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Swim 27 Sunday 17th june
by Pamela 16 Jun '12

16 Jun '12

The Swim is on as far as I'm concerned Several people have been keeping a close eye on the EA website. Our stretch of river keeps changing from stream increasing to red to stream decreasing. I am hoping that the "Stream decreasing" which is the pattern upstream will have moved down to our stretch by tomorrow morning. Anyway, Chris and a new swimmer, Jim, have assessed the river near Shillingford Bridge today and yesterday. It seems swimmable if you are reasonably strong (aren't we all) and confident. There is only the one bridge and no weirs. We will have to keep well to the left in order to find our pit stop and our exits and not overshoot. Chris estimates a flow rate of 3-4km/h. Katia swam at Henley this morning and estimates the flow there to have been 7 km/h so it seems to be slowing the further upstream you go. I will wear fins despite Tracy's comments not for speed but for manoeuvrability Pam.

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Re: [OSS RATS] [OSS Oxon] Swim 27 Sunday 17th June
by clairetuckett＠hotmail.com 13 Jun '12

13 Jun '12

Yes mam, i will be present and correct on sunday. Also requesting attendence at rations detail. X Sent from my HTC ----- Reply message ----- From: "Pamela" <pamjones(a)btinternet.com> Date: Tue, Jun 12, 2012 17:34 Subject: [OSS Oxon] Swim 27 Sunday 17th June To: <OSSOxon(a)earth.li>, <ossrats(a)earth.li> _______________________________________________ OSS Oxon mailing list OSSOxon(a)earth.li http://www.earth.li/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ossoxon Please note that OSS Oxon exists to put swimmers in touch with other swimmers, not to organise swim events or in any way suggest that outdoor swimming is a safe activity or that you should go swimming. If you choose to swim you do so entirely at your own risk and on your own initiative, and any plans you make are your own responsibility.

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Swim 27 Sunday 17th June
by Pamela 12 Jun '12

12 Jun '12

Dear Swimmers Here are the details for swim 27 on Sunday 17th. The information is also on Facebook and on the OSS website. Hope to see lots of you there Pam All right, you ‘orrible lot Stand to attention when I’m speaking to you especially the tall one at the back. Scary Staff Sergeant Jones here, briefing you on the next yomp down the Thames on Sunday 17th June 2012. (Those of you who are actually awake will notice that this has been changed from Saturday 16th evening). This will be about a 3 mile swim (4.8 km in new money). There will be getting out places up to 1.5 miles and then at 2.7 miles. Swim 27 Executive Summary: We will meet at 10:15am at the very latest to change, team briefing will be at 10:35am and we will shuttle at 10:45am to a layby to walk to Days Lock hoping to be in the water by 11:15am. There will be a refreshment stop about half way. We will have iron rations at the hotel after the swim. Please let me know by email without fail if you do want lunch. Meeting Point 10:15 at the very latest: Shillingford Bridge Hotel http://goo.gl/maps/ypY9 We can park in the hotel car park, change and organise shuttle cars/personnel carriers. Leave all your dry clothes in a vehicle that is staying at the hotel. If you are late, we will have gone so please meet us at the layby or walk up stream to meet us. Team briefing 10:35: Safety talk and kit inspection by the Sergeant Shuttle 10:45: to the lay-by on Henley Road, Dorchester http://goo.gl/maps/iILO Walk: to Days Lock (a little under 2 km) http://goo.gl/maps/VbW0 Please wear appropriate foot protection for the walk. If you need these carried, please wear really light flip flops or some such (Army boots forbidden). There will be a couple of bank supporters to carry your (very light) footwear back. Days Lock is the main gauging station for measuring the flow of water in the Thames. Overlooking the lock is Little Wittenham church. Twin hills rise above the church which are known locally as Mother Dunch’s Buttocks or locally as Berkshire Bubs (from I Never Knew That About The Thames by Christopher Winn). Swim: Swims 37 and 38 and a little bit of Swim 39 from Michael Worthington's I ♥ the Thames We will still have to be vigilant. There will be great deal of rain this week. The river may be fast-flowing and we will have to be sensible about safety. Please be prepared to stay in groups. Possible pit stop and final getting out spot before Shillingford Bridge http://goo.gl/maps/o0Xw Here’s hoping that the NAAFI have baked cakes etc. Angelina Ballerina will not be with us as it is her Birthday. Happy Birthday, Angelina. However, we can celebrate Neil’s birthday which was earlier this week. Getting out: at or after Shillingford Bridge You can get out immediately after the bridge on the left (if you do you will be on a charge) http://goo.gl/maps/tNq2 or swim the final 500 metres to the correct finishing spot at http://goo.gl/maps/kS8C and walk back to the cars for changing and lunch. Anyone not staying for lunch should leave their car at the hotel and not be a shuttle driver. Lunch: PLEASE LET ME KNOW WITHOUT FAIL IF YOU WANT LUNCH AND FOR HOW MANY. Email me or facebook message me please Lunch will be at the Shillingford Bridge Hotel. I have a menu if you would like me to email it to you. http://www.shillingfordbridgehotel.com/ 01865 858 567 Shillingford Bridge, built in 1827, is exactly half way between Windsor and Lechlade and between Reading and Oxford ( from I Never Knew That About The Thames by Christopher Winn). Aftermath: After lunch, we will need to get the shuttle car drivers back to the layby. Marks will be awarded for standard of kit, attitude, fitness, response to instructions etc. Remember that the Sergeant is always right. Pam, Sef & Jeremy and the Armoured Catfish of the Thames and Tarcoles river of Costa Rica. 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 ility> http://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/index.php?p=swimming_tips&s=responsibi lity All swimmers swim at their own risk. _______________________________________________ OSS Oxon mailing list OSSOxon(a)earth.li http://www.earth.li/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ossoxon Please note that OSS Oxon exists to put swimmers in touch with other swimmers, not to organise swim events or in any way suggest that outdoor swimming is a safe activity or that you should go swimming. If you choose to swim you do so entirely at your own risk and on your own initiative, and any plans you make are your own responsibility.

