The water’s fine

To really handle the heat, get in the swim of things. The World Health Organisation says chlorine kills Covid19, which doesn’t spread through water anyway — no face mask necessary for splashing about. To cool off without compromising the tan, head outdoors: lidos at Parliament Hill, Charlton, London Fields and Brockwell are all now open, likewise the Park Road Pools in Crouch End and Holborn’s Oasis Sports Centre, where the pool sits on a city roof. It’s not just a case of chucking the cozzie in a bag and wading to the water, though; all require booking and numbers are extremely limited. Expect to pay between £6 and £10 for sessions, which are being limited to an hour.

Wild swimming is really where it’s at. Set yourself up before stripping off: start by signing up to NOWCA (nowca. org) for a safety wristband, £12 for the year. The band, which tracks your swims, is required at both the London Docks Open Water site (loveopenwater. co.uk, £8 per session) and Denham Lake (denhamwaterski.com, £6) over in Uxbridge. Like with the lidos, booking is required —download the ACTiO app — and while getting out in the open water is all about that sense of freedom, expect a few more rules than usual.

It’s the same at Hampstead Heath, where all three ponds are open; tickets (£4 or £2.40 for concessions) can be booked up to a week in advance — regulars looking to dive back in should beware that season tickets are suspended, and everyone is limited to three swims a week. Hardy types keen enough to want more should try Hackney’s West Reservoir (better.org.uk, £10.50); they have adopted a one-way system on the 100m and 400m loops, with a wetsuit or tow float required.