Downstream

you want a controlled,
managed environment and
some recognition at the end
like a medal. There is a fear
about open water and what’s
underneath you. Swimming
for anyone under fifty is what
you do in heated pools, but
there’s been a reawakening of
interest in open-water swims.
We are warned against the
Thames and open water, more
so than we need to be.’
There are times, however,