Seventy years as Queen, Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch in British history. I think the Queen is amazing, she’s ninety six years old and still serving her country. Some people moaned that she didn’t attend all the events over the jubilee weekend, well I wonder if those whinging curmudgeons will be able to do half of what she does if they reach such a ripe old age.

It was fabulous to see the country bedecked with flags. We should be like other countries that proudly display their flags everywhere. The politically correct brigade ‘don’t want to offend’ anyone so we don’t put flags up. Well, I’m offended by the lack of pride in our own country. But, moaning aside, it was great to see London swamped in union flags. I joined in with people who put flags up on their houses. Just a little bit of bunting made everyone smile.

On the Friday I was working in Hyde, we put up bunting and we had a jubilee buffet.

I wore my inflatable crown and a flag as a cloak. When I introduced myself to donors I said, “My name’s Belinda, but you can call me ma’am.”

We ate far too much at lunchtime, I would have liked a little nana nap, but we had a few pints to bag. I have to say that Laura’s homemade cake was delicious.

Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny, it was perfect for a swim down at Salford Quays. Victoria and I were the only two who dressed up for the occasion.

The water was a fresh fifteen degrees of loveliness. We decided not to go for distance, but to just enjoy the swim and take some jubilee photos.

I was disappointed that they weren’t flying the flag at the dock and when I queried it I was told that although they love the Queen they have serious issues with Andrew. I agree with all the arguments against that man, but the jubilee isn’t about him and by ignoring it you make it about him. There was a Ukrainian flag flying, there should have been a union flag flying too. The jubilee isn’t about politics, it isn’t about Andrew, it is a celebration of seventy years of our monarch. So Victoria and I raised the red, white and blue instead.

Many of the swimmers stopped and commented on our crowns and flags. We made people smile, which is what you want on a sunny, Saturday morning.

Lots of people had street parties and barbecues and afternoon teas. I met up with friends for a Platty Jube afternoon tea.

We had homemade scones and cake washed down with a glass or three of fizz.

What better way to celebrate the Jubilee than eating cake and swigging fizz with friends in the sunshine.

I remember when the Queen came to visit Worsley in 1968. I say I remember, I have a fleeting memory of looking through the railings alongside the road and cheering when a large black car drove slowly by. I was only just three!

Queen Victoria also visited Worsley and stepped off her boat into the steps of the Packet House. I wonder if our future King will pay us a visit in the future.

One of the most touching moments of the jubilee was when the Queen ‘met’ Paddington Bear. What a beautiful little cameo.

Well I’ve been home a few days, I’ve done my washing and I’ve had three days in work…but my head is still in Turkey. Over the last two COVID stained years I’ve had staycations, but there is nothing like a foreign bit of sunshine to warm your old bones.

Work has been full on for the last few months. We have syphoned off quite a few pints of blood and my needle stabbing hand was in need of a rest, my achy body was craving the crystal clear sea and I just wanted to don a bikini and lie back in the sunshine and do absolutely nothing.

With all the horror stories about cancelled flights and queues that stretched from Manchester to Timbuktu we expected the worst as Sue and I were dropped off at Manchester Airport. We were lucky though, twenty five minutes later we had checked in and snaked our way through security. My metal knee set the alarms off, but other than that it was hassle free. We made a bee line for the most expensive face creams in duty free and dabbed a seven hundred pound one on. If I paid that much for a face cream I’d expect to have the skin of a teenager…minus the acne…by the time I’d finished the pot. Feeling ten years younger we mooched about the perfumes and cosmetics, had a drink and eventually meandered to our gate. Our holiday was about to begin.

I’m not a happy flyer, but once that huge, people packed, luggage laden piece of metal had defied all logical reasoning to my non physics functioning brain, we took off and before you knew it fours hours later we were in Turkey.

Oh, it was good to be back. We unpacked then walked into town. Efe’s Bar was our first port of call. We ordered a pina colada and Efe changed our money. The first time I went to Turkey mojitos were our drink, the second time it was Black Russians, this year we started as we meant to go on, with pina coladas.

I’ve been twice before to the Keskin Hotel. The pools, well the main pool really, and the grounds are its biggest selling point. There are no high rise buildings in Dalyan and there are no water sports. Turkish people live and work there so it doesn’t feel it is a place taken over with tourists. Tourism is the business there, they rely on people to stay in villas and hotels and to book the various boat trips along the river. The symbiotic relationship of Turk and tourist seems to work well and especially as they are clawing their way back from two years without tourists each side has much to gain.

