Well it was another stonking year for us here at the Selsey Sea Bathing Society. Here are some obvious stand outs, but there are so much more of course, but here's a few in non particular order:
Some of us began the year with a Fisherman's Friends shantymen trip to the theatre (courtesy of the Molls!)
Donna swam the Solent in very bumpy conditions! Bea swam around St Michael's Mount and no doubt there were many other great swimming feats that took place!
Adi and Sally began counting dips and making lovely little signs which became very popular with some counting over 300 (or is it 400 by now?!) dips in 2024 which is simply incredible!
Some made up to 4 trips a day in the summer up and down the Chichester Road just for dips by Phil/Wendy/Joan/Yvette and no doubt a few more!
We had our 5th birthday party up the east coast a little. And it was made even more special by having the Molls to sing for us on the beach.
Love was in the sea air this year! Sally, Adi, Donna, Matt, Jo, Nikki, Angela and Melissa all made our hearts sing with romance and joy!
Many new folk joined us to take up this incredible cold-water-dipping-and-swimming past time.
We got invited to be filmed by the BBC for the series Saving Lives at Sea (in this episode, about the Selsey RNLI and a particular rescue they undertook). And this, we are told, has not been left on the cutting room floor and will be shown in July 2025! Watch this space!
We celebrated the light and dark with summer and winter solstices and the odd full moon dips and read poems and toasted (big) marshmallows.
Phil took some of us on a walk around his old stomping ground of Slindon.
A sauna finally arrived in the area (even closer one in 2025) for even better health and wellbeing by the seaside for those who enjoy this past time.
We had some wonderful guest blogs (if you haven't read them, they're on the blog section of the website).
Membership subs were kindly all collected by Joan to cover website and domain name costs, as well as a life-saving device (yet to be installed!) with funds left over for whatever eventualities we may require at some point (such as a new first aid box) and if there's anything you think we need, just mention it next time we meet.
The London Lidos trip never quite got off the ground this year, but a few made it up to Diver's Cove in Surrey for a quarry swim instead!
The low tide rounders got cancelled on both occasions due to bad weather, as did the World Hat Day event :(
Some helped us out by weather watching and reporting on live conditions at the beach.
Angela wrote a song about her experience swimming with us in the sea called Win The Morning Win The Day. Watch this here.
Our Christmas bash this year was hosted at Diane and Johnny's and was as fun and special as it always is, with a touch of carol and Selsey Moll singing! Great money was raised for a website for the Selsey Beach Litter Ninjas, so thank you for all who donated.
And amazingly, none of us aged because we spent time in and by the sea!!
So THANK YOU to each and every one of you. Whether you dipped your toe in, or sat and watched and chatted, contributed to the FB/Whatsapp threads, or immersed yourself for 500 times in 365 days come rain or shine! It's what makes this community special. And in that, is what makes it special for each and every one of us.
HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone reading this. None of us quite knows what 2025 will bring humankind and our troubled Earth, but what I do know is that this little space, here between us all and the sea, is exactly where we need to be - in love with nature and being in community with each other. Offering help and sharing bits of our lives with each other. So raise a glass and toast each other and the sea, for it's what makes the world turn more brightly on its axis for each and every one of us. Cheers!
Here's a few snapshots of our 2024. There are hundreds, so it's a quick overview of some of the fantastic fun we've had! Just click the image to open up to scroll through 43 more. There are so many more but my laptop will crash if I try and upload any more!
And for those of you struggling with illness at the moment, don't forget the words of the great Carole King, which are so relevent to this community... you've got a friend ...
With love to you all, Justine xxxx
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