Sad news from our iddylic swimming/ bobbing spot. Over the weekend a local woman died from a heat related medical event at Tranquility Bay. Flowers from the swimming community absolutely reflect the vibrancy of the people who regularly swim here and who will be feeling her loss.
Heatwaves in England do funny things. When we planned our yard to look tropical we never expected it to be tropical. But here it is July 2026 requiring not one, but two sunshades. And for it to be unusable at some parts of the day.
Yesterday we had our warmest ever bob, the sea temperature was over 19 degrees in Tranquility Bay. For the first time ever, Ice cream was the post bob refreshment.
Earlier in the week a trip to the library has an unexpected twist.
A near naked man decided to expose himself to me. Really quite unnecessary and not what anyone needs to see on the way to the library or anywhere for that matter.
Global warming at a hyperlocal level.
Gardening, Gig Rowing, Yardening, Gig Rowing. Saturday was the second day of the European Gig Racing Championships in Plymouth Sound. It was also Gardening Saturday at the Tennis Club I help to run. We could look up from our garden chores and watch gigs racing past our club.
While listening to classical guitar, from Walter who had swapped out his secateurs for something more beautiful.
The afternoon was Yardening time. Not by any stretch as exciting or colourful as the morning session. Some white wall painting and repotting of plants. But the entertainment was the same. This time watching the Gig racing on TV as we sought refuge from the sun.
The drone shots showing us what we know already.
That our tiny corner of Devon/Cornwall is rather lovely.
For regular readers and Bobbers, our normal bobbing area was one of the regular spots where race progression was filmed
I never managed to catch the tennis club on TV. That would have been a great drone shot especially as the gardens were freshly primped. A project for tomorrow.
Link to small reel about the races.
Bobbing and bobbers are a regular feature of this blog. Less than 10% of the blogs get a mention because they follow more or less the same structure every time. This is a blog that celebrates the everyday mundanity of life by finding nuggets to ponder. But even I know the detrimental effect of pondering the same nugget too often.
However last night’s bob was special we were all naked.
Sarah, in the middle of this group wanted to walk naked into the sea for her 60th Birthday. It would have been unbobber-like to let her do it alone. Tide and time were perfect yesterday evening.
What a fabulous experience, more laughs and a birthday wish completed.
Heatwaves certainly focus the mind. Chores, domestica and essential tasks are done as early in the mornings, as soon as they can be achieved.
Our little corner of the world had a reprieve yesterday . A sea mist shrouded us in greige for the first couple of hours.
The greige stayed with us until midday but the temperature gradually rose until we were fully in the hot zone. The Bobbers had a Friday date with a high tide. No more freezing our tits off (twice) as we did on the longest day only 5 days before.
4pm yesterday, after 3 days of an official heatwave, we hit peak pleasure at our watery home.
We do not swim in the tropical waters of Plymouth Hoe West. We swim west of there. There is a commercial port between us and the Tropic of West Hoe.
At the time we were not aware that we were being so short changed by the Sea Temperature Mermaid Goddess.
But really the Bobbers were not the big story of the day. Bobbers bob together for safety. The delightful and multi-faceted friendships are a perfect and wonderful side effect. Safety is enhanced by Coach Andy.
Coach keeps an eye on our stuff and on us. He has had a really big week bobbingwise, not only did he join us in the water for the Solstice. Only to mid thigh, you have to keep special equipment dry, his phone. Thank goodness for phone probity, yesterday his phone was used for its first ever call to the coastguards.
A passing, off duty, coastguard saw some paddle boarders, perhaps in trouble, being taken beyond the island. But he was not prepared for sea based drama, he had forgotten his phone. Luckily Coach has his phone in pocket and for the first time it was used for dramatic and safety reasons. Completely unbobber related.
Bright lights at the end of the longest day. Summer Solstice and Fathers Day.
Marked by the bobbers with swimming at sunrise and sunset. In between we celebrated Fathers Day with a Camper Van Adventure. We absolutely filled every minute of the longest day with activity. Most were planned but a trip to A and E was on nobody’s schedule. These things happen.Wrestling with a new Rock and Roll bed in a camper van is not an even fight. Van 1- Human 0
Curiously swimming at sunset was a good bit quieter than the sunrise swim and involved absolutely no nudity.