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Swim on Sunday 17th june
by Pamela 11 Jun '12

11 Jun '12

Dear OSS Oxonienses and Rats This weekend's swim has been changed from Saturday 16th to SUNDAY 17th JUNE. The swim will be in the morning as usual and will be organised by me so be warned. I am awaiting confirmation of lunch arrangements before posting details but you can expect a 3 mile swim from Days Lock to just after Shillingford Bridge. See you then Pam

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OSS Swim the Thames #24 - Abingdon Lock to Culham Lock - 10:30am Monday 7th May 2012 - subject to confirmation
by Jeremy Wellingham 05 May '12

05 May '12

/Darling Buds of May, Spring is here, the Thames has risen and is in full spate, making this a speedy swim - hopefully not too speedy. According to the flow meter at Maidenhead rowing club the Thames is running at 164 m^3 / sec today (Tuesday) . (In comparison, on our last swim it was a mere 11.7 //m^3 / sec.) //We'll need to do a risk assessment at the time - probably throw in a stick :-) Fortunately the exit and lock is at the end of a long cut where the flow should be minimal./ / First the bad news; we won't be able to camp this weekend - the local campsites won't entertain a single night's camping over a bank holiday weekend. Given the weather this might not be such a bad thing after all. Also, following a lot of deliberation, I've reluctantly rescheduled the date to Monday as the rain has turned the Thames in to a bit of a monster. Inspections locally from both Neil's colleague and mine reveal that the tow path is awash at Abingdon and Culham. The hope is that by postponing the swim to the end of the weekend the river will have calmed down. Apologies for deviating from the planned diary dates but the other option was a cancellation, which didn't seem a good option either. So, we will do a single day's swimming on Monday 7th May from Abingdon Lock to Culham Lock. This will be an approximately 4.15km swim - #34 in Michael Worthington's //I/?/the Thames/ /*We will don our Health and Safety hats (hard, of course), goggles and protective gloves and assess the risk on Saturday and send out an update to confirm if we are still going ahead - this will depend on the flow subsiding, considerably, which in turn will be dependent on no more significant rain. Look out for the confirmation e-mail on Sunday.* We'll meet here in the *free car park at Culham at 10:30am on Monday 7th May 2012: * http://g.co/maps/ynxdp Get changed, and shuttle up to the car park at Abingdon Bridge, where we met for the last swim: (Will need money for parking in this one - £1.20 for 3 hours) http://g.co/maps/rzf3d >From here it is a relatively short walk (0.75km) to Abingdon Lock across the fields, where we'll start our swim from: http://g.co/maps/x77ep We can have a breather around half way, just past the Marina entrance on the opposite bank, where there appears to be a beach of sorts: http://g.co/maps/v5rh6 ending up at Culham lock next to the car park. From there we'll repair to the /George & Dragon/for a spot of lunch - table is booked for 2:00pm: (/Tel: 01235 848142 ? ) /*Can you confirm by e-mail if you will be staying for lunch?*/ / //http://g.co/maps/an9n4 / Sef & Jeremy and the Barbus barbus of the Isis isis. 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… <http://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/index.php?p=swimming_tips&s=responsib…> All swimmers swim at their own risk.