We had pool days, beach days and boat trip days, but before any of those we had a Turkish bath to prepare for the sunshine. We were picked up from the hotel by the pink Tuk Tuk.

We were covered in warm water, soaped and scrubbed and smothered in foam. Then we had a massage. Oh, it was heaven. I’d like one of these every week!

The days by the pool were very chilled. Reading and sunning ourselves with occasional dips in the pool, maybe a drink or two. The most energetic thing we did was apply sun cream. I think we were known as the watermelon girls as we had two inflatable rings that floated around in. It took a few tries before we mastered sitting on it though.

The beach is huge. It is accessible by road and also by river taxi. It is beautiful and framed by mountains. There is a wide expanse that is protected, you can walk over it but not sit there. The turtles lay their eggs there and the whole area is a sanctuary for turtles. There are no water sports and it is completely unspoilt. There is a turtle sanctuary that you can visit and see how they look after turtles that have been rescued and see how they maintain the healthy population that live in Dalyan.

Green turtles and loggerheads are the two species that we saw. They are such beautiful creatures.

We caught the river taxi to the beach.

It was glorious sunshine as we chugged along and the occasional turtle popped its head up. It is always exciting to see one surface as, amazingly, they can stay underwater for up to five hours.

When we arrived at the beach on our first visit there was an open water swim event on. It was a challenging course out to sea and round the island. Maybe I’ll look at entering next year…or maybe I’ll just laze on the beach and watch again.

The swimmers were probably very thankful that the event didn’t run on into the afternoon as the wind came roaring in across the bay. It started with little gusts that grew and grew until it felt like we were in the middle of a sandstorm. We could only stand so much sand blasting before we jumped onto the taxi back up the river and to the calm of the hotel pool.

We also took the bus down to the beach. It is quicker than the river, but not as much fun.

After a couple of dips in the sea and lots of lying in the sunshine we decided to walk the length of the beach to catch the river taxi back. It took about an hour to walk from one side to the other and we probably passed about three people on the way.

Boat trips are a must in Dalyan, although one couple at our hotel spent every day by the pool and when I asked the lady which trips she had been on she said, “Oh, I don’t do boats!” I really don’t know how anyone can go to such a beautiful place and never go on a boat. The whole place exists around the river. Restaurants vie for best positions along the water, everyone wants to spot turtles, river taxis chug up and down, coaches bring tourists from other resorts for day trips on the river, it is stunning. It is their loss not to experience it.

There is a shallow stretch of sand where river meets sea and it is amazing how the boats navigate their way through, although the odd one runs aground and have to be helped off the sand.

We went on a couple of trips out to sea. We stopped at little coves and went for swims in crystal clear water.

What can be better than sitting on a boat after a swim and drying in glorious sunshine whilst your lunch is cooked on a barbecue.

Pools, beaches and boat trips were wonderful, but so were the drinks and the food. Each evening we showered and dressed for an evening in town. It is such a lovely walk from the hotel along the river. I love eating outside and especially in restaurants that are right on the water.

After waiting for over two years for a holiday every moment away was special. The trips on a boat, getting a tan in gorgeous sunshine, fabulous food and drink, laughing about silly things with a friend, feeling sand between my toes, seeing a turtle pop it’s head out of the water, jumping into the sea, feeling the underwater thermal flows in the river….well, you get the idea. It was lovely.

There are always little moments that you don’t plan, such as the tango convention in our hotel. Mr Tango himself had his face plastered all over town on posters.

He could have got a job on a shampoo advert. He liked to stand at the side of the pool, dive in and then surface with swish of his long hair. It was hilarious. I just love cameos like that.

Finding a street lamp that flickers makes for a cocktail infused dance moment.

We laughed when we clambered aboard a little rowing boat. A team of women would row you across the river and we fancied a mini adventure.

Of course, the promise of a drink and a pancake on the opposite bank was always a bonus. We giggled like school girls when we cleaned our hands on the wipes provided….

There were so many moments that were memorable. Holidays are the feel good fix that we all need.

Being the selfie whores that we are, we got some good pics in the sunshine….

I can’t wait until the next holiday.

