Synchronised sinking or swimming?

"WHAT HAPPENED AT THE SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING?!" I hear you cry... well

On arrival at the pool I was introduced to Yvonne, the poor soul whose task it was to turn me into a water ballerina. Handing me a fetching frilly swimming cap, she asked me to get into the water and show her my 'strokes'. "Great", I think, this'll be easy peasy... "I have a bronze lifesaver badge!" ... Foolish. After the first excruciating half hour watching me splash about like a beached whale Yvonne whispered to Ben (BBC Essex's sport journalist who was recording my ritual humiliation) "I don't think she'll manage a routine".

But I proved her wrong when she asked me to do the 'eggbeater'. A bizarre stroke where the top half of your body remains still whilst you whisk your legs about like crazy (like an egg beater) in order to stay afloat... It turns out that I'm expert 'eggbeater'. Things continued to go well when I picked up 'skulling' like a pro. I then let myself down when taught how to perform a move called 'the tub'... The only 'tub' I plan to have in my life from now on contains ice cream.

Me - mid 'tub'

However, all was not lost, as I redeemed myself on the the next move, which involved my doing the front crawl and saluting... so cheesy it came second nature.

Front crawling and saluting at the same time

My 'back layout' was also pretty nifty (mainly as all it involves is floating about on your back like a plank of wood!)

Back layout-ing like a pro... except, from my experssion, it looks like I'm about to expire!

The end result wasn't to Olympic standard and did involve a little too much splashing, accompanied by the odd spluttered expletive. But I managed it! I've also walked away with...

A) A lot of respect for anyone who can do synchro, as it 'aint as easy as it looks
B) A dodgy knee
C) A frilly swimming cap

I'm still trying to get my hands on the item to post up here permanently, but if you can't wait to listen to my adventure go here... Click on Ray Clark's Breakfast Show for Friday 24th June, my swimming adventure appears twice in the show, the first time is about 20 minutes in from the start

G x

I'll be swimming... but will it be synchronised?

I'm hoping to look this graceful

Work are doing an Olympics Challenge, where each member of the team has a shot at one of the 2012 Olympic sports in the hope to get them all done by the opening ceremony.

Don't ask what came over me, or why I did it, but I did... I stupidly agreed to have a splash at synchronised swimming. There are a few problems with this...

A) Bathing suit

B) I hate getting water in my ears, eyes and nose

C) I'm not a strong swimmer

D) I am not flexible and cannot do a handstand

E) ... BATHING SUIT!

To try and take my mind off the technicalities (and water up nose scenario) I thought I'd do a bit of research into the sport, and have found it's origins are rather interesting, with a very vintage link. Here are some interesting facts, swimming in a figure of 8...

1) Initially, synchronized swimming was known as water ballet, with the first competition held in 1891 in Berlin. From here the sport became increasingly popular and continued to develop, competitions in those days were undertaken in lakes and rivers, so you'd be keeping time with the fishes as well!

2) It didn't only have a sport format... During the 1900s larger Music Halls featured synchronised swimming in their programmes, using specially equipped on-stage tanks! 

3) Originally a Gentleman's sport, Ladies soon adopted the pastime as the nature of the physical movements are more suited to the female physique (it's something to do with the centre of gravity.) 

4) By 1907, the sport was growing in popularity, helped by Annette Kellerman, an Australian water ballerina who performed in a glass tank at the New York Hippodrome.

5) Another pivotal water Goddess was Katherine Curtis who experimented various diving actions and stunts and started one of the first water ballet clubs at the University of Chicago, where the team soon began executing strokes, tricks and floating formations.

6) Between 1933-1934, Kathrine Curtis then organised a show called "The Modern Mermaids", for the World Exhibition in Chicago. The announcer introduced as "Synchronised Swimming". This was the first mention of the term, although Curtis still used the term rhythmic swimming in her book, 'Rhythmic Swimming: A Source Book of Synchronized Swimming and Water Pageantry' (quite a mouthful!)

7) It was Hollywood, and the champion swimmer Esther Williams, who popularised the sport through elaborately staged scenes in Hollywood films such as 'Bathing Beauty' (1944), 'Million Dollar Mermaid' (1952), and 'Jupiter's Darling' (1955). Even Miss Piggy had a go in the film 'The Great Muppet Caper' (1981).

8) It took sometime for the sport to officially enter the Olympics, despite the first demonstration being in the 1952 Olympic Games, it did not become an official Olympic sport until the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.

Today I take the plunge and have my lesson, all of which shall be recorded for general public scrutiny/mockery. If you don't hear from me after today, you know that I have...

A) Died of shame

B) Drowned

But I hope neither will happen... wish me luck!

G x

Holidays

Ello, I'm back, albeit briefly, to share some snaps of my very swift holiday. Him and me drove up to York on Friday, the weather was glorious so we had a mooch around York, had afternoon tea at Betty's Tea Rooms and spent some time in the National Rail Museum. I really do wish that I could up sticks and move to York, it's such a beautiful city.

Upstairs at Betty's Tea Rooms York... swoon!

Chris amidst the maple deco panel work

my favourite, the Yorkshire Fat Rascal...

I presume it's called the Fat Rascal as it's almost bigger than your face!

Me and a rather swish art deco train called "The Duchess of Hamilton"

Note to self... nightly Bile Beans keep you healthy bright eyed and slim!

Saturday saw us drive to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and we idled away a few hours on some lovely steam trains, I have never seen such gorgeous carriages as the ones here and the journey is very long, I cannot recommend a day out here highly enough. We took the train from Pickering to Goathland (where the TV series Heartbeat was filmed) but you can choose to carry on as far as Whitby, I imagine that's a rather spectacular trip.

Inside the train carriage, I love all the little deco details

wooden train carriages

Goathland, also known as Aidensfield, home of Heartbeat

Aidensfield (Goathland) high street

We the drove up to Alnwick as Chris was playing a gig, here he is mid solo...

Chris with Harry Strutters Hot Rhythm Orchestra

On Sunday we went to  one of the UK's largest second hand bookshops... Barter Books. Housed in Alnwick's old railway station, this place is something else! I could have spent all day in there.

Getting ready for some book lust

Books... old and new!

They have red velvet chaises to lounge upon whilst reading... plus! Why does Alnwick have to be so far away?!

Now I'm back home, sulking as the weather's naff and I have to do grown up things!

In other news... service on this blog will be sporadic until mid August I'm afraid, and I cannot completely divulge why at present, except that it's rather exciting and as soon as I can tell you I shall. A little clue is that it involves approximately 20 lites of paint, most of it, green!

I'll be back soon

G xx