We have been doing this for 5 years. Blog from the first Solstice Bobbings below.
Pandemic Pondering#454
04:20 on the Summer Solstice. All dressed up and somewhere to go.
The Bobbers have been swimming at sunrise and sunset on the Summer Solstice and the Winter Solstice for 5 years. Of the two,
the summer one is by far the most pleasurable. This morning we were just four bobbers but the sea was alive with the sounds of swimmers.
5 years ago we were doing this to celebrate building a water based friendship group during the Covid years.
Pandemic Pondering #453
Did we really expect to still be doing it 5 years later. Probably not. But wherever Bobbers are in the world we all try to swim on the Solstices.
For me it is a celebration of being alive and still kicking. A ritual of gratitude and celebration with friends,most of whom were strangers 5 years ago. The Silver Lining of a Pandemic that forced us all to pause, change direction, and do things differently.
Maybe the Bobbers need to rethink our dress code next year…
Our weekend started with a wet and dry bob. The weather was kind to us and the catering goddesses were even kinder.
The dry bob celebrated a retirement.
The wet bob celebrated cold water and friendship.
The conversations were, as usual, wide ranging.
The burning question of reverse mermaids came up, and with that all manner of mythical creatures who are half human and half something else.
The garden of our retiring bobber is celebrating Spring in a magical way. Mr Tumnus did not put in an appearance for our party,but her garden is a little like Narnia without the snow.
Anne’s retirement gift was a pink bobbing sweatshirt.
And a version of this print which features our actual bobbers within a historical and mythical landscape.
We don’t dry bob as often as we should. Laughter is always on the agenda for both wet and dry bobs. Hard to tell which aspect does us more good. The healthy, immune system boosting cold water swimming or the raucous belly laughs. Either way life is better with the Bobbers.
Every picture tells a story. But in this case it will take two pictures.
Plymouth is celebrating the 100th Birthday of one of the most famous artists who has lived in the city.
On Saturday we went to one of the liveliest celebrations of a 100th Birthday you could imagine. A silent disco in a museum. I’m not sure if I would have blogged about our attendance but I was having a clean washing grump this morning. Bemoaning in my head that I am sick of the dull colours that emerge from the winter weekend laundry cycle.
But hiding in the corner of the laundry picture is evidence of a night out in fancy dress.
My 1940’s tiger print fake fur coat had her moment. I went to the disco dressed as the flashing woman in the top picture of a video about the life and work of Beryl Cook.
Luckily although I flashed a lot, there is no photographic evidence.
Our fitness trackers, tracked more than 5 miles of dancing. That would not have been achieved in a heavy coat. So she took a rest on the back of a chair while more light weight leopard print garments did the hard yards of the 5 miles of dancing. A bit more flashing as I left and the night was done. Of course it was an outing with the Bobbers. 6 of us on this occasion.
Surely Spring must be on the way. And with it a brighter laundry pile. But the coat is evidence that not all winter garments are dull and practical.
And after sunshine the cold must come. 7 degrees yesterday and a pale and watery sun. The North wind was blowing. 3 intrepid bobbers went into the sea and 4 intrepid bobbers kept their clothes on to keep watch for Sea Monsters and Merpeople intent on kidnap. The sea was flat and calm. Nothing happened.
Bobbing and bobbers are one of the positive left overs from the Pandemic era. Formed to give a tiny group, now much bigger,of friends enjoying outdoor swimming exercise during the Covid Lockdowns. We started off 2 metres apart and strung out along the promenade. Now we huddle together. Sometimes 15 of us share a tiny 4 metre shelter as a changing space. Other times when the weather is kind spilling onto the Prom to let salt flecked skin dry in heat of the sun.
As the Covid era slips from recent memory into history. The last lockdown was 4 years ago. Bobbing, and the friendship group developed, shows no sign of being forgotten.
Yesterday we sold the car that was chosen in 2021 specifically because it had heated seats. We used to live 20 minutes away from the Bobbing beach. A hot bottom was essential on days when the temperature was below freezing. Bobbing caused us to move 10 minutes walk away from the Bobbing beach. A hot bottom had become a daily driving pleasure but not essential. As we drove to do the part -exchange the seats were turned on to full. We have entered the cold bottom era.
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