Queens Jubilee Charity Swim Challenge - June 5 2012 - By Lorraine Rate

We doing Skins or suit today?

5 June 2012, in order to boost funds for our Chalkwell Redcap 2012 Charity Challenge, I organised a Queens Jubilee Charity Swim in the River Crouch at South Woodham Ferrers.




27 swimmers took to the water, all agreeing to donate £5 towards our chosen charities.

I think we are swimming that way !





Brrrrr ! defo suit for this one



Hurry Up Lorraine - We are freezing - Can't we just Swim

I see Mrs Tyrant is'nt swimming, but she makes damn sure we have to.

Im going half suit, half skin !

Weather looking gloomy, but it was actually OK

Distances of 1/2, 1 or 2 miles were set for the challengers and flags were set along the coastline to mark the various distances.

Swimmers were invited from The Chalkwell Redcaps Open Water Swimming Club, Blackwater Triathlon Club, Chelmsford
Swimming Club, and a few of my other long term swimming mates from days past.

  



Must pay attention to Mrs Tyrant's Rules !



The Charities are RNLI and Essex Search & Rescue.




The majority of the swimmers took to the water in a wetsuit with a few die-hards going without.

Boats all ready, and they're off

On the day, we collected nearly £400, and added to the on-line donations, the event raised approximately £500 for charity.

Bye Mrs Tyrant - Nice knowin ya

 I was relieved that the day  went without a hitch. 

And they came out smiling.

Well almost.  Un-be-known to everyone, I got there very early with the intention of lining the coast with Red, White and Blue balloons.  On opening my boot, they all flew out in the wind and all popped on the bramble bushes! - great start !. 

Lovely picture

Fighting back the tears, coz clearly my whole day was now ruined because of my lost balloons - on my own, I then had to chase a rolling black sack full of balloons up the road to try to prevent loosing the remaining few.  Hilarious! and so glad no one witnessed it!  Do I laugh or do I cry?

More smiles

Thank God Derrick arrived early to assist in putting up the flags as Chris had had a last minute calling to the golf club!!!!! say no more !!!!! so I had no 'set-up' assistance.

And even more, so glad you enjoyed it

I guess the flags went un-noticed on the day as the wind prevented me from hanging them across the poles that I had bought down, so we had to make do with twisting them round a fence post.   They were there honest!

Special thankyou has to go to all the volunteers that offered their time and valueable experience to making the event run smoothly. 

Yep, head still there !

Kayak and boat support from Chalkwell Redcaps Open Water Swimming Club, Blackwater Triathlon Club, SWF Yacht Club, and close friend and past Channel Swimmer 'Water Slave' Karen Eyles, along with husband Roger, provided additional kayak and first aid support.

All the trouble I went to getting a celebrity, and no-one even
noticed Noel Edmunds swimming

Volunteers collecting money, selling raffle tickets, checking swimmers in and out of the water, feeding them home made cakes, all gave their time free of charge.

Must get the crabs off me toes before I come out

The generosity of all those involved meant that every single penny raised was able to go direct to the charities.  So thankyou everyone.

A special thank you goes to Lee at The Whalebone Pub who catered superbly with 50 hungry mouths all decending in the pub at the same time for a social.






Lee donated additional money and a fabulous raffle prize of a 'meal for two' at The Scrimshaws restaurant (which I am delighted to say, was won by a Redcap, Julie Dempsey).  He fed all the hungry swimmers free of charge.

Look at all those lovely prizes.

I am absolutely delighted that all swimmers enjoyed the day and the swim. Without the full support of everyone involved, I could not have done this so a very special personal thankyou from me.

Special thanks to our No. 1 kayaker, Andy.

I was wondering how to thank Lee for his generosity and Derrick Griffiths came up with the idea of a group of us doing a training swim in the Crouch, you can all pop back to mine afterwards to use the hair-dryer and put your lippy on (men as well if nec.!) and then I could book a table in Scrimshaws restaurant and we could all go for a nice meal.  All interested, email me your names and I will organise a nice little dip for us soon.

Phew, all counted in and out safely.

And so to the raffle.  Only possible because
many people donated prizes.  I would suspect
at least another £50 was taken in raffle money.
Thankyou.

Happy Days.

THE COUNTDOWN TO C.P.C.P.C.P.C IS ON. ONLY 6 WEEKS TO GO !

And Mrs Tyrant didn't even charge for the cakes or drink - thats a first!