Poolside Percy

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside, in fact my favourite bit of the Norfolk coast, in front of Hunstanton Golf Course. Last gasp Saturday evening swim. Not as cold as I expected but should have bought my swimming hat. Larked about with J as MXO and GF looked on. Even managed a bit of body surfing. Cracking sunset rounded it all off. Back to cottage for fire and pasta all topped off with Chelsea beating Arsenal at their yard, perfect.

Water temp: 13 degrees It's a sunny Saturday morning. Arrived hot and sweaty on new bike via Gower Street and Queen's Crescent Market. Lots of bodies here today, more swimmers than wetsuits in the water, when I finally pluck up the courage this is gonna be good. There's no hiding when you're standing next to a pool in your trunks all hatted and goggled up, you gotta go for it. Beautiful, beautiful swim. Swam 16 lovely lengths.

Water temp: 14 degrees Yep, back for more Lidoness. It's not that I'm unhappy working from home on a Friday morning in my lovely warm cottage, radio on, freezer full of crumpets, more Marmite than you could spread thinly from here to Mars. No, I have compulsions that mean I have to leave the homeliness and cycle over the biggest hill in London then throw myself in to a freezing cold pool of chlorinated water. Great innit. Hardly a soul at The Lido, more swimmers than wetsuiters. Set myself a target of ten, really did 12 cos' I wanted to race a geezer in his rubber gear and flash goggles, you didn't stand a chance, I don't normally do that kind of thing, well sometimes. Ordered some new Aqua Sphere Tinted Vista Goggles as mine keep leaking and steaming up.

Water temp: 14 degrees That's right folks, 14 degrees. It's the most beautiful morning ever witnessed, I get up pretty early for a Saturday and I'm at The Lido at 11:15. The pool temperature sign which foretells me of my fate fills me with a sense of fear and excitement. So, I set myself a target of 10 lengths, if you're lucky, I should really get in first before making such bold predictions. The staff and the regulars have congregated outside the café for end of season corporation croissants and coffee, I'll join them after a few lengths. I dive in, yes it is very cold but I can deal with that, I will warm up. I turn on the style. At length nine or ten I realise that it's not that cold, or the cold has numbed my senses, whichever, the voice inside me determines I'm going for the end of season mile. Cold and elated I lie on the side at the shallow end, panting, swirling, exhilarated. A rubber clad female swimmer tells me I am hardy, I feel out of ...

Water temp: 15 degrees Early morning cycle/dip/cycle. Happy to say the temperature hasn't dropped during the night, but as man say, that's probably top-end to bottom-end 15. "I must be mad" I hear a sane voice inside me cry, a trapped voice. After a fair number of delaying tactics I find myself, hatted and goggled poolside. Oh my word, who knew that a big hole full of cold, chlorinated water could feel so good. Set myself a target of six, swam 10. Delicious. Last year I swam in the Lido until October 28, water temp 12 degrees, could go one better.

Water temp: 15 degrees After work dippy dip, water temperatures continue to plummet. A rather lovely 16 lengths. Job done, sped home.

Water temp: 16 degrees Wednesday after work workout. Beautiful late summer's evening. Temperature has plummeted by one degree. I felt this was the last opportunity to swim a mile in the The Lido this summer, at 16 lengths it was make or break, got cold feet and bottled it, that is my feet were getting rather cold and I got cold feet. Cycled home for dhal and Chelsea v Juventus. Dhal was better than the football, about 8.5 on the dhalometer.

Water temp: 17 degrees Apres work dip. Gorgeous if slightly chilly Tuesday afternoon. The Lido is looking all shimmery, sparkly and lovely. Forgot my swimming shorts, borrowed a big orange pair from the attendant. Place is quiet, almost silent apart from the odd splash or my massive gasp as I emerge from from my dive. The thermostat is stuck on 17 for the third day running, fine by me. Plodded along to a 10 lengths. This really was an almost perfect swim, I considered doing a few more lengths but thought I didn't want to spoil it. Be back soon. Cycled home to start Spanish course at The Institute.

Water temp: 17 degrees I left work feeling overcast, cold, worn out and a bit dishevelled from Saturday's booze up. Really didn't feel like swimming. As I reached the junction of Gordon House Road and Highgate road I looked left and spotted a sunny patch of blue in the western sky, that was enough for me, full of hope and promise I pedalled off to the Lido. The sunshine never materialised but the swim left me feeling rejuvenated, full of life and glad that I'd made the effort. Bumped in to V. and a couple of her mates outside the San Siro. Must pop in and see Tino soon.

