Hive, Sunday 22nd July, 11am and 6pm

MG

Another two day swim; SW and I collide at Burton at 11am for a long swim in the water that is improving by the second - clear, still, perfect. We swim absolutely miles out and agree that were there a pier with which to measure our distance we would officially be beyond it. We then realise we have to get back to shore and so rather anxiously start the long haul in. It's infuriating that after 15 minutes or so we begin to get cold - there is even a hint of a teeth chatter - but with another swim later in the day in our sights it isn't too agonising to leave the water and the beach....

Distracted by family stuff, I can't quite make it in time for SW's summons of a 4.45pm swim, and shuffle down alone at about 6. To my joy, the water and beach are crowded with our crownies - SW and SH plus friends hunkered down on the beach, and KH plus friends in the water. What a pleasure to be all together, and so unexpectedly. It's a truly perfect swim - I pass KH getting out as I get in and then swim off into the distance to practice my pearl diving (poor) and backstroke (improved). It's amusing to watch the crowd on the beach pointing out a huge school of mackerel that is boiling the surface in the distance, and as I get out I noticed the little slivers of silver that are white bait scattering the tideline. SW, a new carnivore, questions whether he can guzzle them raw.

KH and I linger on the beach for a long gossip in the perfect evening sun, and marvel how just a few short weeks ago, she was cut off on the A35 by the Dorset floods of biblical levels. Things are suddenly very different, though who knows how long this is to last...