OSSOxon December 2011

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Happy Christmas Oxford swimmers
by Pam Jones 25 Dec '11

25 Dec '11

I hope you have all had a lovely day. Merry Christmas. Love Pam x

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New Year's update!
by Jo-Anne Rutterford 21 Dec '11

21 Dec '11

Dear All Firstly, and most importantitantly, can you please let me have any award votes by Friday - so far I have only had 4 returns!!! Second, and secondly importantitantly, Perch has us booked to sit down for eatingtons at 1.30p.m. So our 11.00 meet should allow us plenty of time to dip, and then warm up by the fireside. See you all then - and have a great Christmas in the meantime, and a wonderful Winter Solstice.. yay, roll on the longer days again Jo xx

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epetition
by Pam Jones 07 Dec '11

07 Dec '11

Please sign the petition that Fiona Weir has put online Pam <http://www.facebook.com/n/?profile.php&id=726551288&mid=5487f07G2b0f4471G8e e9003G96&bcode=dJKOl2mW&n_m=pamjones%40btinternet.com> *NEW OUTDOOR SWIMMING PETITION* Yay, our new... <http://www.facebook.com/n/?profile.php&id=726551288&mid=5487f07G2b0f4471G8e e9003G96&bcode=dJKOl2mW&n_m=pamjones%40btinternet.com> Fiona Weir 8:57pm Dec 6 *NEW OUTDOOR SWIMMING PETITION* Yay, our new petition is now online! Support outdoor swimming - improve public access to waterways. Sign it, share it, pester your friends - we need 100,000 signatures to get this debated! - if every OSS group member gets 12 non-member friends to sign up, we'll do it! (Gulp!) <http://www.facebook.com/l/iAQG3daAA/epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/2511 8> http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/25118

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OSS Swim the Thames 18: Folly Bridge to Donnington Bridge
by Sefryn Penrose 06 Dec '11

06 Dec '11

Aquatic apes of the Isis, December is upon us, and you are no doubt anxious to get your toasty toes into the water. It is a little known fact that the term 'wassailing' is actually a contraction of 'water-sailing', an auld winter custom of December swimming thought to have originated in Oxfordshire. The custom was practiced at 'yuletide' (so called because of the especially prized faster riparian December currents, and the sounds one makes when swimming in them, yuling [modern: yelling]. Spiced apple juice and flapjacks were traditionally awarded to hardy folk who could swim a country mile in mid-December. Yule logs were then burnt in local hostelries to warm these romantic heroes. Mistletoe, named for the frequent occurrence of frostbitten toes lost through such japes (it was colder in those days) was hung to allow toe-less swimmers the sweet compensation of kisses from rosy-cheeked serving wenches and bejerkined swains. Not swans. They had all been wrangled for the Christmas table. Swim 17 found us joined by the Cherwell, and, maybe a little more acceleration therefrom. We will therefore attempt the happy mile from Folly Bridge to Donnington Bridge, erstwhile Oxford eights row-boat-super-highway. Term will have ended so it is to be hoped the young folk have deserted the river for the turkey table, but a fair bit of looking out will no doubt be required. As there has been a drop in temperature inside and outside, the distance is a little less than we submarine hardy perennials are used to - approximately one mile. We will meet at *10.30am*, *Sunday 11th December*, at this carpark: http://g.co/maps/s7v2s off Meadow Lane, Oxford, second-left after the canoe club. Meadow Lane is the last right turn off Donnington Bridge Road before the bridge from the town side, or the first left from the Hinksey side. The carpark is an unkempt wee council number with plenty of bushes for changing in. Last time I visited it was free but bring a couple of quid in case. We'll walk up the towpath to Folly Bridge weather permitting. If the weather is coming down harder than Theresa May, it is a short drive to the Hinksey Pool carpark near Folly Bridge and we'll shuttle some cars up there. We will be able to get out of the water very close to the cars. Afterwards, we propose a festive pub lunch at the Isis, a little further downriver - a must-visit on the pubs of the Thames tour that we are also engaged in, and a fitting setting for a little apres-wassailing wassailing. As outdoor swimmers and romantic heroes, who can resist the lure of the Thames (known as Isis) for the Last Swim of the year 2011? We promise yule love it. Yours, with season's greetings (so named because of the ancient custom of calling the heroic swimmers 'sons (and daughters) of the sea'). Jeremy & Sef and the dark blue wassailing wahoos of the Isis PS. This swim is part of Swim 30 in Michael Worthington's *I **♥** the Thames*. *e-mail: Oxford(a)outdoorswimmingsociety.com * *OSS swim responsibility statement:* *By attending you confirm that you are a member of the OSS and have read and accepted the OSS swim responsibility statement:* * http://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/index.php?p=swimming_tips&s=responsib… * *All swimmers swim at their own risk.*

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Sunday 11th swim - wetsuit request
by Sefryn Penrose 04 Dec '11

04 Dec '11

Dear all, If anyone is coming to the Thames swim this Sunday 11th who has a spare wetsuit to lend, size 10-12, suitable for a 5'6" woman, it would be greatly appreciated. Do let me know if such a thing is possible. Thanks, Sef

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December dip
by Pam Jones 02 Dec '11

02 Dec '11

Which wave are we going in - red, green or blue? Pam x

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OSSOxon December 2011