourself the BK Breakfast for the biggest plate of goodness you'll ever see. A quick visit to the arcade saw a go in the Van Gogh Colour Workroom, frustrations on the 2p piling up game and success on the dancing machine, two As and a B. A swim in the sea, changing of a flat tyre at 2 in the morning and a surprise cinema visit with an old antipodean friend of mine saw a more than memorable start to MMXI, much more of the same please :)
Rossifer x
P.s. Ignore whatever it says below, this was posted 02/01/11 - 2:05pm ;)
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