Wild Swimming

Chris Hillman ,the new warden at Elsie Briggs house in Bristol has started a Greening of Spirituality reading group. Wild Swimming was the first item on the agenda. Ever thought of trying it?

Waterlog by Richard Deakin

The Greening of Spirituality reading group at Elsie Briggs House recently gathered to discuss Roger Deakin’s beautiful book ‘Waterlog’ on wild swimming. The book is a very personal take on swimming in rivers, waterways, lochs, tarns, outdoor pools, and the sea. Deakin criss-crosses the UK in a seemingly random way mapping as he goes with his thoughts, observations and insights. He presents us with a frog’s eye view of life. The book is a celebration of water and a voice of dissent against those who would carelessly despoil our waterways or close them off from swimmers in the name of health and safety. Deakin is not a great fan of bureaucrats but was thankfully gifted with a charm that carried him through a few sticky moments on his journeying. The zest for life and the exuberance of Deakin touched those of us who read ‘Waterlog’ and left us with a sadness in the knowledge that he is no longer with us. The book is not explicitly one of spirituality but it is certainly full of spirit. And sprites. I think it would be fair to say that the evening’s conversation went swimmingly and we look forward to many more engaging gatherings. If you are thinking of joining the group why not take the plunge.

If wild swimming interests you, you might also like to check out Alice Roberts latest piece on i player.

Suggested Task:

Ever thought of starting a reading group - they can be a great way of making friends.

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