Wild Swim: the book
Friday 1st July 2011
Tinside Lido, Burgh Island, Porthtowan tidal pool, Henleaze, the Thames (full moon) & Llyn Llydaw: to find all the locations in the first episode of Robson Green's Wild Swimming Adventure ITV, 8th & 15th December), buy Kate Rew's book Wild Swim.
"This programme was inspired by Wild Swim,' said Robson on the full moon swim he did with the OSS, 'I love this society.... Wild Swim has inspired me and countless others.'
To cross the threshold yourself, get the book, available from Amazon, all good bookshops, and in hardback (it makes a wonderful gift to hosts and friends). Take a Look inside. And join the OSS... We're here to get more pepole swimming.
MORE ABOUT WILD SWIM
Winter may be here, but swimming lives on in Wild Swim, equally well enjoyed from under the comfort of a 12 tog duvet as wet on a riverbank.
The ideal companion for anyone with a big heart and sense of adventure, this stunning and inspiring guide by Kate Rew, founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society, will take you on a wild journey across Britain, braving the elemnts to experience first hand some of the country's most awe-inspiring swim spots, from tidal pools on the coast of Cornwall to secret Fairy Pools in Scotland.
Waterfalls, natural jacuzzis, sea caves and meandering rivers, swims are described in loving detail. Each swim is a mini-adventure, accommodating humour, glee, beauty, discomfort and hard fact, as she and a group of fellow swimmers travel the country with enough common sense to avoid drowning and enough lunacy to dive in.
Beautifully photographed by Dominick Tyler and with a fully comprehensive map, Wild Swim contains something for every type of swimmer, from a 3 year old in waterwings and crocs to Ironman triathletes looking for some long distance adventure. It contains practical information about how to find over 300 great outdoor swims.
Now out in paperback (Guardian Books,RRP £12.99), this is the best thing you can buy yourself this Christmas. Swimming's free, right on your doorstep and makes you happy: what's not to love?
Reviews for Wild Swim:
"Kate Rew's suitably passionate guide to the best places to swim outdoors in Britain is a vital book. Hold it and salivate. Her prose is perfect. Page after page she nails things. Will have you hunched on the sofa as if with a stash of love letters." ANTONIA QUIRKE, THE NEW STATESMAN, 26 June 2008. Read more.
"A book in a noble tradition of nature writing, most recently kept alive by Richard Mabey, Roger Deakin and Robert MacFarlane, this book comes with a fine pedigree. Photographs by Dominick Tyler make you want to plunge in." THE INDEPENDENT, Picture Book of the Week, 14th June
“WILD SWIM is a bit like a glossy recipe book, only with pictures of delicious lakes and rivers where you would normally find souffles and stews, and mouth-watering descriptions in lochs and oceans instead of recipes...The photographs in the book are particularly splendid: Dominick Tyler, who took them, has a brilliant eye for texture and colour, and some have all the disarming beauty of great paintings…Kate Rew is obviously something of a mermaid..." Craig Brown, MAIL ON SUNDAY Book of the Week, 8 June 2008
"This is a wonderful - in the old sense of that term - and joyful romp of a book. Roger Deakin would have approved. So go on. Dive in." ROBERT MACFARLANE, AUTHOR OF THE WILD PLACES
"Brilliantly informative, poetically descriptive and beautifully photographed, this outdoor swimming guide will be loved by both intrepid adventurers and coffee-table fantasists alike...As much a travel guide as an outdoor swimming call-to-arms, it's original, refreshing and inspirational - much like taking a dive into the cool, turquoise waters about which she waxes lyrical." EASY LIVING, JULY 2008
"…it is a practical guide to pools and beauty spots combined with imagery that perfectly captures the freshness and freedom of elemental swimming. Rew describes what makes each experience so magical with accuracy and humour...WILD SWIM is a book born out of genuine love for its subject; serious swimmers and seaside paddlers alike should dip in." Charlotte Ross, EVENING STANDARD, 9 June 2008
"Spirited tales of dips in Fairy Pools on Skye, or snorkelling in the Isles of Scilly, are accompanied by dreamy photographs. The book certainly stirs a Girl Guide-ish enthusiasm for hardship - but don't let that stop you from enjoying it in the comfort and warmth of your own home." Harper’s BAZAAR, July issue
“…Rew, founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society, has been testing the water with all levels in mind, from half-mast-trouser paddles and leisurely lake swimming to the wild waves. Covering swims from the Hebrides to Cornwall, this is also a guide to great places to pitch up for the day – usually at an easy distance from a good, steamy-windowed café.” GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, July issue
"...reignite[s] that basic desire to run to the nearest riverbank, tear off all your clothes and jump in.... inspirational enough to keep you rooted to that armchair." SUNDAY TIMES, June 29 2008.
"Book of the year." BBC RADIO OXFORD
"...you can practically feel the cool water lapping at your toes as you turn each page. Illustrated with an evocative mixture of photographs by Dominick Tyler, this book highlights the best places to swim outdoors in Britain. From lidos and tidal pools to rivers and lakes, there are plenty of beautiful spots to choose from. Swimmers of all abilities are catered for...So that you are properly prepared, the book also contains advice on kit, in addition to techniques for swimming outdoors and important safety tips - in fact, everything you need before taking the plunge!" COUNTRY LIVING, JULY 08
PRESS: Kate Rew is available for TV, radio and print interviews. Please direct press and PR queries to admin@outdoorswimmingsociety.com. Kate can also be reached via anyone else on the OSS team page.
ISBN BOX: 978-0-85265-093-6
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