How far have you got so far in the summer swim challenge? I haven’t made as much progress as I’d hoped in the first week of August, so perhaps getting to London in a month is a bit of a big ask. I haven’t yet lost all hope though. Swimming the distance to London is a tough ask anyway, but Wotton Swimming Pool is really helping me out this summer by having extended its season substantially until the 25th of September! Once the schools are back, the Pool will be operating under the brand new September opening hours: Weekdays 3pm until 4.30; then lane swimming 6.30 until 7.30; Saturday and Sunday 10am until 12, then 2pm until 4pm. These opening hours are very similar to the term time opening hours, but with just one change: with the onset of autumn, the shorter evenings will mean that a shorter evening swim is necessary. It’s a bit tough on the lifeguards to keep an eye on swimmers when it’s getting dark! However, there is still a good hour to get that final stretch (Uxbridge to Dave’s house in Downing Street?) completed successfully! As every evening remains a lane swimming session, this too ensures that you will get a decent chance to cover some distance, or if you’ve been spending your summer swimming for fitness, you will be able to continue without the added trial of negotiating your way around enthusiastic splashers and divers. These mentions of autumn and swimming might have made a few of you burst out into goosebumps, but there’s no need. Wotton Pool is heated (unfortunately still with mains electricity, but the future plan is to get the solar panels established as soon as possible) and kept at least at 28 C, throughout the swimming season. And you never know, perhaps early autumn will match this year’s spring with a prolonged spell of balmy evenings.. We can but hope! Miss Minnow