Jeremy/Sef Thanks for the information. Will have run Thames Head to Cricklade on the Sunday, and I plan to see you next Monday 2 May at 10.30am. I've got surf shoes but haven't yet bought a wet suit and will make do with togs for next week. Sef - thanks for the info and advice on wetsuits. I'll keep looking into this. Peter ________________________________ From: ossoxon-bounces@earth.li [mailto:ossoxon-bounces@earth.li] On Behalf Of Jeremy Wellingham Sent: 25 April 2011 21:56 To: ossoxon@earth.li; ossrats@earth.li Subject: [OSS Oxon] OSS Swim the Thames - Swim #1 Cricklade Bridge to Water Eaton House - Mon 02 May 10:30 - 15:00
Swim #1 in OSS Oxon and Reading's Swim the Thames event series.
Cricklade Bridge to Water Eaton House - Mon 02 May 10:30 - 15:00
This is the first "swim" in our attempt to swim the length of the Thames from the source to the sea (well the end of the non-tidal Thames at Teddington at least).
Following on from the initial walk from the Source to Cricklade on Good Friday, we will paddle, wade and even swim a bit from Cricklade Bridge to Water Eaton House.
This stretch combines swims 1 & 2 from Michael Worthington's book - 'I Love the Thames' -... and will cover 3km but if the going gets too heavy we will stop half way at Eysey Manor footbridge and re-schedule the remainder for another day.
We will be meeting at 10:30am at the Town Hall car park in Cricklade (marked by green arrow). (Same as the Good Friday Source to Cricklade walk.)
http://tinyurl.com/Cricklade-TH
From here we will shuttle down to the end point at the footbridge near Water Eaton
House - parking is limited - and walk back up to Cricklade so we can survey the river for obstacles from the safety of the bank. (Recommended practice from Mike's book and particularly relevant for these early sections of the river.) To avoid any gymnastics at Cricklade bridge we can jump in the river from the path at the point it diverges from the river just on the boundary of Cricklade and paddle up the river to Cricklade bridge and then turn round and start the paddle proper back down to Water Eaton house. Shuttle back to Cricklade and find a pub for drink / lunch. (Or bring a picnic if the weather is kind . . .)
Having inspected the Thames at Cricklade at the end of our Source to Cricklade walk this is going to require a decent pair of 'feet' - a pair of surf boots with thick grip soles - but you can get cheap shoes of the kind that you can buy at the beach for very little and they'll do, either on their own, or with a pair of wetsuit socks which are again quite cheap. (See OSS Wading Shoes Facebook discussion -
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=55781602829&v=app_2373072738#%21/topic.php?uid=55http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=55781602829&v=app_2373072738#!/top...http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=55781602829&topic=17110 )
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=respon...
All swimmers swim at their own risk.
Jeremy Wellingham And Sefryn Penrose
e-mail: Oxford@outdoorswimmingsociety.commailto:Oxford@outdoorswimmingsociety.com