This year I have decided to do a few things that put me outside my comfort zone. Abseiling is way out of my comfort zone, heights are out of my comfort zone, leaning back over the edge of a building and trusting that people have fixed my harness and screwed up carabiners properly is out of my comfort zone…so what better way to start than a bit of terrifying abseiling off The Village Hotel in Ashton.

Last year I walked on hot coals to help raise money for Willow Wood Hospice in Ashton-Under-Lyne. They are proactive in their fundraising as they always seem to have different activities that are fun, a little bit daring and accessible for lots of people. When I saw that they had an abseil I decided to face my fears and go for it. I persuaded some team mates from work to sign up too. That was a few months ago, it seemed I had ages to prepare myself, but, oh Lordy, how time flies.

St George’s day galloped up like a knight on a charger and before I could dangle a carrot in front of my donkey the abseil was upon me. It almost didn’t happen for me, though. At the beginning of the week I tested positive for covid. The double stripe of doom threatened to curtail my first fear facing feat of 2022.

Remembering the outdoor convalescent wards for tuberculosis I decided that fresh air all day, every day was as good a treatment as any. Fortunately, the sun shone a lot, I have a summer house and I enjoy sitting and getting lost in a good book. After a week off ill I’m actually going to return to work with a great suntan.

I started the day with a cold water dip at Salford Quays. A friend sent me a text, “Only you would go open water swimming and abseiling days after having covid. You aren’t 21 anymore!!” I believe in the power of cold water. I believe in just going out and doing. I believe in positivity. I believe I’m a little bit crazy. Anyway, I went for a swim. They had a new sign and I couldn’t resist a cheeky photo. I wish I could have borrowed it for all my abseiling friends because they were all just frickin’ 100% amazing!!!

So covid wasn’t going to stop me from abseiling. With clear tests it was a go. Actually, that should have read….with clear tests, knocking knees, shaking hands and butterflies as big as fruit bats in my stomach it was a go.

I tried not to look up or overthink the challenge when I arrived.

No matter how many procrastinating poses in front of the hotel, the inevitable abseil was to happen. We grabbed our harnesses from the pile and stepped into them like a trusty pair of pants.

With straps tightened, carabiners clipped on and helmets fastened we were taken off in groups of six. Up the escalator, down the corridor and through the door to steps up to the roof. it was blowing an absolute hooley up there, but the view was great of the M60 and beyond. I just didn’t look down.

As we waited, nervously, I was having second thoughts. I probably couldn’t have answered a simple question like, “What’s your name?” I said I wanted to go first. I’d talked the group into doing it so I would lead the way! In reality I needed to do it before I chickened out.

We went out through the door two at a time, my partner was Victoria. Victoria is a swim buddy and not a workmate, but she was part of our abseiling team. I had told her of my fear facing challenges and she decided the day before to join in. Her face was a picture of pure What the hell have I signed up for as we stepped out onto roof.

The two fellas who clipped our carabiners and attached us to the ropes weren’t exactly the dynamic duo, there weren’t grand gushes of encouragement but I don’t think I could have coped with a conversation as I stepped under the bar and inched towards the edge.

Then it was a case of lean back and go. I didn’t dare look down. I just held the rope and went. I didn’t think, didn’t pause, didn’t wait for Victoria…didn’t fall! I did it!

I think I sort of enjoyed it in scary, nerve jangling way. As I touched terra firma again my legs collapsed in jellified mass and I could barely stand, but the buzz of achievement was amazing.

Being the first one down meant I could take photos of the others. My hands were still trembling but I managed to get some pics.

Janine was the most confident and used the rope the best and Laura B did the best SAS bounces down the building but we were all frickin’ 100% amazing!

Of course, every team needs people to cheer them on and support them. The two Laura’s brought their husbands, Linzi’s dad came and Sue, Pat, Lou and Karen came along.

Now I need to find the next challenge….I’m open to all ideas.

WE STAND WITH UKRAINE

As you drive around Manchester there are electronic signs flashing this message. Posters, shop signs, businesses, badges, t-shirts, bags, we are all in support of Ukraine. There is a global hatred of Putin, but also a fear. Is he a power mad dictator who is capable of pushing the button, the button we all dread? What are his long term plans? Will he stop at the Ukraine? Is this the start of World War 3? How can one man, one man in seven billion, cause so much suffering, so much pain and so many deaths?

