Saturday Morning SwimmingRecently Caroline and I were coming up from the beach talking about early memories of outdoor swimming in Felixstowe. Of course the Palmer’s Pool was key, as well as the family beach hut, long since sold.
For Car, the Palmer’s pool meant time spent on Sundays. For me, their lightly-heated banana-shaped pool looking out to a windswept horizon of fields and river, was a Saturday memory. Bright, intensely sunny and carefree Saturday mornings, cycling there with Caroline and swimming in crystal clear sunshine-infused water. And Saturday mornings have always retained that sense of freedom and simple pleasure for me, as often as possible involving swimming and sunshine.
Yesterday morning had just that sunny Saturday feeling. It was Brucey’s 3rd birthday, the weather still a mix of sea breeze and Indian summer. While the little ones enjoyed the leisure centre play area, Brendan and I took a few steps down to the beach by the pier. It was low tide with a slight swell, so good conditions for some body surfing and boogie boarding on this sandy stretch of Felixstowe’s very own Blue Flag beach.
No one else was in of course, and Brendan wore his wetsuit as the sea temperature has been dropping off noticeably since the start of September. But with the sun mostly out from behind the clouds I loved the freshness of the water, the fun with Brendan looking out for the biggest waves, and our enthusiastic but probably unspectacular surfing efforts. Twenty-five minutes couldn’t be better spent.
And then another reminder of childhood swims - the welcome whiff of a big beach towel. It must be a mixture of various bodies with salt and suncream added, but the end result is so familiar and, it seemed to me yesterday, chilled as I was, with a tangible and comforting warmth.
We were still in time for the main event of the morning – Brucey’s birthday party. My Saturday morning reminiscences never included coffee and cake at the Little Ice Cream Co., but perhaps many years from now they will, and maybe Brendan’s will too.
Yesterday morning had just that sunny Saturday feeling. It was Brucey’s 3rd birthday, the weather still a mix of sea breeze and Indian summer. While the little ones enjoyed the leisure centre play area, Brendan and I took a few steps down to the beach by the pier. It was low tide with a slight swell, so good conditions for some body surfing and boogie boarding on this sandy stretch of Felixstowe’s very own Blue Flag beach.
No one else was in of course, and Brendan wore his wetsuit as the sea temperature has been dropping off noticeably since the start of September. But with the sun mostly out from behind the clouds I loved the freshness of the water, the fun with Brendan looking out for the biggest waves, and our enthusiastic but probably unspectacular surfing efforts. Twenty-five minutes couldn’t be better spent.
And then another reminder of childhood swims - the welcome whiff of a big beach towel. It must be a mixture of various bodies with salt and suncream added, but the end result is so familiar and, it seemed to me yesterday, chilled as I was, with a tangible and comforting warmth.
We were still in time for the main event of the morning – Brucey’s birthday party. My Saturday morning reminiscences never included coffee and cake at the Little Ice Cream Co., but perhaps many years from now they will, and maybe Brendan’s will too.
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