Wild Water (2023) Movie Script
1
(muffled voices and foot steps)
(vehicle driving past)
(thoughtful music)
(splashing and swimming)
Sunrise coming over Gaddings Dam on the water,
it's a brand new day, it's a brand new feeling.
(soft upbeat music)
It's a really special place for a lot of people,
and a lot of people feel like it's their place.
It's definitely spiritual.
It kind of puts everything in perspective.
When you get to the top, see that view,
it's on top of the world.
That is a fantastic feeling.
(dramatic music)
Everybody's got a story
about why they're doing it.
(upbeat music)
It usually starts very enthusiastic.
Everyone's like, "Yeah, we're all up for this."
Supporting or going with people
who are doing the January Daily Dip for the first time
or are in their first week or couple of weeks of swims,
it's quite exciting.
(upbeat music)
The January Daily Dip started 'cause I was going to Gaddings
with a group of friends only throughout winter.
It was 2017.
There was all this stuff in the news
about the refugees coming over..
We came up with the idea of like,
"Well, shall we try swimming through January
to raise some money?"
And we thought we might raise like 500 quid or something.
(everyone screaming) (soft upbeat music)
Because people saw it on social media
because there was nobody swimming outdoors then, in winter,
people were like, "Who are these nutters?"
(waves crashing softly)
And so, people came to join us and it just built up slowly.
Year on year, it's got bigger and bigger.
I call this hill the hateful hill,
because it's so incredibly steep.
It takes so long to climb it.
You get out of breath.
But it's good exercise.
It's good for your stamina.
I always sit on this stone here.
It's a love-hate relationship, this hill.
I love it when I get to the top and I hate climbing it, so.
But yeah!
Sadly, I'm 69, but a fit 69.
It's a happy place.
It's a place that makes me feel relaxed,
and you meet a lot of good people up here as well.
(metal creaking, wooden gate opening)
My relationship with Gaddings is magical.
When you open that big swinging gate,
that for me is, when you walk into a portal
to let go of everything.
You're walking up and you see the valley
and the magnificence.
It's almost like it's a painting
because it's just so soft and beautiful.
Even when it's battering it down, it's hailstone,
it's like, "Come on, hit me more, hit me more."
(wind blowing)
I love swimming from a young age. I've loved the water.
I was on a retreat and we walked to this pond,
and I went in.
Then I was screaming.
So, I'd never heard this sound coming out of me before.
And that was my first introduction to cold water.
(waves crashing softly) (wind blowing)
But I didn't realise how powerful just that was
until a little bit later on.
(soft banjo playing)
(birds chirping)
Bloody 'ell, whole cavalry's here!
We all just started coming up on a Saturday,
meeting at nine.
And then, more people started coming.
We're all friends. But some of us have met up here,
haven't we?
We've met you up here.
Yeah, he used to just sit in the corner
with his towel wrapped around him.
Yeah, he was 'Cornerman'
(everyone laughing)
And now he's become one of us.
(soft banjo playing)
Croissants and coffee and swim and chat and crying.
I nearly said cry. Quite a lot of crying.
A lot of crying.
A lot of laughing. More laughing.
More laughing.
Lots of weeing.
(laughter)
[camera person] There's a warm patch just over there.
Yeah, its a bit of wee.
(laughter)
[swimmer] Glad to be of service.
It's like a foot bath at the swimming pool.
It kills all the bacteria.
When you get home afterwards, just like, "Oh my God,
I've just done that. Like I can really do my day now."
And you might not come out for a walk
if it's horrible weather,
but for some reason, we come for a swim.
(upbeat music)
I used to go walking,
and every walk, I'd walk past water.
And then one day, I were walking past, I got in.
But it was frightening 'cause of the shock.
It was November,
so it was quite dangerous, but I learnt a lot from it.
And then, coming away, I just felt so at peace with it.
It's calmed my ADHD down a lot.
Like I'm nowhere near as hyperactive and fast moving.
I've come from a cocaine addict,
selling drugs, constantly through my teens,
and then, in my twenties getting wrecked all the time.
I used to act like I was fine,
but I was far, far, far from it.
No one knew what a mess I was.
The problem is, especially with guys,
it takes a lot to admit that you're in that kind of place,
done it?
(water gurgling)
None of us live in the present.
We're always living in the past or the future,
instead of actually here and now,
which is the most important part of our life.
Especially when it's cold.
When it's cold, there's not much more you can think of,
it's all about here and now.
The cold water therapy is a massive reason
why my whole life's changed.
(water lapping)
I go swimming in my skin.
It's nearer to nature. It's natural.
Once I'm dressed, I feel exhilarated.
Any stresses and strains goes completely out of your head.
My anxiety issues started
when I was in my late 40s.
I ended up off work for six long years.
When it's really bad, you can't eat, sleep, relax.
The only time that it takes it away is
if you're doing something physical,
like going swimming here.
Really hate it when people say,
"You should pull yourself together".
But you can't.
You can pull yourself to pieces,
but you can't put yourself together.
(water gurgling)
My partner at the time,
we were going through a very rough patch.
I couldn't cope.
I was drunk.
I took an overdose of muscle relaxants,
which looking back's, funny but not.
Afterwards, I felt stupid
because me thought processes weren't working properly.
I'd only attempted suicide on my son's birthday,
and that would've been totally unforgivable.
I'm glad I didn't for many reasons.
This is one of them, going for a swim here.
(soft banjo playing)
The person that really got me into swimming nude okay,
was a guy that virtually lives up here called Clive.
It is rare you go up to Gaddings Dam, Clive's not there.
He'll pop up somewhere.
Whether it's pouring down, sideways winds,
snow or sunshine, Clive will always be here.
(people laughing)
I enjoy coming to the Dam. It's a focus for me.
Get a bit of exercise, meet people, have a chat.
I've been swimming here probably about 30 years.
In the last 15, it's built up quite a bit.
I started coming a lot more.
I would think I probably have
about five or six hundred swims in a year.
I say to lots of people, if you're gonna start doing this,
think seriously about it because you get hooked.
He's a bit of a guardian of the Dam really.
That's how I see him anyway.
He does look out for people.
One of the things is trying to control your breathing
when you come in.
Yeah.
Just holding your breath a little bit.
A really good natured guy.
You know when you swim with him,
you feel relaxed and confident.
You okay?
Yeah.
(water gurgling)
He's been in search and rescue for 50 years.
If Clive's around
and there's people who are maybe inexperienced,
it feels a lot safer.
(soft banjo playing)
(nervous laughing)
Oh my God!
It's all getting a bit weird now.