My sister works for Oxfam, she is currently on the border of Ukraine, there to help the refugees flooding out of their country. In her first message back to us she said the number of people crossing into Romania was breathtaking. It is worrying knowing she is there, but I’m proud of what she does. I haven’t heard from her all week and that is hard. I know she is busy and often in areas where reception is poor but I’m waiting for a text, even if it is just a thumbs up. Whilst I’m waiting for that I know there are thousands of Ukrainian women and children waiting to hear from the men they left behind. We are all waiting, all holding our breath, all reaching out to loved ones.

There were reports of a blood donation centre being bombed by the Russians. On the NHSBT yammer site there was a post wondering if we will send a lorry out with equipment. I’ve added to the comments that if they need volunteers then I’ll go. I doubt they will, but who knows. Some people can fight, some can give money, some can provide refuge…I’m a damn good vampire. So, if they need a needler then they can count on me.

I was travelling to a session on Friday, driving behind a trailer on the motorway.

I handed my phone to my colleague and asked her to take a photo of the trailer as I was driving. “It’s the colours of Ukraine,” I answered to her questioning look. I knew then that I would spend the day looking for the colours in our equipment, team and donors. I think the team are used to these whims of mine. They tolerate them and join in and help me. I hope it makes them smile and they enjoy them, but I am grateful that they humour me.

Sunshine and blue skies helped whilst we unloaded at Padiham and there was my next ‘flag’.

Once we started looking there were blues and yellows everywhere.

From pens to labels and even on the snack table.

On donors too….

Some blues and yellows just happened naturally

Others we manufactured.

Things were starting to get silly when we set up the melon shot, so before it got out of hand (pardon the pun) I rallied the troops for a group flag shot.

One lady was reading a book whilst donating. When I took her needle out I commented on it as it was a book on hoop gymnastics. It turns out she does it and teaches it. “Oh, I wish you were in blue and yellow and had a hoop with you,” I laughed. Well, she only said that she would sort a few photos out for me in the next few days as she loved the whole idea….and she will do something with her students too. As soon as I get the photos I’ll add them on here.

On the way home it was fitting that the sign at the end of the motorway flashed up this…

I thought my quest for ‘finding the flag’ was over, but then I went down to Salford Quays for a swim. The sun was shining, the water was seven degrees, the girls were gathered and the sky was blue. Uswim were flying the flag and so my challenge continued.

It was absolutely perfect when one of the gang took her dryrobe off and she matched the flag!

This challenge will continue. My hoop gymnastic donor will hopefully pose for pics, I’ll spot more signs, colleagues will pose and there will be other little moments that just appear.

It might seem frivolous to be taking all these photos whilst Ukraine suffers, but maybe these signs are little moments of positivity, little flags that keep us aware or maybe they will inspire some hotshot sniper to take out Putin…..I’ve got my fingers crossed for the latter.

International Women’s Day is a global celebration that is dedicated to uplifting women and recognising their achievements. It has been celebrated since 1911 and it was born out of socialism, protest and a fight for rights. Women have struggled throughout history to claim an equality with men. They have been pushed into the background, they haven’t seemed worthy of education, of jobs or of owning property. They have had roles created for them and boundaries set. Some have rebelled and fought tooth and nail to escape the restrictions placed upon them. This has often resulted in punishments, jail, being locked up in institutions and death.

Throughout history there have been women who have stood their ground and tried to live the life they wanted that wasn’t typical of their time. Often they were branded as witches and suffered terribly, many of them hounded, tortured and killed. If they had a mole on their skin, they were a witch. If they didn’t marry, they could be accused of being a witch. If they were the village midwife and a birth went wrong, they were a witch. If a cow died and a woman had walked passed the field and glanced at the cow and a scapegoat was needed then they were a witch. Illnesses, accidents, poor harvests….anything could be blamed on a woman.

Helen Duncan was the last woman to be imprisoned under the Witchcraft Act…she died in 1956!! When we think of witches we presume that it was all during the 1600s. The trial of the Pendle Witches was in 1612, a horrific frenzy of torture and death for eight women and two men. There was a role of Witch-Finder, a job to hunt out witches and kill them. It is quite shocking to think that the Witchcraft Act of 1735 was still in force in 1956. This was after the Second World War, it was the year of the Suez Crisis and Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Morocco. It is almost unbelievable.

