NF01 November/December 2023
Issue one of nearfield celebrates new beginnings across the region. We get excited about the reopening of Bristol Beacon, meet the hardy dippers revelling in the cold waters of the restored Cleveland Pools, find out what the Bristol Old Vic's new artistic director has planned; and explore the vintage shops, upcycling workshops, and reclamation yards breathing fresh life into old. We also keep readers moving through winter with a guide to indoor and outdoor activities, and meet the Icebreakers in our first community takeover. Plus we round up all the best events, experiences, and food and drink in the southwest this winter.
Issue one of nearfield celebrates new beginnings across the region. We get excited about the reopening of Bristol Beacon, meet the hardy dippers revelling in the cold waters of the restored Cleveland Pools, find out what the Bristol Old Vic's new artistic director has planned; and explore the vintage shops, upcycling workshops, and reclamation yards breathing fresh life into old. We also keep readers moving through winter with a guide to indoor and outdoor activities, and meet the Icebreakers in our first community takeover. Plus we round up all the best events, experiences, and food and drink in the southwest this winter.
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Cleveland Pools 55<br />
“Last year I didn’t swim in a wetsuit.<br />
I was more into the freezing-cold<br />
skin-burn and not being able to think<br />
about anything else. But I thought with<br />
proper swimming and longer distances,<br />
I probably couldn’t hack that.”<br />
Warleigh Weir, Farleigh Hungerford, the Irish<br />
Sea. Georgie Bassford prefers to be in the water<br />
and, for the most part, for it to be skin-prickly<br />
c-o-o-l-l-l-d. That’s why she’s pulling on her hat<br />
and gloves for Surfers Against Sewage’s Dip<br />
a Day in October fundraiser.<br />
“I don’t mind swimming in rivers, even when<br />
they’re dirty – I just don’t put my head under.<br />
But this is a great option. You’ve got a bit of<br />
both. In the middle of winter when the rivers<br />
are in flood and I can’t get to the sea because<br />
it’s too far away, this is great for a cold dip.”<br />
“I feel the<br />
same about<br />
indoor pools<br />
as I do about<br />
supermarkets<br />
– they make me<br />
feel cooped up”<br />
“It’s easy to say now in October, but the plan is<br />
to go right through. Last year I did a few cold<br />
dips, and I have cold<br />
showers, too. I’m keen,<br />
but it’s not easy. I’m<br />
a bit of a wimp, really.<br />
Anyone who does coldwater<br />
swimming, no one<br />
finds it easy do they?<br />
People who don’t do it<br />
are always like, ‘How do<br />
you do it? I’d find it so<br />
cold.’ I’m like, ‘But I find<br />
it cold!’”<br />
To book a cold-water<br />
swim at Cleveland Pools,<br />
download the Fusion<br />
Lifestyle app<br />
thenearfield.com<br />
<strong>NF01</strong>