I was really nervous about my first cold water swim.
I was a bit worried about how I'd be, whether I could do it,
whether I would chicken out,
and like how cold it was gonna be.
Oh wait!
(indistinct chatter)
Tropical!
I think I got into the water quicker than I thought as well.
I thought like my heart would be racing and I,
and I thought I'd be like a bit more kind of, "Oh my God".
But I wasn't too bad.
Maybe it wasn't as cold as I thought it was gonna be.
(laughing)
And then when we were swimming back into the sun,
that was lovely.
(singing)
After my first swim, I felt really great.
It was just brilliant. Such a buzz.
My skin felt really great, my whole body felt great.
[swimmer] Like two flamingos getting out of the lake.
Wanna do this again. When can I go again?
(soft upbeat music)
There's quite a few places to swim round here,
but none of them are as big and as beautiful as Gaddings.
I've been learning to swim front crawl for the last year
'cause I'm quite new to it.
I don't do long swims in the winter.
I mainly dip, and build up my tolerance to the temperature.
Yeah, long swims, mainly from spring onwards.
Last year someone at work made a joke
about me doing triathlon, and I thought,
"Right, I am going to do a triathlon."
So, at that point I couldn't swim front crawl,
officially overweight, hadn't done any exercise in years,
was scared of the water,
wouldn't like going outdoor swimming at all.
But obviously, I had a point to prove.
So, I've learned how to swim front crawl.
I've overcome my fear of outdoor swimming.
My first event, I came last in.
My second event, I came last in.
My third event, I beat one person.
But this year I've been finishing kind of mid table,
so I'm getting there.
Oh, I've loved it so much.
It's been the best thing I've done, not just triathlon,
but specifically the swimming.
As a grown-up, you don't get to learn that many new skills.
So to learn how to do front crawl,
and to see myself being rubbish,
and then gradually getting average, has been so good.
Getting out's the hardest bit.
(soft upbeat music)
Some people have asked about the beach,
Where's the sand come from?
Is it left from the builders?
But it's just where the sandstone,
it's the local rock that's weathered down over the years.
There's a quarry along the top
and that's called 'Jail Hole Quarry'.
It was believed that they used prisoners
to take the stone out and build the Dam.
I think it was 1835 when this was finished.
It was taking the water in and feeding the mills.
and it was bought by a gentleman called Slater,
and then he sold it to a group
that was set up locally to manage it,
the Preservation Society.
It's a nice view from this corner.
Re-wild my soul
Help me let go of control
Show my heart
Singing Dippers is me and Sarah really.
To flow with ease
We started swimming together about a year and a half ago,
something like that.
(singing) (water gushing)
We like to sing.
So, when we first started swimming,
there's a couple of songs that I knew
and we started initially singing
and walking back to the car or whatever.
And then, before long, we're singing in the water.
(singing)
The Singing Dippers is so unique.
There isn't actually any Singing Dippers.
In the sense of a choir where we practice and rehearse.
It is so off the cuff.
But yeah,
everybody thinks you're mad for doing it, but
We're all mad together.
I question whether we are actually mad.
I think everybody else is mad, and we're normal.
Whatever normal means.
It's how we met, as well?
How we've all met.
Through the water
Yeah, it brought us all together.
It's spontaneous to what is alive in that moment.
(soothing ukulele music)
[Sarah] So, for example, Dr. George might play his ukulele
if it's not absolutely hammering it down,
or he might just keep it in its bag
'cause we're not playing anything today.
There's a feeling the water can't deny
It's a feeling that can run awry
Raise your hands.
Yeah, Up into the sky
(laughter)
Because the water makes me feel so high
Being in the water makes you feel like a kid.
So, it's just nice to be able to play.
In the water my smile grows - Yeah!
Swimming helps with like a reset as well.
You can think about what's stressing you out
or you can sing.
There's just something that helps you.
In the water
Pink Peacock Prince take
In the rinse
Wash it all away now
Wash it all down
Wash it all away now
Wash away the frown
Wash it away
Wash it away
Wash it away
(wind blowing)
(waves crashing softly)
(gasps)
(breathing)
When my mom and dad told me I was adopted when I was 10,
I went into the bathroom and I looked at my hands,
and I was like, "Well, whose are these hands anyway?"
It traumatised me and I didn't know the significance of it.
(singing)
I was married at the time,
23 years we were together,
until I had, whether you could say
it's a spiritual awakening, a mental breakdown.
Life kept giving me these huge experiences
that I couldn't drink myself stupid anymore.
And I sat there in my beautiful house,
with a gorgeous garden and everything,
you know, the job and that car and everything else,
and I was numb.
Something within me said, "You're going."
I started looking on the internet for a retreat.
Never done anything like this before.
(water rushing, gurgling)
I'd felt as though I'd been living under a rock.
And I've spent the next number of years unravelling it all.
(soothing music)
It's surprising the bonds you can get
with people doing something really challenging,
(laughing)
like getting into ice water.
It's a different kind of friendship almost.
It kind of cuts to the essence.
I completely understand the other people who swim
'cause they're mostly middle-aged women really.
And so it's really easy to connect.
Three, two, one. Come on!
(splashing and laughter)
I started swimming at Gaddings,
I was getting a lot of hot sweats.
(laughing)
Quite a lot hormonal problems.
And also I wasn't sleeping.
I'd got really chronic insomnia.
That really worked. So, I was kind of addicted.
Been going six years now.
(wind blowing) (waves crashing)
It's always windy up at Gaddings,
even when it's not at the bottom.
You park your car or you walk up, you're like,
"Oh, it's great", and then, you get up to the top,
and it's like, "Oh my God", the wind hits you.
I met Clive and Jamima, and they talked about going swimming
and we went together one day and that was it really.
They sort of helped me get in, helped me face my fears,
and talked me through what it was gonna feel like.
And it was really reassuring and lovely.
I don't think it's any coincidence
that I was having a bit of a hard time
when I started swimming,
and I hadn't long split up from a partner
and I'd lost my parents the year before.
An opportunity just to distract myself
and have a different experience
from whatever I was grieving,
whatever I was feeling at the time.
And then also, sort of like the experience
of being in the water.
It's kind of enveloping you,
and it's like holding you, a bit like having a hug.
Maybe I just needed lots of hugs.
I kind of now know that I'm gonna be all right,
like I feel safe to do it.
I don't have that fear anymore.
At the beginning, maybe the first 12 months or so,
it was always a bit like, "Am I gonna be all right?
Am I gonna be alright? How long am I gonna last?"
I think listening to your body
and understanding yourself is part of the process.