The suffragettes were women that should always be remembered. They fought bravely for equality, for the right to vote. Rape in marriage wasn’t considered a crime, women were not allowed to sit on a jury, they weren’t allowed to graduate from Oxford or Cambridge…they fought against this huge inequality and injustice and for being seen as second class citizens. They campaigned through controversial means and were often imprisoned where they went on hunger strikes and were force fed. Emily Davison was a militant suffragette who died after being hit by a horse in the 1913 Derby. There is footage of her stepping out into the path of the horses and being struck by them. Her injuries were so horrific that she died four days later. It wasn’t until 1928 until women, over twenty one, finally got the right to vote.

So, International Women’s Day is important. We need to remember the women who suffered, who fought and who died. We also need to remember the women who succeeded and stood out when everything was against them. Women like Elizabeth I, Amy Johnson, Emmeline Pankhurst, Florence Nightingale, The Brontes, Marie Stopes and, whether you love her or hate her, Margaret Thatcher, to name just a few.

Of course there are many, many women out there who will never be named in the history books, but they are strong and they are inspiring. Their contributions may seem small, but from small acts we have seen strength and inspiration flourish.

I work with some great women. We celebrated International Women’s Day at our session in Colne. It was quite fitting that the first dozen or so donors through the door were all women. In fact, unusually, the whole day was dominated by women. There is usually an even mix of male and female donors, but today there were definitely many more women than men.

We were working in a little theatre and so it was perfect to capture the first donors, all female, on the chairs.

As the women…and men…donated they could read our message stuck to the table in front of them.

#breakthebias is the theme for 2022. Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow. There are more and more women who are in roles of power, but there is still a way to go. We are heading in the right direction.

Charlotte was quite fittingly, wearing her purple mask today. I couldn’t resist a photo of Lauren with her purple hair.

Gillian may not have been wearing purple, but her ‘Tough Mudder’ top proves she is a strong woman. (As a little quirky point of interest the theme for her Tough Mudder was Star Paws, based on the Star Wars films and her donation number was 007. She spanned two movies quite nicely)

Not only did some women wear the perfect colours for today, they shared their inspirational women stories with me.

Julia told me about Dorothy. Dorothy was a headmistress of a school and she adopted Julia’s mother when she was fourteen years old. Her mother lived in a small village and it was assumed that she would just get married and have a family and that would be her role in life. Dorothy gave her the opportunity to further her education and eventually become a nurse. In fact, she was one of the first nurses in the NHS in 1948. Dorothy also gave Julia the confidence to go to university and study science. As Julia said, Dorothy was a real woman who made a real difference, she was inspirational.

Many of the woman whom I asked to share their inspirational women with me said that it was their mother. Frances told me about her mother who held a full time job in a factory but was also a seam mistress in her ‘spare time’. She whipped up wedding dresses, went to work and looked after a family.

Lisa said that Dawn French was inspirational, she is a great actor, a brilliant comedian and a woman who doesn’t take herself too seriously. She never let her weight bother her and she is a role model for other women.

So we wore the colours of the suffragettes.

We wore badges.

We talked of role models and inspirational women. We celebrated being the great women that we are. And…I even got Daz to do a little shimmy to the international Women’s Day playlist….

I need to end on an inspirational woman in my life…my sister. Rachel works for Oxfam and she is currently in Romania on the border with Ukraine. Thousands of women are flooding out of Ukraine with their children and she is there to help them. Whilst we are safe at home she has travelled to a horrific situation to help. She is an inspiration.

So, to all the women who have suffered in history just for being born a woman, to the women who drowned on a ducking stool, were burnt at the stake or hanged for being a witch, to the suffragettes, to the role models, to those who took a step beyond, to the teachers, to the healers, to the writers, to the mothers, the sisters, the grandmothers and the aunts, to those who said I can, to leaders, to the young and the old….woman past and present, YOU ARE STRONG. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL and always believe in yourself.

After giving blood it is advisable for donors to sit for a while and have a drink and a snack. When I first gave blood as a teenager…many, many years ago…the refreshment table had a plate of biscuits from an assortment tin. Now there is a vast array of tasty treats. So, which are the most popular? Well, this morning before the session began I said that orange clubs will always be a clear winner….I decided to see if this was true with the Ashton donors. I was going to ask as many people as I could, “What is their first choice of snack. “

The first donor I saw was Eva and she chose the Biscoff biscuit. Eva said she would be happy to have her photo taken with her favourite snack.

