Poolside Percy

Parliament Hill Lido Water temperature: 18 degrees Well, well well. Summer has returned. Pre-work swim, loads of people here. Nice. Swam about eight or ten lengths, shoulder hurt a bit after press-ups yesterday. Reluctantly went to work. Resisted the crumpet with Marmite this morning. Good idea. Pool didn't close at 9:30. Odd. Opening till 3:30 during the heatwave. September is the wettest swimming month on record. Official.

Water temperature: 17 degrees Pre-work swim, eight lengths, mini heat wave. Nice to be back. Magical. Shouldn't have eaten that crumpet with Marmite for breakfast.

Water temperature: 15 degrees After work swim. Pretty damn chilly. Abandoned my usual routine and swam towards the sunny side of the pond hoping to find warm currents. Heat wave promised. Lifeguard the Lido is extending opening hours. Pint with big sister in The Bull and Last.

Lazy Saturday afternoon swim. Walked from Westminster with a mild hangover, had two cans of Coke on the way. After the vast open spaces of Parliament Hill Lido the pool felt a bit cramped, even with only three swimmers in a lane. Couldn't really get it together. Nearly bailed out after 33 lengths bur the middle lane was empty so I swam on till the lane got busy again.. Managed 45 lengths which isn't bad at all, pretty damn good actually. Bought at model James Bond car for DW, Lotus Esprit, the one that goes underwater. Could have done with one of those today.

Highgate Men's Pond Water temperature: 16 degrees Summer season over at the Lido so it's off to the ponds for after work swims. Not been here for ages and hardly at all this summer. Lovely evening, sun was still just about out. Couple of laps. Really glad I made the effort. I really don't want to go back to swimming indoors. Well chuffed with my camera phone pic. Highgate Men's Pond

Parliament Hill Lido Water temperature: 16 degrees Last day of the summer season. Nice atmosphere today. The lifeguards were all having fun. Swam 20 lengths. What am going to do on Saturday/Sunday afternoons and after work. Hopefully the ponds will be open, but it is getting a bit cold, no hot showers at the ponds. Anyway, there's still pre work swims. My season ticket runs out in November. Counting the months till May.

Parliament Hill Lido Water temperature: 17 degrees Saturday afternoon swim. Came prepared for the afternoon. Thought I'd swim, eat, read swim, eat etc. Swam 10 lengths, ate, forgot to bring a paper, got cold, shivered, ate some more, shivered a lot more, watched the clouds, left just as it started raining.

Parliament Hill Lido Water temperature: 16 degrees After my long cycle ride with DW to school  in the morning, the Lido is a very tranquil place. Not that my cycle ride is on busy roads or anything, I just love the calmness. Really leisurely swim, managed about six lengths. The chatty ladies with the hats are back. They're chatting so much that they're almost forgetting to swim, their legs are pretty much vertical in the water. Loads to catch-up on I guess. Almost the end of the summer season. Oh well, I've made the most of it. Passed another stokerless tandem this morning.

Parliament Hill Lido Water temperature : 16 degrees Pre-work swim after dropping DW off at school. Lovely morning. Managed eight lengths, that's good enough I reckon.

Parliament Hill Lido Water temperature: 16 degrees Sneaky pre-work swim. Had to swim under the pipe for the pool cleaning machine. Pretty cool machine, it's got a remote control and an auto-pilot, no wonder the pool is always so beautiful and clean. Lots of regulars in today. swam 12 lengths.

Water temperature: 17 degrees After work swim. Managed about 10 lengths. Beautiful evening.  

Parliament Hill Lido Water temperature: 18 degrees After a hot and sweaty day at home I cycled off for late swim at the Lido. Popped in to LA Sports on Highgate Road to buy a new pair of Zoggs. Still can't find my season ticket, can't be bothered with the hassle of getting a new one. Staff are very relaxed about such things. Anyway, big black clouds revealed the odd patch of blue, but probably not enough to patch that sailorman's trousers. Started to rain as I was getting changed. One way or another, I was going to get wet. Water reheated itself to a very balmy 18 degrees. As soon as I was in I knew I was going to swim a mile today. Sun came out after about 40 minutes, even had the pleasure of a rainbow. This was turning in to a stunning swim. Pool slowly emptied out. By 6:20 is was just me and one other swimmer, I felt like offering him money to get out so I could have the place to myself. He must have read my mind, 10 whole luxurious minutes of the pool to mys...

Parliament Hill Lido Water temperature: 16 degrees After work swim. Water was a bit chilly so only managed about 10 lengths before lounging around the deep end in my boxer shorts. Beautiful late summer's evening.

Water temperature: 20 degrees Saturday afternoon swim with Karen, Tom and DW. DW last one in again.

Vespas Water temperature: 20 degrees Roasting hot day in London. DW seeing out the end of the school holidays with Tom H at the Lido. Bombed over there after work. Bumped in to Tilly. DW last one in. Nice time.