Outdoor Swimmer • October 2024

Dipping into Canadian Cottage Culture

Sometimes it’s only with hindsight you realise how special an experience was, but there are times when you can’t fail to see it in the moment. It’s late July, a sun-baked Saturday afternoon, and I’m swimming alongside a raft and paddleboard loaded with two and four-legged friends and chilled drinks.

Outdoor Swimmer • September 2024

The relationship between flexibility and mobility – and why swimmers should work on both

Flexibility and mobility are terms that are often used interchangeably. In fact, they’re quite distinct, but inextricably linked.

Outdoor Swimmer • May 2024

Why spring is the best time to set goals

Come March, most new year’s resolutions are long forgotten. But maybe it isn’t just flagging willpower? Could it be that January is the absolute worst time to set goals and we should wait for spring?

Outdoor Swimmer • May 2024

The one bit of kit that's always with you: where to start with breathwork

We train and stretch our bodies, so why not our breathing apparatus? Good breathing is important for overall wellbeing, but functional breathwork teacher Dan Peppiatt suggests focusing on the basics before exploring more complicated methods

The Green Parent • June 2023

Gather Together

It's a summer’s morning in Ceredigion, Wales, and the drizzle has permeated through three layers of clothing to give my skin a clammy quality. I sip coffee that went cold moments after being poured and look across the damp wooden table at my two children. They’re oblivious, totally immersed as their small hands weave green willow into stars and bird feeders.

Outdoor Swimmer • March 2023

How to build a walking meditation into your outdoor swim

A short walking meditation is a way of extending and deepening the experience of outdoor swimming, and it will warm you up too. It doesn’t need to be a long walk, even a few minutes will give your mind some downtime. Here’s how to do it:

Outdoor Swimmer • April 2022

Breathing Space

For something we do many thousands of times a day, breathing gets little attention. Our breath reflects our mental and physical condition and is a powerful, ever-present tool to combat tiredness, tension or anxiety and increase energy and focus.

Outdoor Swimmer • February 2021

Swimming with MND

The first winter swimming outdoors can be daunting, but Alex Francis had a compelling reason to brave the falling temperatures. “There was a realistic possibility I wouldn’t last six months,” he says, “so it was like each week was a gift.”

The Bath & Wiltshire Parent • March 2018

Plastic-free family

The candles have been blown out, the bouncy castle is deflating and the children are finally weary. But after hugs and goodbyes, it’ll be more than just memories that are left behind.

Outdoor Swimmer • March 2022

Meditation – myth busting and how to establish a simple practice

Meditation helps us learn about ourselves and move through life with more ease. This month, we tackle some misconceptions and offer a framework for a simple mindful meditation practice.

The Bath & Wiltshire Parent • July 2019

More than words: libraries in the spotlight

Libraries are unique places: they offer something for everyone yet cost nothing. These welcoming, family-friendly places sit at the heart of a community providing free entertainment and education, with resources that can be accessed 24 hours a day.

The Bath Magazine • December 2018

Va va voom vintage

As the last grapes are harvested under low autumn sun, the word in the vineyards is that 2018 could be one of the UK’s best vintages yet.

Outdoor Swimmer • November 2019

Wild times in the River Wye

It only takes a few persistent voices for an idea to become a goal, and a journey to begin. “We can totally do it!” It didn’t matter that I hadn’t even swum two kilometres before. Nor that the previous spring I’d been unable to complete 50 metres of front crawl without stopping.

The Bath Magazine • June 2019

Swimming under the sky

Last summer, I stood at Vobster Quay watching wetsuit-clad figures glide through clear, cool water. I was here for my first outdoor training swim, having fuelled an ongoing midlife crisis by entering a sprint triathlon.

The Bath & Wiltshire Parent • June 2018

Telling Tales

Inside the world of stories, anything is possible: a big friendly giant collects dreams for sleeping children; a tiger arrives unannounced for tea; witchcraft and wizardry are taught at school.

Outdoor Swimmer • February 2021

Dipping in Dartmoor

Known as ‘mother of rivers’, the moor is the source of more than a dozen. There are also peaceful quarries, natural plunge pools, cascades and cataracts to explore.

Outdoor Swimmer • June 2022

Celebrating the Summer Solstice

The June solstice heralds the start of summer on the astronomical calendar, and is an invitation to spend time in nature, reflect and look ahead to the coming months. Here are some ideas for celebrating the shifting seasons and this ancient star that bathed our ancestors in light and warmth and continues to shine on us.

Outdoor Swimmer • August 2019

Swimming San Sebastián

Sheltered sea swims, a vast sandy beach and gastronomic delights for every budget: could San Sebastián be the perfect getaway for outdoor swimmers?

Outdoor Swimmer • November 2021

Get Set Glow

As dusk turns to darkness, swimmers disrobe by blazing firepits. The lakeside begins to glow as lights are placed in tow floats and secured to swim hats. 170 swimmers have gathered at Vobster Quay for the annual Glow Swim – an event so popular that tickets sold out in under ten minutes this year.

Green Adventures Travel • November 2018

A room with a view: Villa San Michele in Ravello

The setting was simple but again our eyes were focused on the sparkling blue and characterful coastline below – and the food of course.