Freda Frog practises her diving technique

The youngest Devonshire Dipper has now had her first two swimming lessons in Dartington. She 'Swims with Sally' who has already had her totally submerged....I was more scared than Freda but she was fine! Here she is looking hot to trot, practising her diving technique, in her neoprene swimsuit, lucky little frog.

Her second swim was with her best friend Eva.....Eva took to swimming exceptionally well, she's a bright spark. Picture to follow.

Stoke Gabriel swimming...brrrrr

Stoke Gabriel is now the village we proudly call home, we are new here but we love it and have been made to feel very welcome by some extremely lovely people. It has made us look forward to the next part of our lives together as a family even more.

We try to swim in the Dart as often as possible, there is an inlet off the Dart that is home to the infamous River Shack and also Stoke Gabriel Boating Association, both of which are a huge part of the local community.

We pay very close attention to the tides and also have not as yet swum in the main body of the Dart as it is a force of it's own and we want to get to know it and seek more advice before we take that step. Stuart is planning to organise a swim from Stoke Gabriel to Totnes this summer, which is about 4 miles and we are hoping our swimming friends from London will join us.

The video below shows an excellent dip we had earlier this year. On this particular day it was so foggy we couldn't see all the way to the river itself, the water was eerily calm, which made for a truly mystical and somewhat magical dip. These swims, even though short are always the best swims.

Burgh Island - When 3 lovely serpers came to stay...

29th December 2009 our very own Nick 'the fish' Adams and Sakura 'oompa loompa' Hingley ran from Bigbury to Burgh Island in their swimmers simply to avoid paying for the ferry and they even BEAT THE FERRY TO IT!!

They darted across the water only to reach the pub before we did and avoid paying the two pound charge incurred if you board the trusty ferry. Well open water swimmers know best and I wasn't complaining as they used their savings to buy Stu and I lunch - what a lovely, slightly bonkers lot BUT they are officially Devonshire Dippers now. xx

Bantham Estuary - First swim as a Mum...

This was one of the best swims of my life. After 8 weeks of no swimming and 6 months of swimming with a bump it was wonderfully liberating to be in the water with the winter sun warming my back late on a windy November afternoon.

Bantham estuary was the perfect place to have my first post baby swim as it is where my huband proposed and where we swim together regularly throughout the year.

I will never forget the feeling I had during this swim...truly amazing!

You will see in the video that I entered the water with some reluctance, it was November 2009 and very windy, we had never seen the water so far up the quay, normally the water doesn't come in over the edge of the wall that you see me sitting down on (twice!) to launch myself into the water (more like plop myself!)

Even though it was windy and the water was choppy, the sun shone and kept me warm whilst Stuart and Freda watched from the shelter of the boathouse. Just brilliant.

One of my most memorable Devonshire Dips.