That's what we all probably gain from it.
(ice and waves crashing softly)
[James] At the start it was worrying, the panic.
But once you learn breathing technique
and force yourself to breathe correctly,
it starts becoming a lot easier.
[Jess] Your first reaction
when you get into cold water is to gasp.
If you're not used to it, you're gonna be under the water
and you're gonna be in shock from the temperature as well.
It is just a worry about the people
that don't know what they're doing.
They're not used to the cold water.
and you do have to be used to it.
You have to build up.
When you first come out, there's that lovely warm glow
and it lasts for about five, ten minutes.
Then that really deep chill hits your body.
With the rescue team,
we've had casualties on the hottest day of summer
and they've had hyperthermia.
(energetic upbeat music)
Our friends brought us here.
They told us that on the top of that hill,
there's a lake or river.
I've got no idea what to expect.
The walk up was a struggle.
I had to stop like five times on the way up.
He did it in like...
He had one stop and just gassed up.
[Person] I heard about Gaddings Dam just on Google.
I looked up places to swim around Manchester
and then found this place.
So if I'm thinking right,
I'll just be on top of them stairs at there.
It's very peaceful.
We came here, I think, arrived at like nine,
and it's literally we got one of the first people
on the beach.
Yeah, It was like really calm.
And now like getting towards like midday,
it's getting quite busy.
So, we decided like to head off.
(energetic upbeat music)
[person] I think it's beautiful.
The fact that you actually are allowed to swim.
I know there are a few reservoirs around
where people do swim,
but it always puts me off
that you don't know if you're allowed or not.
Gaddings Dam, it's really adventurous.
Online, it just tells, we gotta walk up steep hill,
but we didn't think he was gonna be that steep.
My mom, it's her first time to do it today.
I think we got halfway.
She was like,
"You know, I'll just wait for you guys down here.
I'll start walking down. You go up and then come down."
But she didn't know what to expect.
It was lovely when you got to the top.
When I got up here, I changed my mind,
so I'm gonna come again.
But the challenge was not easy.
(muffled crowd chatter)
At the parking, it's a bit of a struggle.
We might actually end up with a ticket I guess,
'cause we parked just opposite the pub on some yellow lines.
(muffled crowd chatter)
Well, 'Country File' started it
by letting the cat out of the bag
when they started doing these secret places
and making them known to the general public.
Manchester Evening News said, "just park on the pub."
Well, we had a chat with them about that.
On a sunny day, it gets really, really busy.
Unfortunately, a lot of people do not respect
the double yellow lines.
You park illegally, you get a 35 pound fine.
Between five of you in a car, it's nothing really.
[pub landlord] They'll fill the whole road.
It could take 40 minutes
to travel a three quarter of a mile stretch.
The amount of rubbish that comes off the hill.
They take it up there, but they won't bring it back.
(soft upbeat music)
My feelings have changed quite a bit
around how many people go up there.
I used to be ridiculous.
I used to get really annoyed
if there was two people on the other side of the dam.
So, I think it's great that people get to experience
somewhere like that, and you know,
and get a load of exercise.
(muffled crowd chatter)
It was Clive actually
that made me feel more generous about it.
I thought, "If he can feel generous about it,
I should maybe have a word with myself"
(soft upbeat music)
(wind blowing)
[Paul] So, locals got together,
formed the company to buy the Dam.
Since then, it's been the job of the Preservation Company
to maintain it.
The money and the will to do this just comes from locals.
People that use the Dam, they didn't want to see it go.
So, they made it stay.
(water gurgling)
There's mainly two of us who do most of the work.
If we need the odd stone moving
that's a bit too heavy for us,
we'll get two or three others in.
We just have to leave it for now, Paul.
Just wait. Just cover it over.
Getting stones out, many years back,
we pulled about a thousand stones out
and laid them all on the bottom of the wall,
and then we carried them up to the top.
[Camera person] By hand?
By hand, yeah.
It's cheap.
You don't have to pay for a gym.
Come up here and move a few stones.
(water lapping)
[children] People just don't care if they leave rocks here
and litter here, and we have to clean it up.
I think the best part of going wild swimming is
like swimming around and feeling the sand on my feet.
I like it,
how can I get away from all the stuff like in your life?
And just feel free to like relax in the water.
I like just the nature, and the sand,
and the reservoir and the water.
If I'm honest I think they should have
a diving board installed.
(waves crashing softly) (children playing)
It's a bit like regressing.
Out there, you can just be kid.
It's like we get to play out
'cause we've been so busy trying to adult for so long,
and deal with the rubbish the world throws at us.
(people giggling)
[Swimmers] Andy! Andy!
Andy! Andy!
Andy! Andy!
[swimmer] The Mayor of Sexy Town!
[swimmer] Sexy beast!
[swimmer] Don't think about how cold it is.
It's fine. It's fine, guys.
[swimmer] Andy!
[Andy] It's cold in there. No chance!
[swimmers] Come on, please. [Andy] No.
[swimmer] It's nice.
[Andy] It's not nice. [swimmmer] Come on, Andy!
[swimmer] It is, I promise you.
[Andy] It's not nice.
(dramatic music)
I've always really wanted to have kids,
and to not have kids, eats me up.
Partly, it was by circumstances.
I wasn't in the right relationship for a while.
And then, when I went to a fertility clinic
to see what was going on, they were saying
that it just physically wasn't gonna work for me.
(wind blowing softly) (water lapping)
Then I met Miles at a party,
but he'd already got grown up children,
and he didn't wanna go down that route.
And then, I kind of had to think,
"Well, what's more important?
Chasing this dream that might never happen,
or being really happy with somebody?"
So, I chose that.
Gasps
As I'm getting older, I'm thinking,
"Oh, 47, that boat has sailed.
So, then I can kind of rationalise things a bit better.
But there will be days when it really hurts.
(water gurgling)
(thoughtful music)
When I left, with literally my passport and my backpack on,
I felt frightened to death.
I was scared.
It was a real, real trauma leaving,
Everything
my kids, and everything I knew as safe,
for everybody thought I was crazy at the time,
that they'll know, it was just brave.
(water gurgling)
Well, I remember going into a hotel
and sobbing for two days, I couldn't leave the room.
I just wanted my kids and I wanted it all to be normal.
And I was on the rooftop in Dubai.
I had dengue fever and I sat and thought,
"Should I slip off? Nobody's gonna know."
And I could see all these like little bodies in the bottom,
like ants.
And in that moment, it was something just clicked in me,
said, "No."
So, I put my legs, an' sat down and thought,
"Okay, what I'm gonna do now?