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Re: [OSS RATS] [OSS Oxon] OSS Swim the Thames #23 - Sunday 22nd April - Radley to Abingdon Lock
by Chris Dalton 22 Apr '12

22 Apr '12

Hi Gang, Thanks to Hywel for arranging such good weather for his swim today! The details turned out to be: Distance travelled today: 4.82 km (or 2.51km to the rail bridge) Total distance travelled: 104.38 km Distance travelled since Cricklade: 82.06 km Distance remaining to Teddington Lock: 141.12 km Distance remaining to Sea Reach No1 Buoy: 252.18 km Map and track etc on the blog: http://www.swimthethames.com CD From: ossoxon-bounces(a)earth.li [mailto:ossoxon-bounces@earth.li] On Behalf Of Hywel Davies Sent: 15 April 2012 10:05 To: OSSOxon(a)earth.li; OSSRats(a)earth.li Subject: [OSS Oxon] OSS Swim the Thames #23 - Sunday 22nd April - Radley to Abingdon Lock Fellow floaters, It’s time to put down those Easter eggs and pick up the pace, this swim will be a little longer(~4.5km) than recent ones but there will be options to get out early. Access to the river is a little tricky around here so we'll park near the finish and shuttle to the start. Let’s meet at 10:30 at the large car park just south east of Abingdon Bridge http://g.co/maps/cuxtq , the car park is not free so bring some change, we should get away with paying for 3 hours. Faffing will commence at 10:30 but it will end at 11:00 when we will all be rubbered up and take 2/3/4 cars to the start at Radley boat house, there isn't space for many cars here. We'll leave our dry clothes at Abingdon Bridge car park. Then it’s the easy bit, we'll swim downstream with the Thames path on our right with a pit stop(or early exit) at 2.5km just after the railway bridge. Then we'll aim to swim on to Abingdon lock, there looks like another early get out option at http://g.co/maps/hmfr4 . There are fairly obvious paths from these get out points back to the Abingdon Bridge car park but you'll need to walk them in your swimming kit. We'll return by car for lunch at the Bowyers Arms next to Radley station to use their free car park and hospitality. Please email me or accept the invitation in facebook before Sunday morning if you are coming so that we have an idea of numbers. Hywel. 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 <http://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/index.php?p=swimming_tips&s=responsib…> &s=responsibility All swimmers swim at their own risk. _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2411/4937 - Release Date: 04/14/12

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Re: [OSS RATS] [OSS Oxon] OSS Swim the Thames #23 - Sunday 22nd April - Radley to Abingdon Lock
by Claire Tuckett 19 Apr '12