I was very lucky that Eva let me take this photo. When her needle was in and there was no escape we had a good old chin wag. I then had a flash of inspiration for a great photo….”You know that film where the woman lies naked covered in rose petals, we could get you on the floor and cover you in Biscoff biscuits.” Even with her mask on I could see the look of horror ha ha ha. Fortunately, a ‘Biscoff smile’ was more appealing. (Now the idea for that photo is in my head I shall have to try it somehow and somewhere!)

Next up was Deborah, she didn’t have to think twice about her favourite snack…ginger nuts!

I didn’t think Deborah would fancy the American Beauty style photo so I suggested she use use two packets as eyes…if you do that you’ve touched both so you get double the snack. That sold it, oh and the fact that Deborah told me it would be fitting to use them as eyes as she was an optician!

So, were orange clubs a favourite? Well, not in Ashton. I didn’t have the chance to ask every donor as I had to do some work (sometimes putting needles in just gets in the way of having a little fun), but I managed to speak to about half the donors who came in. To everyone’s shock Biscoff biscuits took an early lead closely followed by mini cheddars. I was amazed, if I had a pound for the number of times I’d heard a donor say, “I only come for the orange clubs,” then I would be a wealthy woman.

One lady did tell me that she was a vegan and the Biscoff biscuit was her only option. She was the only person who mentioned any dietary specifications to me though. Surely chocolate was a bigger temptation than Biscoff. I kept asking and as the afternoon progressed Kit Kats jumped ahead. A vicar came to donate, he was resplendent in his green and red harlequin shirt and said it had to be Kit Kats as they were made in York and he was going to retire there. A valid reason, I suppose, but that wouldn’t swing it for many people.

As Kit Kats smugly stuck their two fingers up at the Biscoff they failed to see mint clubs creeping up the table. Chocolate in its wafery, orange or minty form was definitely the most popular snack in the end. The results were:

Mini Cheddars 8️⃣

Salted crisps 4️⃣

Cheese crisps 3️⃣

Ginger nuts 2️⃣

Shortbread 2️⃣

Kit Kat 9️⃣

Orange club 6️⃣

Mint club 9️⃣

Digestives 1️⃣

Custard creams 2️⃣

Bourbons 3️⃣

Biscoff 6️⃣

Fruit shortcake 0️⃣

So, the donors of Ashton favour chocolate or a savoury snack, mini cheddars. I was proved wrong then that orange clubs would wipe the floor with everything else on the table. Next week I am in Wythenshawe….I will indulge in a little survey there. I still think orange clubs will race ahead…..🤣

Sometimes I should listen to a weather report! I hadn’t realised that Storm Malik was raging it’s way across the country today, it was whipping up winds that were vicious and brutal. In some parts of the country trees have fallen and caused terrible damage. But, if I had listened to the weather report then I wouldn’t have had an exciting adventure.

Laura and I went up to Gaddings Dam in Todmorden. Laura is a team member and usually we are working alongside each other putting needles in arms, today we went on a swim/walk adventure…a swalk! As we parked up the wind shook the car and tried to steal our coats and hats. We wrapped up tightly and braced ourselves for the climb. We decided to take the steep path, which is challenging on a decent day, and so with gritted teeth we set off. Even near the bottom of the hill the wind was difficult, but as we got higher it was quite treacherous.

Every few steps we had to stop and brace ourselves against the gusts so that we weren’t blown over. At times I had to get down on my hands and knees as staying upright whilst standing on a steep slope with a wild wind was virtually impossible. It was both frightening and thrilling at the same time.

Thankfully, we made it in one piece to the top. The last part involved climbing a dozen or so stone steps to the top of the dam. It must have taken each of us about five minutes to get up them. We had to cling on to the side of the steps and then grab onto the post at the top so that we weren’t whisked away over the moors and never seen again.

With the wind behind us and not racing across us we could walk along the top of the dam to the beach area. There was no respite there and it was difficult to tell whether the water that speared us in tiny little bullets was from drizzle or water whipped up from the wild waves that churned in the dam.

The sun did make an appearance but the wind raged on. We had to hold our bags down with huge stones and secure our clothes as we got ready to swim. It was a challenge!

Swim isn’t the right word to use as swimming would have been extremely difficult. We dipped. I did a few strokes but the waves crashed about me.

The photos don’t portray the brutality of the wind.