I'm gonna get myself better.
I'm gonna be well enough to fly back home."
For the last few years,
I've had to rebuild my relationship with my children.
My son seemed to let go of anger.
He felt for me a lot quicker.
Yet with my daughter,
she still has a lot of resistance
even though she's having a baby soon.
And at the moment, our relationship is strained.
So, I haven't shared any experience of this baby
that's been grown inside of her.
(soft upbeat music)
The January Daily Dip,
kind of generates interest as it's happening.
We've done it for "Crisis", the homeless charity.
This'll be the fifth year this year.
Us going out and getting in freezing cold water.
and people living outdoors in freezing cold conditions,
so, it's a really easy connect for people.
I promised last year
that I'd come and join for one dip.
Bob's a brilliant supporter of ours, donation wise,
and he was made an honorary Daily Dipper last year,
and then promised us he'd come up this year.
You can tell by his face,
he can't wait to get in that water.
Yes, that's right!
(both laughing, water splashing)
The third week is the hardest week usually.
The last week's not too bad
because you know it's the last week.
I've got a full-time job.
So, just trying to be organised
and having your kit ready and then getting to the dip,
doing the dip, taking all the photos for it.
Having to do it every day and having to post
on social media every day is quite exhausting.
and if it's really raining, and really windy,
it really is the last thing you feel like doing sometimes.
[Camera person] How was that?
Cold. Gorgeous. Gorgeous!
This is my second year,
but Govi and I both joined it last year.
Sadly, lockdown happened,
so none of us ever really got to meet in person.
This is actually the first time I've met Govi face to face,
but I feel like we've already known each other
for a couple of years. Yeah.
But it's my first time up at Gaddings,
which is a bit like the HQ for the January Daily Dip.
It's spectacular!
It's like a wild swimmer's paradise.
I think I've picked a pretty good day. It's so sunny.
And you do get the odd remark occasionally.
Mostly, you just get people saying, "Is it cold?"
So I just say, "There's only one way to find out."
(thoughtful music)
Today we're going up for a nice snowy swim.
Oh my God!
(laughing)
Oh my God, look at that!
(laughing)
Oh my God!
That's amazing.
(soft upbeat music)
I am feeling terrified. Absolutely terrified!
Quite nervous, but also a bit excited.
Hat on.
(laughing)
Oh my gosh!
Oh my, I'm okay.
Oh, bloody hell!
breathe, breathe,
breathe, breathe,
breathe, breathe.
Oh my God! Oh my...
Oh my God!
That is incredible.
Absolutely insane
Oh my God!
Oh, I can stand up now.
Oh my God, I can stand up.
(soft upbeat music)
It actually feels really warm out here now. Yeah!
(soft upbeat music)
Oh yeah, that was easy!
(soft upbeat music)
I'm all like giddy now.
(laughing)
I feel very proud of myself.
What an achievement!
(thoughtful, atmospheric music)
[Clive] During the January Daily Dip,
there was a stream of people coming up here all the time.
The first one up would just make a bit of a channel,
and then, there's people who keep going back in
and increasing it.
And there were times we went and the dam was...
You couldn't break the ice, 'cause it was so thick.
(thoughtful music)
[Clive] About 10 years back,
we had five weeks of ice on here.
We chopped hole in every day.
I think, we had two mornings when it was minus 18,
the air temperature.
I didn't used to bring a towel in them days.
I used to just have a dip.
It's funny, some mornings, you'll chop a channel out,
you just get lost in the fun of breaking ice,
and listening to it sliding on the surface.
It just got really normal getting in ice water last year.
It was like every day was snowy and ice,
which made it really special.
(thoughtful music)
Since the last time we talked, I've seen my daughter,
and I've seen my granddaughter.
Yay!
There's obviously a lot of groundwork to cover
and a lot of catching up to do.
It's a slow process of building those bridges
in a much healthier and kind and loving way.
I'd noticed lots of photographs
on social media of this baby shower.
Her dad and his partner were there on the photographs
and my son and girlfriend and all friends
and family members.
And I didn't get an invite, and I was absolutely devastated.
As an adopted child, I have that wound,
and I never ever wanted to dump that on my own daughter,
but I know that I have, in leaving.
When I asked her to meet the baby at six weeks old,
and yeah, I'm just following what she wants
and get to know me, who I am now.
My granddaughter's been bought
her first little wild swimming kit.
She will be a wild swimmer, 'cause she's a Pisces,
(laughing)
So, it's a dead cert. She's gonna be a water baby.
(soft upbeat music)
Since my ice swim,
I really wanna get Miles in swimming with me.
For about three months now.
Yeah.
I've had outdoor swimming garb,
like prepared to buy, the socks, the gloves,
just basically anything
that covers up all relevant extremities.
So, you know, it's fully on my mind to do it.
That's how much I love you. Are you ready for this?
Aww! Thanks. (laughing)
Let's agree a date, definitely before the 10th of June,
and I'll be there.
Honestly, a little bit apprehensive.
I know I'm not good with cold water.
We went swimming in the summer.
It was a hot day.
And even then, I had my three quarters wetsuit on.
but I'm definitely gonna do it.
I'll do a few strokes, and then I may get out again.
Who knows?
(soft wind and water lapping)
(soft splashing, indistinct words of encouragement)
I'm not sure how long I was in for,
maybe three minutes.
The initial burn soon passed.
I got into it and then I thought,
"Right, I really need to get out now."
But yeah, it was okay.
I'll definitely do it again. Put it like that.
Going in and just in his shorts and not in his wetsuit,
I was so proud.
It's so great.
It'd be great if we've got a new shared hobby,
but we'll see.
Daily dip?
Daily dip! You've got that.
(laughing)
Today, I hate to say it, is my 70th birthday,
but I mean at least I can still come up the hill,
the hateful hill.
I don't feel like I'm seventy.
I probably behave in a way of a 40 year old.
[Camera person] And how old are you, Clive?
69 now. She's older than me though.
That's the main thing.
Older but not wiser.
(chuckling)
Oh, I don't know.
How many candles do you want?
One.
I'll pick a pink one for you.
I'm drawn to it.
I'm absolutely drawn to Gaddings.
There was one week I couldn't go.
I miss it. I really do.
I miss it.
I'm gonna keep going as long as I can. I'm fighting it.
(brass band playing 'Abide with Me')
(crowd cheering)
(uplifting music)
This love has been ours
This love is ours
This love is still ours
This love has been ours
This love was ours
This love is still ours
(muffled post swim chatter)
This love is still ours
This love was ours
This love has been ours
This love has been ours
This love was ours
This love is still ours
(muffled voices and foot steps)
(vehicle driving past)
(thoughtful music)
(splashing and swimming)
Sunrise coming over Gaddings Dam on the water,
it's a brand new day, it's a brand new feeling.