Water temp: 17 degrees Scorching hot weekend in London, shame that my sister and I chose to go swimming during the overcast and dreary bit. The photo really flatters what was a very grey morning. My mild hangover didn't really help matters, I felt cold and was done by length nine or ten. We went and sought refuge in the cafe on Fleet Road. Sun came out good and proper in the afternoon, lazy, hazy time in a secluded spot over Primrose Hill.

Water temp: 16 degrees Sixteen degrees? You turn your back for a second and the temperature plummets. There again, as one wise old sage said today, that's 16 to go. Thursday morning sunshine swim. With my rubber hat, goggles, trunks and some trepidation I leapt to my fate. Marvellous, swam 10 divine, cloudless lengths. I was flying all day, buzzing even. I can't wait to do it all over again soon.

Water temp: 19 degrees Last gasp swim before closing. The ponds are now closing at 6:30pm, boo. Sun is still up at 6:10, hooray. Just enough time to do a big lap and a couple of better than average dives, I've been practising me dives, it's all coming together, sort of. My diving is on a parallel with my Spanish, I'm only a small spring away from one almighty planchazo Glad I made the effort, it was the swim or cycle up Highgate West Hill, again. Gotta take your chances this time of year. Who wants to swim indoors? Not me. Cycled home to watch England struggle against Ukraine. Photo: cold pond water

Roasting hot day in UK, 27 degrees, the rest of the world laughs at our idea of a roasting hot day. Small family trip up to Hertfordshire for the last swim of the season at Letchworth. Lots of splashing about and chucking balls around. Careful, the sign says 'No horseplay', tried to explain this expression to our Spanish companion who looked nonplussed, or is that perplejo? Cafe ran out of chips, we had the last portion of 2012. Photo: David Phasey

Beautiful September afternoon. It's about 26 degrees, 20 in the water. I've been here since 12.30. Place is pretty busy, too hot and lovely to swim lengths, been in a few times to cool off. Bumped in to J with her kids, chatted to her for a couple of hours. Apparently she was life guard at the ladies pond years ago, she told me she kept the key to the back gate so she could let herself in for private night time swims. Unfortunately the locks got changed. I only found out there was a back gate last week, why would I need to know that anyway? It's getting hotter by the minute and it's gone 5 o'clock.

Water temp: 19 degrees Gorgeous afternoon in London. Shot up The Lido straight after work. Bumped in to Dr. E again, spent most of my time chatting to him, can't really be doing with swimming lengths when there's a lane rope, seems very wrong somehow. Went to see Judas Kiss at Hampstead Theatre, Rupert Everett was in it.

Water temperature: 19 degrees After work swim. Was still feeling a wee bit stiff after the Pondathon, left bicep was telling me how old I am, I chose to ignore it. I arrived at 5:30 which gave me just enough time to set a Lido personal best, that's 34 freestyle lengths, 2040m, quite a few nautical hectares. Who needs the Olympics?

Water temperature: 19 degrees Lovely September evening, the water has even warmed up since yesterday. Pool has been divided in to three, a few people hanging around. Swam in the big lane, it's big enough for about five lanes, managed about 16 lengths, swam till kicking out time. Bumped in to Dr. E. and an old friend.

Water temp: 18 degrees It's 8 o'clock in the morning. Picked up a copy of The metro and had a bit of a read before my swim. Water felt clean and silky this morning, only managed about 8 lengths tho'. Rolled off to work. Boo.

Photo: Laura Nolte Axxa and I met at The Lido at 8am, which is in it's way a remarkable achievement, I've known Axxa a long time, we're more used to tripping and stumbling around Glastonbury or falling in/out of parties at 8am. Brief overview of the Pondathon. Three lengths of The Lido, run to the men's pond (one lap swimming), run to the ladies' pond (one lap of), across to the mixed pond (one lap of), high tail it to the running track. Now, I really did this to swim in the ladies pond. OK, I didn't get much time to check it out, I felt very honoured to be there, it's a very special place. That's us in the blue and black swimming hats, swimming not wading. I really enjoyed the race, not sure what our time was yet, but I'll definitely do it again next year. A big thank you to the organisers and a well done to everybody who took park. Photo of ladies' pond: Laura Nolte

Water temp: 18 degrees Saturday afternoon. Warmish, 23 degrees, lazy old sun, cloudy old clouds. Duathlon tomorrow so no heroics today, still feeling a wee bit stiff from yesterday's dress rehearsal. Cruised to 16 lengths. The pool cleaning robot was in at closing time, making it all nice and shiny for tomorrow. Sun came out at 6.20, glorious stuff, chatted to one of the regulars about reprogramming your brain in order to eat less.