It was exhilarating. It was cold. It was extreme dipping. It was bloomin’ fabulous. We laughed out loud as we battled the waves and felt the piecing cold of the water. We weren’t in for long but it was enough to give us a buzz that lasted all day.

With winds hitting at least thirty miles per hour we got dressed. Fingers and toes were frozen, clothes blew about madly, it was so difficult. As we fumbled into clothes we had to make sure nothing was whipped away as we put on the layers and warmed up.

A hot drink warmed our core and then we were ready to walk down. There was no way we could attempt the way we had ascended so we took the longer path. It wasn’t easy to walk on frozen feet and remain upright but the path was gentle and took us downwards slowly. As we dipped down we were sheltered from the pummelling of the wind and the respite was very welcome.

What an absolutely amazing start to the day. My body aches now from the steep climb, the punching force of the wind and coldness of the water. I may ache but I loved every minute of it….well maybe not some of hairy moments on the way up. It was wild swimming in the extreme.

I love a bit of synchronicity, a coincidence, a story that blends beautifully into another. I hope I’m not the only one to get excited when you hear one interesting fact only to have not only a second one, but one that overlaps the first.

Whilst working at the Bolton session I met a donor who had the middle name Ruth and the surname Ellis. I commented to a colleague that I’d just seen a Ruth Ellis and she looked blankly back. I explained that Ruth Ellis was the last woman to be hanged in England and received an, “Oh,” in reply. Thankfully, Jeff knew who I was referring to. I decided then I would ask random donors to see who had heard of the infamous murderess. I didn’t get to ask more than one.

I took a needle out of a woman in her thirties and I asked her if she recognised the name. She knew she had heard it but couldn’t think why, when I enlightened her she did a mental facepalm. It was then she told me her interesting story that speared mine so beautifully. Her grandad had found out he was related to Albert Pierrepoint and so by association so was she.

Pierrepoint was Yorkshireman who went into the family business, as a hangman. He was the last hangman and, for a wonderful little moment of synchronicity, he hanged Ruth Ellis. He said, “I have seen some brave men die, but nobody braver than her.”

Although it all rather macabre, it was a wonderful moment of stories of separation just coming together seamlessly. I’m now going to try and link the rest of this blog to the story just to keep the synchronicity flowing, although it will be more patchwork than seamless.

Pierrepoint was born in Yorkshire and before we started the session Dan made tea and coffees for the team. We recently had Yorkshire tea bags (whether we still have them I don’t know…hopefully not as I find it too strong…but it is a tenuous link that I like) and, bingo, I continue the thread.

Dan was a good host and Ruth Ellis moved to London in 1941 to become a hostess in a nightclub. Ellis met the man she was to end up shooting, David Blakely, and he moved into her flat even though he was engaged to a Mary Dawson. Dan’s surname is Dawson, but he’s no relation as far as I know.

Another member of the team, my friend Sue, was also working on the Bolton session. Sue used to work in a hairdressers and Ruth Ellis’s daughter, Georgina, had her hair done there. Sometimes connections just get spookier and spookier.

To continue the Yorkshire theme I stepped into the white rose county today. I went for a walk around Dovestones Reservoir.

It was beautiful there. I went with Pat and we bumped up our step count as we walked round.

Okay…that’s enough connections as the links are very loose now. The walk was lovely, it was perfect for breaking in my new boots and…….(oh, just one more)….

….it’s always a laugh hanging out with Pat.

Uswim Adventure plan all sorts of challenges. You can do a mile swim, two mile swim, the length of Windermere or Coniston, swim in the sea at Colwyn Bay, swim Lake Bala…heck, you can swim the English Channel if you want to. If it is possible they will give you a training plan and support you all the way, if there is a challenge out there they will help you conquer. Dave and Karen provide the help, the encouragement, the safety team, but most of all the positivity that pushes everyone to achieve.

For some the big challenge is to swim the Channel, for others the mile across Windermere is their own personal challenge. Everyone has their own agenda and every challenge has its own trials and tribulations. Uswim support each swimmer with same care and positivity, when a swimmer completes a mile they cheer them just as they do for those who swim to France.

Of course, not everyone wants to complete a distance swim, they enjoy the social swims and the regular meets down at Dock9, Salford Quays. All ages swim there, some in wetsuits and some in skins, some dip, some train, some do breaststroke, some to crawl….but everyone is welcome.

