Friend never went swimming in the UK on fam hols

Catterygirl

Am a reasonably strong swimmer and on the two days a year it was warm enough I swam in Southend when I lived nearby. Unfortunately somebody stole me and my sister’s clothes so we had to return home on the bus in our bikinis. Can’t remember how we paid for the bus!

I still live nearby, my parents swam in this area, as did I and all my cousins, as did our children. We all survived. Last year I borrowed a beach hut and took our grandson there for the day with one of my close friends and one of her grandsons, the boys had a great time swimming, building sandcastles and using body boards.

My maternal grandparents moved from Kent to the Sussex coast when we were quite young and as children we spent many happy summers at the beach there. In spite of my father's continual moaning about how much he hated sand, well it was only really sandy when the tide went out, he'd spent the war years in Libya and how much better he preferred sea side places in France, where my aunt, uncle and cousins lived. We, my brother and I were content to spend much of our days both in and out of the sea and even better my grandparents had friends who lent them their beach hut, could life get any better! When I did learn to swim, it wasn't in the sea but at a local outdoor pool, long since closed. I think I was about 7ish, and started swimming one day oblivious to the fact that I'd forgotten to put my rubber ring on, and then when I finally clocked it "I'm swimming on my own " I was over the moon, one of the seminal moments of childhood. Later on we had swimming lessons with the school, where we were divided into those who can and those who can't so I was very pleased to be put into the former group.. As an adult I've been lucky to travel to far flung place and swim in warm oceans and seas around the world, but I still remember days on the sometimes cold and windy beaches of the south coast with fond memories.

We lived by the sea on the West Coast of Scotland and went swimming as soon as it was warm enough. We then spent summer holidays at Granny's, near the East Coast where the North Sea was a bit colder, but we went swimming most days. How I miss the sea now when I live well inland.

I never learned to swim and it’s never bothered me. From the grammar school, we had to walk through Durham to the local baths and going back with wet/damp hair was a nightmare.
At the pool, I can’t remember any lessons - those who could swim did, while the rest of us bobbed around, trying to stay warm!
I enjoy a bit of a plodge (paddle) at the seaside, but that’s about it.

Gosh, no.

School swimming lessons weren't a thing in my primary school days, and grammar school involved trying to avoid being made to try a length with a shout old woman who stood on the side with what looked like a wooden window pole that was meant to encourage us.

I've had swimming lessons a couple of times as an adult, and eventually got brave enough to swim even in the deep end - but only if the side was within arm's length.

My brothers could swim but it didn't ever occur to my family that they should do so in the sea, although we had a week in Filey every year for many years. (We dug "elephant traps" on the beach - lightly moated sandcastles, not deliberate trip hazards 🏖️)

1980 and a group of mums and kids are picnicking on the shore by the Solent and the kids are in and out of the water. One of the dads joins us, he's the medical officer for the port of Southampton.
"Get those kids out of that water," he yells. He says it's really unsafe due to the toxicity of the sewage and other pollution.
I've been careful about sea swimming ever since.

Callistemon21, my father (RN in WW2, 2 years of the Battle of the Atlantic) used to quote Kipling (IIRC) - ‘…the old grey widow-maker’.
He was a good swimmer, though, and would encourage us.

We always swam in the sea on U.K. summer holidays. I do most certainly prefer warm water now, but once or twice in recent years - towards the end of a good summer! - we’ve found the sea in both Devon and on the S coast, amazingly warm.

As a child, I do recall swimming somewhere off the west coast of Scotland and being amazed at how much warmer the water was, than what I was used to in S coast U.K. Presumably it was down to the Gulf Stream effect.

We went to Margate now and again, I can swim but never enjoyed the sea, too cold even in Summer.A quick dip and out to get warm and make sandcastles suited me.

I've got cut off by the tide twice, once with friends when we were teenagers and we were rescued by two young men in a rowing boat who were obviously used to daft unsuspecting holidaymakers. The other time was quite frightening, I was with someone who should have known better and we were there at night until the tide went out.

Never under-estimate the sea. DH has a monthly DD to RNLI.