(soft upbeat music)
It's a really special place for a lot of people,
and a lot of people feel like it's their place.
It's definitely spiritual.
It kind of puts everything in perspective.
When you get to the top, see that view,
it's on top of the world.
That is a fantastic feeling.
(dramatic music)
Everybody's got a story
about why they're doing it.
(upbeat music)
It usually starts very enthusiastic.
Everyone's like, "Yeah, we're all up for this."
Supporting or going with people
who are doing the January Daily Dip for the first time
or are in their first week or couple of weeks of swims,
it's quite exciting.
(upbeat music)
The January Daily Dip started 'cause I was going to Gaddings
with a group of friends only throughout winter.
It was 2017.
There was all this stuff in the news
about the refugees coming over..
We came up with the idea of like,
"Well, shall we try swimming through January
to raise some money?"
And we thought we might raise like 500 quid or something.
(everyone screaming) (soft upbeat music)
Because people saw it on social media
because there was nobody swimming outdoors then, in winter,
people were like, "Who are these nutters?"
(waves crashing softly)
And so, people came to join us and it just built up slowly.
Year on year, it's got bigger and bigger.
I call this hill the hateful hill,
because it's so incredibly steep.
It takes so long to climb it.
You get out of breath.
But it's good exercise.
It's good for your stamina.
I always sit on this stone here.
It's a love-hate relationship, this hill.
I love it when I get to the top and I hate climbing it, so.
But yeah!
Sadly, I'm 69, but a fit 69.
It's a happy place.
It's a place that makes me feel relaxed,
and you meet a lot of good people up here as well.
(metal creaking, wooden gate opening)
My relationship with Gaddings is magical.
When you open that big swinging gate,
that for me is, when you walk into a portal
to let go of everything.
You're walking up and you see the valley
and the magnificence.
It's almost like it's a painting
because it's just so soft and beautiful.
Even when it's battering it down, it's hailstone,
it's like, "Come on, hit me more, hit me more."
(wind blowing)
I love swimming from a young age. I've loved the water.
I was on a retreat and we walked to this pond,
and I went in.
Then I was screaming.
So, I'd never heard this sound coming out of me before.
And that was my first introduction to cold water.
(waves crashing softly) (wind blowing)
But I didn't realise how powerful just that was
until a little bit later on.
(soft banjo playing)
(birds chirping)
Bloody 'ell, whole cavalry's here!
We all just started coming up on a Saturday,
meeting at nine.
And then, more people started coming.
We're all friends. But some of us have met up here,
haven't we?
We've met you up here.
Yeah, he used to just sit in the corner
with his towel wrapped around him.
Yeah, he was 'Cornerman'
(everyone laughing)
And now he's become one of us.
(soft banjo playing)
Croissants and coffee and swim and chat and crying.
I nearly said cry. Quite a lot of crying.
A lot of crying.
A lot of laughing. More laughing.
More laughing.
Lots of weeing.
(laughter)
[camera person] There's a warm patch just over there.
Yeah, its a bit of wee.
(laughter)
[swimmer] Glad to be of service.
It's like a foot bath at the swimming pool.
It kills all the bacteria.
When you get home afterwards, just like, "Oh my God,
I've just done that. Like I can really do my day now."
And you might not come out for a walk
if it's horrible weather,
but for some reason, we come for a swim.
(upbeat music)
I used to go walking,
and every walk, I'd walk past water.
And then one day, I were walking past, I got in.
But it was frightening 'cause of the shock.
It was November,
so it was quite dangerous, but I learnt a lot from it.
And then, coming away, I just felt so at peace with it.
It's calmed my ADHD down a lot.
Like I'm nowhere near as hyperactive and fast moving.
I've come from a cocaine addict,
selling drugs, constantly through my teens,
and then, in my twenties getting wrecked all the time.
I used to act like I was fine,
but I was far, far, far from it.
No one knew what a mess I was.
The problem is, especially with guys,
it takes a lot to admit that you're in that kind of place,
done it?
(water gurgling)
None of us live in the present.
We're always living in the past or the future,
instead of actually here and now,
which is the most important part of our life.
Especially when it's cold.
When it's cold, there's not much more you can think of,
it's all about here and now.
The cold water therapy is a massive reason
why my whole life's changed.
(water lapping)
I go swimming in my skin.
It's nearer to nature. It's natural.
Once I'm dressed, I feel exhilarated.
Any stresses and strains goes completely out of your head.
My anxiety issues started
when I was in my late 40s.
I ended up off work for six long years.
When it's really bad, you can't eat, sleep, relax.
The only time that it takes it away is
if you're doing something physical,
like going swimming here.
Really hate it when people say,
"You should pull yourself together".
But you can't.
You can pull yourself to pieces,
but you can't put yourself together.
(water gurgling)
My partner at the time,
we were going through a very rough patch.
I couldn't cope.
I was drunk.
I took an overdose of muscle relaxants,
which looking back's, funny but not.
Afterwards, I felt stupid
because me thought processes weren't working properly.
I'd only attempted suicide on my son's birthday,
and that would've been totally unforgivable.
I'm glad I didn't for many reasons.
This is one of them, going for a swim here.
(soft banjo playing)
The person that really got me into swimming nude okay,
was a guy that virtually lives up here called Clive.
It is rare you go up to Gaddings Dam, Clive's not there.
He'll pop up somewhere.
Whether it's pouring down, sideways winds,
snow or sunshine, Clive will always be here.
(people laughing)
I enjoy coming to the Dam. It's a focus for me.
Get a bit of exercise, meet people, have a chat.
I've been swimming here probably about 30 years.
In the last 15, it's built up quite a bit.
I started coming a lot more.
I would think I probably have
about five or six hundred swims in a year.
I say to lots of people, if you're gonna start doing this,
think seriously about it because you get hooked.
He's a bit of a guardian of the Dam really.
That's how I see him anyway.
He does look out for people.
One of the things is trying to control your breathing
when you come in.
Yeah.
Just holding your breath a little bit.
A really good natured guy.
You know when you swim with him,
you feel relaxed and confident.
You okay?
Yeah.
(water gurgling)
He's been in search and rescue for 50 years.
If Clive's around
and there's people who are maybe inexperienced,
it feels a lot safer.
(soft banjo playing)
(nervous laughing)
Oh my God!
It's all getting a bit weird now.
I was really nervous about my first cold water swim.