This weekend it was great fun to join in a swim/walk at Windermere. It was a 10am meet in the car park of Wray Castle. According to one of Dave’s factoids it is actually a folly and not a real castle. It was built by a retired surgeon, funded by his wife’s fortune. It eventually was given to the National Trust. Beatrix Potter fell in love with the place after staying there as a teenager and when she earned money from her books she bought surrounding land and bequeathed it to the National Trust too. Yes, Dave, I listened to your facts!

So, we gathered in the car park, all ready and eager to swim.

Dave, Karen, a Channel swimmer, mile swimmers and first timers….all with big, cheesy grins because we love cold water swimming and adventures and just meeting up for a jolly day out.

We headed down to the water….a Mere and not a Lake!

The water was like glass, strips of blue peeked through the clouds, the only noise was our excited chatter and the accompanying dogs. We undressed….I was the first in.

It was six degrees. It made you gasp. A squeal, a yelp, a cheeky profanity…everyone got in.

Our fingers and toes may have gone numb with cold but our smiles never faltered. This was what we love. The bone chilling coldness of water, the stunning surroundings and being with like minded people. You become a part of everything around you. You don’t just see you feel. The coldness makes your whole body tingle with a buzz that shouts out, I’m alive!!! It recharges the brain, it zaps the muscles and loosens the joints. Skin glows and negativity is punched into the past.

It was bloomin’ cold so we only stayed in the water for fifteen minutes or so. It was then the toughest part of the whole day…getting dressed. Fingers don’t cooperate and some of us get the after drop. My body temperature continues to drop after getting out of the water and I shake uncontrollably. Although it is funny to watch I do take it seriously. I get layers on quickly and have a warm drink.

With our many layers, some hugging hot water bottles and the climb back up the hill to the cars we started to warm up. We dumped our wet swim gear and got ready for a walk.

It is always the toes that take the longest to warm up. Heather became the human foot warmer as she sat on Alexandra’s frozen feet. This is how good a swim community is…lol.

We walked along the path beside the water. It was great to be in a small group and have a chat with others that I usually see briefly down at Dock9.

It was beautiful and calming and I soon regained the feeling in my toes.

Dave told us little facts about Windermere as we walked….you learn new things every day.

We had been the only people around when we were in the water but as we walked we met walkers out enjoying the day. It was a shame they had missed out on the invigorating start though. The walk in itself was splendid but the added bonus of a swim was superb.

After a good hour or more walking we returned to our cars. Officially the adventure was over….but we had an afternoon to fill.

The Three Amigos weren’t ready to go home so we had a disappointing piece of cake in the castle cafe then headed into Ambleside for a wander and then to Bowness. We had done twenty thousand steps and had a dip so there was only one way to finish off the day….

Fish and chips by the water tasted amazing.

Karen had given us all a face mask for when we arrived home. It was a soothing treat.

What a fabulous day. If anyone out there fancies having a go at open water swimming then surely this must give you food for thought. There were some amazing swimmers in that group who have achieved extraordinary things and there were others like me, we all enjoyed the day. So give it a go and maybe next time I’ll see you there.

I have been having a bit of fun with my GoPro at work. I’ve done a few time lapse films of different parts of the day. The first is the unload at Stockport.

We have fifteen cages on the back of a seven and a half ton truck. We attach lanyards to the cages as they go up and down the tail lift. There is a no go zone whilst the tail lift is in motion and one person is a spotter who keeps an eye on everything. In this high speed unload I am the spotter in the orange jacket.

Health and safety is paramount, but accidents can always happen as I know very well. Three years ago I was unloading on the back of the lorry and I stepped back when the tail lift was down and I fell off. I ended up having a little trip in an ambulance to hospital to have my head stapled back together.

Thanks go out to Lou who came to the hospital with me and recorded key moments on her phone…🤣

So…moving on from the unload to setting up a session. This time I recorded a speeded up version in Bolton.

Positioning of the camera isn’t always easy in an empty room, so this is attempt number one. There were no accidents during this set up so, thankfully, no hospital images added here.

Once set up the actual session takes place.

Like a colony of ants we dart about the session. In and out of screening booths, walking round the pod putting needles in, taking needles out.

We set up pretty quickly, but the pack down is a high speed manoeuvre. The load onto the lorry is just the same as the unload only in reverse.

These are the first few attempts at a bit of time lapse videoing. I need to perfect my technique.