Jellyfish seem to be everywhere recently. 🪼 🪼 My friend in a wet suit was stung on the neck last year.

When I was about 5 I was paddling in the shallow waters at Croyde Bay Devon, a freak wave and strong tide took me out into the sea in seconds.
My father in seeing what happened dived in to try and save me (losing his glasses as he swam). But he wasn’t a strong enough swimmer, a man who was a very strong swimmer overtook him and managed to get to me.
My poor Dad had to drive home with his eyes glued to windscreen - he couldn’t see a thing.
After that my Dad was determined I should be a strong swimmer, he took me swimming lessons and we both swam every week. So I am a confident swimmer but the sea around this country is too cold and now too dirty.

We holidayed at Weston super Mare and also south Devon. Always played around in the sea. After a little mishap that left me rather upset at the time it has triggered a life long fear of water and swimming.

I remember being on holiday in Colwyn Bay when I was very young and we couldn't go in the sea because there was a shoal of jellyfish in the water.

I too think it's important to have a healthy respect for the sea Bluebelle and embrace it as a child if you live by it. You sound at one with it!
My DGC aged 6 and 8 are true fishes.
My father drowned in the sea, and I've worked hard to never allow that to deter my family and me from enjoying it.

Swimming in the sea was a part and parcel of my childhood, as was scraping the tar off my beach shoes when we got home. The pollution was more visible then.

Now I don't live near the sea and I'm not as strong a swimmer as I was. Still enjoy a few lengths in the local pool and splashing around with the Gchn.
My best swimming memory is of a very cold, clear lake- just me swimming from the rowing boat with OH holding the oars steady and shouting at me when a pike swam alongside for a moment. Not quite Jaws!

I have memories of being very small and swimming in the sea with my Grandparents at Eastbourne, Selsey and along the south coast. Then from 11 onwards it was always a summer holiday abroad.

We have lived close to the sea since I was 14, and now during the summer school holidays always take the GC down to the beach if the weather is warm, they paddle board or body board and swim.

I a, not an overly confident swimmer, but most times I have a dip in the sea if it’s warm enough.

On the summer weekends my dad used to drive us down to Ogmore or Llantwit major we used to go swimming there . I can remember how cold the sea was ! Especially walking back from swimming freezing cold with the sand lashing against me as it was always windy as well !

I was born and grew up on the coast and all local kids could swim like fish. All our spare time was spent swimming, making mud slides and jumping creeks.

My grammar school had a pool so I was in the swimming team. I won small cups for swimming both at school and at home in the annual regatta.

I don’t swim much now because I cannot find a warm enough pool - i hate feeling cold.

Well the ‘never had a holiday’ bit resonates I had one week in a caravan when I was 4 with mum and dad That was my one holiday and apparently I got food poisoning so don’t think they had a good time bless them
However we always lived by the sea so I was brought up in cold water and still love it, sea swimming all year round I m not a strong swimmer more of a dipper with little swims I just love the water it’s in my bones the sounds, the salty smells and tastes the very feel of it all Told them my ashes best go out to sea to feed the seals and fish 🤣🤣🤣

never learnt to swim so a paddle is all I had as a child..

had swimming lessons over the years but confidence is a problem....

At school the swimming teacher's idea of training was to tell the whole class to jump in. I nearly drowned and I've never tried it again.

Kate1949

Blimey. Other people's lives. I can't swim and never had a holiday as a child.

I was thinking exactly the same. Even days to the coast an hour away were rare. My parents struggled with feeding us, no money left for luxuries.
I taught myself to swim at the local swimming baths. If I remember correctly it was 1/-.
I earned half a crown for doing a neighbours shopping, enough for my bus fare, entry and a bag of chips.

I did however, ensure my own children had swimming lessons.

As a child I swam in the sea on holiday in Wales, and in Frinton where we went at weekends. I don't think children feel the cold! My DGC swim most summer evenings in the sea, along with the dogs who need no encouragement!

We holidayed at the British seaside, but despite the best efforts of my mother and grandmother, both county-level swimmers, I never learned to swim. So, whilst I’ve been in the sea around most of the UK, I’ve never swum in it (or any sea, anywhere).