I was a bit worried about how I'd be, whether I could do it,
whether I would chicken out,
and like how cold it was gonna be.
Oh wait!
(indistinct chatter)
Tropical!
I think I got into the water quicker than I thought as well.
I thought like my heart would be racing and I,
and I thought I'd be like a bit more kind of, "Oh my God".
But I wasn't too bad.
Maybe it wasn't as cold as I thought it was gonna be.
(laughing)
And then when we were swimming back into the sun,
that was lovely.
(singing)
After my first swim, I felt really great.
It was just brilliant. Such a buzz.
My skin felt really great, my whole body felt great.
[swimmer] Like two flamingos getting out of the lake.
Wanna do this again. When can I go again?
(soft upbeat music)
There's quite a few places to swim round here,
but none of them are as big and as beautiful as Gaddings.
I've been learning to swim front crawl for the last year
'cause I'm quite new to it.
I don't do long swims in the winter.
I mainly dip, and build up my tolerance to the temperature.
Yeah, long swims, mainly from spring onwards.
Last year someone at work made a joke
about me doing triathlon, and I thought,
"Right, I am going to do a triathlon."
So, at that point I couldn't swim front crawl,
officially overweight, hadn't done any exercise in years,
was scared of the water,
wouldn't like going outdoor swimming at all.
But obviously, I had a point to prove.
So, I've learned how to swim front crawl.
I've overcome my fear of outdoor swimming.
My first event, I came last in.
My second event, I came last in.
My third event, I beat one person.
But this year I've been finishing kind of mid table,
so I'm getting there.
Oh, I've loved it so much.
It's been the best thing I've done, not just triathlon,
but specifically the swimming.
As a grown-up, you don't get to learn that many new skills.
So to learn how to do front crawl,
and to see myself being rubbish,
and then gradually getting average, has been so good.
Getting out's the hardest bit.
(soft upbeat music)
Some people have asked about the beach,
Where's the sand come from?
Is it left from the builders?
But it's just where the sandstone,
it's the local rock that's weathered down over the years.
There's a quarry along the top
and that's called 'Jail Hole Quarry'.
It was believed that they used prisoners
to take the stone out and build the Dam.
I think it was 1835 when this was finished.
It was taking the water in and feeding the mills.
and it was bought by a gentleman called Slater,
and then he sold it to a group
that was set up locally to manage it,
the Preservation Society.
It's a nice view from this corner.
Re-wild my soul
Help me let go of control
Show my heart
Singing Dippers is me and Sarah really.
To flow with ease
We started swimming together about a year and a half ago,
something like that.
(singing) (water gushing)
We like to sing.
So, when we first started swimming,
there's a couple of songs that I knew
and we started initially singing
and walking back to the car or whatever.
And then, before long, we're singing in the water.
(singing)
The Singing Dippers is so unique.
There isn't actually any Singing Dippers.
In the sense of a choir where we practice and rehearse.
It is so off the cuff.
But yeah,
everybody thinks you're mad for doing it, but
We're all mad together.
I question whether we are actually mad.
I think everybody else is mad, and we're normal.
Whatever normal means.
It's how we met, as well?
How we've all met.
Through the water
Yeah, it brought us all together.
It's spontaneous to what is alive in that moment.
(soothing ukulele music)
[Sarah] So, for example, Dr. George might play his ukulele
if it's not absolutely hammering it down,
or he might just keep it in its bag
'cause we're not playing anything today.
There's a feeling the water can't deny
It's a feeling that can run awry
Raise your hands.
Yeah, Up into the sky
(laughter)
Because the water makes me feel so high
Being in the water makes you feel like a kid.
So, it's just nice to be able to play.
In the water my smile grows - Yeah!
Swimming helps with like a reset as well.
You can think about what's stressing you out
or you can sing.
There's just something that helps you.
In the water
Pink Peacock Prince take
In the rinse
Wash it all away now
Wash it all down
Wash it all away now
Wash away the frown
Wash it away
Wash it away
Wash it away
(wind blowing)
(waves crashing softly)
(gasps)
(breathing)
When my mom and dad told me I was adopted when I was 10,
I went into the bathroom and I looked at my hands,
and I was like, "Well, whose are these hands anyway?"
It traumatised me and I didn't know the significance of it.
(singing)
I was married at the time,
23 years we were together,
until I had, whether you could say
it's a spiritual awakening, a mental breakdown.
Life kept giving me these huge experiences
that I couldn't drink myself stupid anymore.
And I sat there in my beautiful house,
with a gorgeous garden and everything,
you know, the job and that car and everything else,
and I was numb.
Something within me said, "You're going."
I started looking on the internet for a retreat.
Never done anything like this before.
(water rushing, gurgling)
I'd felt as though I'd been living under a rock.
And I've spent the next number of years unravelling it all.
(soothing music)
It's surprising the bonds you can get
with people doing something really challenging,
(laughing)
like getting into ice water.
It's a different kind of friendship almost.
It kind of cuts to the essence.
I completely understand the other people who swim
'cause they're mostly middle-aged women really.
And so it's really easy to connect.
Three, two, one. Come on!
(splashing and laughter)
I started swimming at Gaddings,
I was getting a lot of hot sweats.
(laughing)
Quite a lot hormonal problems.
And also I wasn't sleeping.
I'd got really chronic insomnia.
That really worked. So, I was kind of addicted.
Been going six years now.
(wind blowing) (waves crashing)
It's always windy up at Gaddings,
even when it's not at the bottom.
You park your car or you walk up, you're like,
"Oh, it's great", and then, you get up to the top,
and it's like, "Oh my God", the wind hits you.
I met Clive and Jamima, and they talked about going swimming
and we went together one day and that was it really.
They sort of helped me get in, helped me face my fears,
and talked me through what it was gonna feel like.
And it was really reassuring and lovely.
I don't think it's any coincidence
that I was having a bit of a hard time
when I started swimming,
and I hadn't long split up from a partner
and I'd lost my parents the year before.
An opportunity just to distract myself
and have a different experience
from whatever I was grieving,
whatever I was feeling at the time.
And then also, sort of like the experience
of being in the water.
It's kind of enveloping you,
and it's like holding you, a bit like having a hug.
Maybe I just needed lots of hugs.
I kind of now know that I'm gonna be all right,
like I feel safe to do it.
I don't have that fear anymore.
At the beginning, maybe the first 12 months or so,
it was always a bit like, "Am I gonna be all right?
Am I gonna be alright? How long am I gonna last?"
I think listening to your body
and understanding yourself is part of the process.
That's what we all probably gain from it.
