TAKING THE PLUNGE INTO LAKES, RIVERS AND CAKE!

WHAT IS IT?

The Bluetits, a group of swimmers of all ages who take to the rivers and lakes of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough throughout the year.

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Run by one of the UK’s top experts in women’s health, Professor Joyce Harper, this group has more than 2,000 members on Facebook.

There are swims at dawn, midday plunges and night-time dips, which draw attendees from all over the world.

For Prof Harper, the group was instrumental in helping her overcome isolation during the pandemic. ‘It saved me from my loneliness,’ she says. ‘I’m a single mother to three teenage boys and I got fed up of walking around my Suffolk village.

‘Joining the group, there was instant camaraderie. You get this weird euphoria from getting in the water, this exhilaration from the shared experience.’

She has even visited festivals with the women in her group – and finds similar swimming communities across the globe when she travels for conferences.

Afterwards, the swimmers huddle together and chat over cake.

‘You come away with the biggest smile on your face. You really do feel the love,’ says Prof Harper.

‘Men put on Lycra and get on their bikes. Women jump into the water.’

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Visit thebluetits.co.