19 Apr '12

Dear all, Unfortunately I won't be around to join in the half marathon swim this weekend in chilly and rainy conditions. I will be sunning myself in the blue skies and heatwave that is currently moving towards the Isle of Wight in time for meteor shower watching on Saturday night (oh yes it is...). Hope you all have fun and hope to catch up with this one soon, maybe in two halves, prior to the next one. Enjoy, cold floaters and cake eaters. Claire x Ps. see some of you in the mud somewhere in essex sometime soon. Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2012 02:04:57 -0700 From: hywel_davies(a)yahoo.com To: OSSOxon(a)earth.li; OSSRats(a)earth.li Subject: [OSS Oxon] OSS Swim the Thames #23 - Sunday 22nd April - Radley to Abingdon Lock Fellow floaters, It’s time to put down those Easter eggs and pick up the pace, this swim will be a little longer(~4.5km) than recent ones but there will be options to get out early. Access to the river is a little tricky around here so we'll park near the finish and shuttle to the start. Let’s meet at 10:30 at the large car park just south east of Abingdon Bridge http://g.co/maps/cuxtq , the car park is not free so bring some change, we should get away with paying for 3 hours. Faffing will commence at 10:30 but it will end at 11:00 when we will all be rubbered up and take 2/3/4 cars to the start at Radley boat house, there isn't space for many cars here. We'll leave our dry clothes at Abingdon Bridge car park. Then it’s the easy bit, we'll swim downstream with the Thames path on our right with a pit stop(or early exit) at 2.5km just after the railway bridge. Then we'll aim to swim on to Abingdon lock, there looks like another early get out option at http://g.co/maps/hmfr4 . There are fairly obvious paths from these get out points back to the Abingdon Bridge car park but you'll need to walk them in your swimming kit. We'll return by car for lunch at the Bowyers Arms next to Radley station to use their free car park and hospitality. Please email me or accept the invitation in facebook before Sunday morning if you are coming so that we have an idea of numbers. Hywel. 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. _______________________________________________ OSS Oxon mailing list OSSOxon(a)earth.li http://www.earth.li/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ossoxon Please note that OSS Oxon exists to put swimmers in touch with other swimmers, not to organise swim events or in any way suggest that outdoor swimming is a safe activity or that you should go swimming. If you choose to swim you do so entirely at your own risk and on your own initiative, and any plans you make are your own responsibility.

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OSS Swim the Thames #23 - Sunday 22nd April - Radley to Abingdon Lock
by Hywel Davies 16 Apr '12

16 Apr '12

I sent this out to OSS Oxon yesterday, so I apologise if you receive this twice. Fellow floaters, It’s time to put down those Easter eggs and pick up the pace, this swim will be a little longer(~4.5km) than recent ones but there will be options to get out early. Access to the river is a little tricky around here so we'll park near the finish and shuttle to the start. Let’s meet at 10:30 at the large car park just south east of Abingdon Bridge http://g.co/maps/cuxtq , the car park is not free so bring some change, we should get away with paying for 3 hours. Faffing will commence at 10:30 but it will end at 11:00 when we will all be rubbered up and take 2/3/4 cars to the start at Radley boat house, there isn't space for many cars here. We'll leave our dry clothes at Abingdon Bridge car park. Then it’s the easy bit, we'll swim downstream with the Thames path on our right with a pit stop(or early exit) at 2.5km just after the railway bridge. Then we'll aim to swim on to Abingdon lock, there looks like another early get out option at http://g.co/maps/hmfr4 . There are fairly obvious paths from these get out points back to the Abingdon Bridge car park but you'll need to walk them in your swimming kit. We'll return by car for lunch at the Bowyers Arms next to Radley station to use their free car park and hospitality. Please email me or accept the invitation in facebook before Sunday morning if you are coming so that we have an idea of numbers. Hywel. 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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Re: [OSS RATS] OSS Swim the Thames #22
by Chris Dalton 09 Apr '12

09 Apr '12

Hi Gang, I have updated the blog with all the details of the swims I missed over the winter up to and including today. I have also added a summary of Year 1. For those of you who don't know, the blog can be found here: http://www.swimthethames.com I would encourage any of you who are interested to add your own words/thoughts/photos to the blog. Distance travelled today: 2.74 km Total distance travelled: 99.56 km Distance travelled since Cricklade: 77.24 km Distance remaining to Teddington Lock: 145.94 km Distance remaining to Sea Reach No1 Buoy: 257.0 km (*) (*) - Updated distance as measured from OS map. CD

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Good Friday Catchups - Swims 18, 19 and 20.
by Chris Dalton 05 Apr '12

05 Apr '12

Dear All, Myself and Chloe will be doing the stretch from Folly Bridge to Kennington on Friday evening which was previously done in December, January and February as swims 18, 19 and 20. We will meet in the Health Centre car park in Kennington opposite The Tandem pub at 4pm on Friday 6th April 2012: http://g.co/maps/dkebh Once changed, we will do the (rather long) walk up to Folly Bridge and then swim back - a distance of just under 3.5km. This should get us finished in time to then zoom across town to meet up with the Full Moon swimmers at Godstow Lock for a quick (possibly non-wetsuit!) second dip. Anyone is welcome to join us for any or all of the above swim. It would be helpful if you could let me know if you are planning to come along. CD 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 <http://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/index.php?p=swimming_tips&s=responsib ility> &s=responsibility All swimmers swim at their own risk.

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