(ice and waves crashing softly)
[James] At the start it was worrying, the panic.
But once you learn breathing technique
and force yourself to breathe correctly,
it starts becoming a lot easier.
[Jess] Your first reaction
when you get into cold water is to gasp.
If you're not used to it, you're gonna be under the water
and you're gonna be in shock from the temperature as well.
It is just a worry about the people
that don't know what they're doing.
They're not used to the cold water.
and you do have to be used to it.
You have to build up.
When you first come out, there's that lovely warm glow
and it lasts for about five, ten minutes.
Then that really deep chill hits your body.
With the rescue team,
we've had casualties on the hottest day of summer
and they've had hyperthermia.
(energetic upbeat music)
Our friends brought us here.
They told us that on the top of that hill,
there's a lake or river.
I've got no idea what to expect.
The walk up was a struggle.
I had to stop like five times on the way up.
He did it in like...
He had one stop and just gassed up.
[Person] I heard about Gaddings Dam just on Google.
I looked up places to swim around Manchester
and then found this place.
So if I'm thinking right,
I'll just be on top of them stairs at there.
It's very peaceful.
We came here, I think, arrived at like nine,
and it's literally we got one of the first people
on the beach.
Yeah, It was like really calm.
And now like getting towards like midday,
it's getting quite busy.
So, we decided like to head off.
(energetic upbeat music)
[person] I think it's beautiful.
The fact that you actually are allowed to swim.
I know there are a few reservoirs around
where people do swim,
but it always puts me off
that you don't know if you're allowed or not.
Gaddings Dam, it's really adventurous.
Online, it just tells, we gotta walk up steep hill,
but we didn't think he was gonna be that steep.
My mom, it's her first time to do it today.
I think we got halfway.
She was like,
"You know, I'll just wait for you guys down here.
I'll start walking down. You go up and then come down."
But she didn't know what to expect.
It was lovely when you got to the top.
When I got up here, I changed my mind,
so I'm gonna come again.
But the challenge was not easy.
(muffled crowd chatter)
At the parking, it's a bit of a struggle.
We might actually end up with a ticket I guess,
'cause we parked just opposite the pub on some yellow lines.
(muffled crowd chatter)
Well, 'Country File' started it
by letting the cat out of the bag
when they started doing these secret places
and making them known to the general public.
Manchester Evening News said, "just park on the pub."
Well, we had a chat with them about that.
On a sunny day, it gets really, really busy.
Unfortunately, a lot of people do not respect
the double yellow lines.
You park illegally, you get a 35 pound fine.
Between five of you in a car, it's nothing really.
[pub landlord] They'll fill the whole road.
It could take 40 minutes
to travel a three quarter of a mile stretch.
The amount of rubbish that comes off the hill.
They take it up there, but they won't bring it back.
(soft upbeat music)
My feelings have changed quite a bit
around how many people go up there.
I used to be ridiculous.
I used to get really annoyed
if there was two people on the other side of the dam.
So, I think it's great that people get to experience
somewhere like that, and you know,
and get a load of exercise.
(muffled crowd chatter)
It was Clive actually
that made me feel more generous about it.
I thought, "If he can feel generous about it,
I should maybe have a word with myself"
(soft upbeat music)
(wind blowing)
[Paul] So, locals got together,
formed the company to buy the Dam.
Since then, it's been the job of the Preservation Company
to maintain it.
The money and the will to do this just comes from locals.
People that use the Dam, they didn't want to see it go.
So, they made it stay.
(water gurgling)
There's mainly two of us who do most of the work.
If we need the odd stone moving
that's a bit too heavy for us,
we'll get two or three others in.
We just have to leave it for now, Paul.
Just wait. Just cover it over.
Getting stones out, many years back,
we pulled about a thousand stones out
and laid them all on the bottom of the wall,
and then we carried them up to the top.
[Camera person] By hand?
By hand, yeah.
It's cheap.
You don't have to pay for a gym.
Come up here and move a few stones.
(water lapping)
[children] People just don't care if they leave rocks here
and litter here, and we have to clean it up.
I think the best part of going wild swimming is
like swimming around and feeling the sand on my feet.
I like it,
how can I get away from all the stuff like in your life?
And just feel free to like relax in the water.
I like just the nature, and the sand,
and the reservoir and the water.
If I'm honest I think they should have
a diving board installed.
(waves crashing softly) (children playing)
It's a bit like regressing.
Out there, you can just be kid.
It's like we get to play out
'cause we've been so busy trying to adult for so long,
and deal with the rubbish the world throws at us.
(people giggling)
[Swimmers] Andy! Andy!
Andy! Andy!
Andy! Andy!
[swimmer] The Mayor of Sexy Town!
[swimmer] Sexy beast!
[swimmer] Don't think about how cold it is.
It's fine. It's fine, guys.
[swimmer] Andy!
[Andy] It's cold in there. No chance!
[swimmers] Come on, please. [Andy] No.
[swimmer] It's nice.
[Andy] It's not nice. [swimmmer] Come on, Andy!
[swimmer] It is, I promise you.
[Andy] It's not nice.
(dramatic music)
I've always really wanted to have kids,
and to not have kids, eats me up.
Partly, it was by circumstances.
I wasn't in the right relationship for a while.
And then, when I went to a fertility clinic
to see what was going on, they were saying
that it just physically wasn't gonna work for me.
(wind blowing softly) (water lapping)
Then I met Miles at a party,
but he'd already got grown up children,
and he didn't wanna go down that route.
And then, I kind of had to think,
"Well, what's more important?
Chasing this dream that might never happen,
or being really happy with somebody?"
So, I chose that.
Gasps
As I'm getting older, I'm thinking,
"Oh, 47, that boat has sailed.
So, then I can kind of rationalise things a bit better.
But there will be days when it really hurts.
(water gurgling)
(thoughtful music)
When I left, with literally my passport and my backpack on,
I felt frightened to death.
I was scared.
It was a real, real trauma leaving,
Everything
my kids, and everything I knew as safe,
for everybody thought I was crazy at the time,
that they'll know, it was just brave.
(water gurgling)
Well, I remember going into a hotel
and sobbing for two days, I couldn't leave the room.
I just wanted my kids and I wanted it all to be normal.
And I was on the rooftop in Dubai.
I had dengue fever and I sat and thought,
"Should I slip off? Nobody's gonna know."
And I could see all these like little bodies in the bottom,
like ants.
And in that moment, it was something just clicked in me,
said, "No."
So, I put my legs, an' sat down and thought,
"Okay, what I'm gonna do now?
I'm gonna get myself better.
