Memories of Last Summer

At Ramsgate Baths

It’s been a while since I swam in Ramsgate Baths, on the Botany Bay Foreshores of Sydney, Australia. Last summer, in fact…

The reason?

Although I love the freshness of the sea, I’m scared of venomous sea-creatures such as sting-rays that can sometimes be found there.

And so, I stick to the river. That’s not to say that it’s hazard-free: it isn’t. But somehow, I’m less worried about the small chance of striking a jelly-blubber in the baths. Sharks, however, have been reported, but outside the swimming enclosure. They inhabit the river as well as the sea.

And yes, that’s me, braving Ramsgate Baths, last summer…

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In The Swim: I Won Again!

Me at today’s venue

Twelve months  ago, I was so excited: I’d won the perpetual trophy for 50 metres at my local swimming club.

Today, my year was up, and the trophy was ready to be handed on.

Little did I think this morning that, once again, I’d make the grade.

By a strange co-incidence (or family ability), this year’s second place-getter was the daughter of last year’s runner up.

 

I wish that I could show you the photos that Ron took at today’s presentation, but they haven’t yet been downloaded. But I’ve done the best I can, and here’s a snapshot of me at the venue.

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I’m Back in the Water

Here in Sydney, the swimming season doesn’t officially start until October. But today’s sunshine and milder temperatures tempted more than myself into the water.

In fact, it looked perfect. The calm, clear water seemed so inviting. Until… I stepped in.

Let me clarify this. Last year, the water warmed up early. Several of us braved it in early September and were pleasantly surprised to find it a relatively comfortable eighteen degrees Celsius.

More– just yesterday I tested the temperature in the shallows. It registered a profoundly reassuring eighteen and half.

Problem is, I can’t swim in a few inches of water.

Reality: a bare sixteen degrees awaited me . And if anyone thinks that a couple of degrees difference in water temperature is irrelevant, I suggest they think again. 🙂

The final crucible: the hot water system had broken, so cold showers were all that was on offer.

Anyway, at least three swimmers, including me, faced the water. And I actually clocked up a couple of hundred metres.

Not bad for the first swim of the  season…

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It looks inviting

 

A Lone Swimmer…

Me at Ramsgate Baths

This summer I have rarely ventured into the sea.

But, on one occasion I braved it at Ramsgate Baths, in Sydney’s Botany Bay Foreshores.

Under good conditions, nothing beats swimming in this delightfully salty and clear water.

In  a pounding surf, though, I am not strong enough to get in and out of these baths.  Sure, I can swim in  it, but the problem lies in the extraordinary power of moving water. It is so hard to keep on ones feet.

Still, on this particular day, despite tempting waves and pleasant weather, I swam alone.

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Cloudy Skies: But the Water’s Still Fine

Come on in…

Lately, Sydney has had a run of cool, cloudy weather. Though light, showers have been hanging around day after day.

Nevertheless, the water’s still fine. Its temperature is hovering above 20 degrees, well clear the 18 degree mark that equates to ‘cold’.

So, is it really surprising that a few keen swimmers, myself included, are still taking the plunge?

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For Me, A First!

For me, a first!

I have been competing for almost thirty-two years, mostly at the same venue. Yet in all this time, I had never won a trophy. Well, not the sort that gets engraved and passed on from winner to winner, year after year…

All that changed last Sunday, when, after racing in  three, fifty metre freestyle events – heat, semi-final and final- against adult swimmers (both male and female) I actually WON!

Accepting the Trophy

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So now it won’t be long before my feat is officially recorded for posterity – written into metal;  and as the years go by, swimmers from our Club will look and ponder….Who was this Margaret Sharp???

The Baths are Back!

After weeks of closure, the local swimming baths are back!

Here in Sydney, recent rains had brought with them quite extraordinary levels of pollution. Over the last month or so, signs had been in force almost constantly, warning swimmers to stay out….

So, after a decent spell of dry and sunny weather, at last the ‘all clear’ came, and with it the joy of being able to experience the clean water once again.

With very high, Christmas tides, our stretch of the river is now enjoying near-optimum conditions for water sports.

 

The Baths are Back….

Let’s enjoy it while we can…

The Show Must Go On…

The show must go on…

Despite intermittent rain, unseasonable cold, and biting wind, today’s Swimming Club races went ahead.

Three determined women (including yours truly) and ten equally determined men all braved the conditions.

Our program of two sprints  and a distance event all proceeded smoothly, and despite what nature had thrown at us, we seemed to have a pretty good time.

My husband Ron kept the time in Lane One, with our little Maltese Chicki at his feet.

Better than spending the afternoon watching the box…

Despite the rain, Chicki stays snug

 

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I’m Back in the Swim!

Despite the fact that it’s technically very early Spring, I’m back in the water!

Perhaps it’s symptomatic of global warming — I simply don’t know — but for whatever reason,  we have the ideal combination for refreshing, invigorating dip.

The water temperature in the river has hit 18 degrees Celsius: something that normally doesn’t happen until around 22nd September. And more: the daytime maximum is around the mid-twenties, with copious sunshine. Add high tide in the early morning, and there you have it: the perfect prescription for summer fun!

My favourite baths

 

A Day at the (Swimming) Races

The distant jetty and starting lane numbers

Pontoon and lane ropes

We Australians are a resourceful bunch.

Take this  example.

Mention competition lap swimming, and what venue springs to mind?

Hands up if you said:  Swimming Pools.

Sure, that’s what we routinely  see on television: and, equally certain, that’s precisely where  such competitions are generally run.  I can almost see the pristine water, the perfect tiles, the impressive starting-blocks.

However, the Club where I have swum for decades has a quite different domain: a river baths in suburban Sydney.

Close to fifty metres from the jetty at the far end of the promenade floats a slightly rusty pontoon. To it, our Swimming Club attaches unsophisticated lane ropes.

Bingo! Now we have the means to conduct in reasonable decorum a series of races, in length from twenty-five to two hundred metres. I admit the shortest races are liable to be approximate distances since their finishing line is not set in stone.

However, what we lack in exactitude is more than made up in atmosphere. For my money, its beautiful tree-studded setting wins, hands down!

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