Where the Wild Swims Are

New year, new you, new Cursed Objects - let’s dive in! This week, Kasia breaks the ice and takes us on a plunge into the cursed and blessed world of wild, outdoor and cold water swimming – while Dan nervously dips a toe in to see if he can hack the chills and spills.

Wild swimming – or “swimming”, as it was sometimes known historically – has taken on an outsized and fascinating role in British culture in the last decade or so. How did we go from over 300 lidos dotted around the country to a situation where people are submerging themselves in urban rivers RIDDLED with e.coli, or indeed tragically drowning while swimming in unsupervised ‘unofficial’ spots?

We discuss the stunning mental health benefits of shocking your body swimming outdoors, especially profound in what Kasia calls “the hard floor of winter” – or in Dan’s case, shouting “WIM HOF!” and bellowing Daniel Bedingfield songs while having cold showers. 

Can places like Hampstead Heath’s famous ponds provide the urban community and conviviality neoliberalism has been stripping away from us? Even while it faces down political controversies and Bougie London Literary Woman jokes?

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