I'm gonna be well enough to fly back home."
For the last few years,
I've had to rebuild my relationship with my children.
My son seemed to let go of anger.
He felt for me a lot quicker.
Yet with my daughter,
she still has a lot of resistance
even though she's having a baby soon.
And at the moment, our relationship is strained.
So, I haven't shared any experience of this baby
that's been grown inside of her.
(soft upbeat music)
The January Daily Dip,
kind of generates interest as it's happening.
We've done it for "Crisis", the homeless charity.
This'll be the fifth year this year.
Us going out and getting in freezing cold water.
and people living outdoors in freezing cold conditions,
so, it's a really easy connect for people.
I promised last year
that I'd come and join for one dip.
Bob's a brilliant supporter of ours, donation wise,
and he was made an honorary Daily Dipper last year,
and then promised us he'd come up this year.
You can tell by his face,
he can't wait to get in that water.
Yes, that's right!
(both laughing, water splashing)
The third week is the hardest week usually.
The last week's not too bad
because you know it's the last week.
I've got a full-time job.
So, just trying to be organised
and having your kit ready and then getting to the dip,
doing the dip, taking all the photos for it.
Having to do it every day and having to post
on social media every day is quite exhausting.
and if it's really raining, and really windy,
it really is the last thing you feel like doing sometimes.
[Camera person] How was that?
Cold. Gorgeous. Gorgeous!
This is my second year,
but Govi and I both joined it last year.
Sadly, lockdown happened,
so none of us ever really got to meet in person.
This is actually the first time I've met Govi face to face,
but I feel like we've already known each other
for a couple of years. Yeah.
But it's my first time up at Gaddings,
which is a bit like the HQ for the January Daily Dip.
It's spectacular!
It's like a wild swimmer's paradise.
I think I've picked a pretty good day. It's so sunny.
And you do get the odd remark occasionally.
Mostly, you just get people saying, "Is it cold?"
So I just say, "There's only one way to find out."
(thoughtful music)
Today we're going up for a nice snowy swim.
Oh my God!
(laughing)
Oh my God, look at that!
(laughing)
Oh my God!
That's amazing.
(soft upbeat music)
I am feeling terrified. Absolutely terrified!
Quite nervous, but also a bit excited.
Hat on.
(laughing)
Oh my gosh!
Oh my, I'm okay.
Oh, bloody hell!
breathe, breathe,
breathe, breathe,
breathe, breathe.
Oh my God! Oh my...
Oh my God!
That is incredible.
Absolutely insane
Oh my God!
Oh, I can stand up now.
Oh my God, I can stand up.
(soft upbeat music)
It actually feels really warm out here now. Yeah!
(soft upbeat music)
Oh yeah, that was easy!
(soft upbeat music)
I'm all like giddy now.
(laughing)
I feel very proud of myself.
What an achievement!
(thoughtful, atmospheric music)
[Clive] During the January Daily Dip,
there was a stream of people coming up here all the time.
The first one up would just make a bit of a channel,
and then, there's people who keep going back in
and increasing it.
And there were times we went and the dam was...
You couldn't break the ice, 'cause it was so thick.
(thoughtful music)
[Clive] About 10 years back,
we had five weeks of ice on here.
We chopped hole in every day.
I think, we had two mornings when it was minus 18,
the air temperature.
I didn't used to bring a towel in them days.
I used to just have a dip.
It's funny, some mornings, you'll chop a channel out,
you just get lost in the fun of breaking ice,
and listening to it sliding on the surface.
It just got really normal getting in ice water last year.
It was like every day was snowy and ice,
which made it really special.
(thoughtful music)
Since the last time we talked, I've seen my daughter,
and I've seen my granddaughter.
Yay!
There's obviously a lot of groundwork to cover
and a lot of catching up to do.
It's a slow process of building those bridges
in a much healthier and kind and loving way.
I'd noticed lots of photographs
on social media of this baby shower.
Her dad and his partner were there on the photographs
and my son and girlfriend and all friends
and family members.
And I didn't get an invite, and I was absolutely devastated.
As an adopted child, I have that wound,
and I never ever wanted to dump that on my own daughter,
but I know that I have, in leaving.
When I asked her to meet the baby at six weeks old,
and yeah, I'm just following what she wants
and get to know me, who I am now.
My granddaughter's been bought
her first little wild swimming kit.
She will be a wild swimmer, 'cause she's a Pisces,
(laughing)
So, it's a dead cert. She's gonna be a water baby.
(soft upbeat music)
Since my ice swim,
I really wanna get Miles in swimming with me.
For about three months now.
Yeah.
I've had outdoor swimming garb,
like prepared to buy, the socks, the gloves,
just basically anything
that covers up all relevant extremities.
So, you know, it's fully on my mind to do it.
That's how much I love you. Are you ready for this?
Aww! Thanks. (laughing)
Let's agree a date, definitely before the 10th of June,
and I'll be there.
Honestly, a little bit apprehensive.
I know I'm not good with cold water.
We went swimming in the summer.
It was a hot day.
And even then, I had my three quarters wetsuit on.
but I'm definitely gonna do it.
I'll do a few strokes, and then I may get out again.
Who knows?
(soft wind and water lapping)
(soft splashing, indistinct words of encouragement)
I'm not sure how long I was in for,
maybe three minutes.
The initial burn soon passed.
I got into it and then I thought,
"Right, I really need to get out now."
But yeah, it was okay.
I'll definitely do it again. Put it like that.
Going in and just in his shorts and not in his wetsuit,
I was so proud.
It's so great.
It'd be great if we've got a new shared hobby,
but we'll see.
Daily dip?
Daily dip! You've got that.
(laughing)
Today, I hate to say it, is my 70th birthday,
but I mean at least I can still come up the hill,
the hateful hill.
I don't feel like I'm seventy.
I probably behave in a way of a 40 year old.
[Camera person] And how old are you, Clive?
69 now. She's older than me though.
That's the main thing.
Older but not wiser.
(chuckling)
Oh, I don't know.
How many candles do you want?
One.
I'll pick a pink one for you.
I'm drawn to it.
I'm absolutely drawn to Gaddings.
There was one week I couldn't go.
I miss it. I really do.
I miss it.
I'm gonna keep going as long as I can. I'm fighting it.
(brass band playing 'Abide with Me')
(crowd cheering)
(uplifting music)
This love has been ours
This love is ours
This love is still ours
This love has been ours
This love was ours
This love is still ours
(muffled post swim chatter)
This love is still ours
This love was ours
This love has been ours
This love has been ours
This love was ours
This love is still ours