Damp and dark this morning, but I do feel better for the short swim #OutdoorSwimming

#Bluezicos #MusicChallenge 1991 Easy to Smile - Senseless Things m.youtube.com/watch?v=eQsT...

#Bluezicos #MusicChallenge 1990 Polar Bear - Ride m.youtube.com/watch?v=DVxi...

Jukebox time - get involved 🎹🎷🥁🎸

I'm currently getting very angry at local council decision in a place I've never visited and am unlikely to visit, but am now too familiar with because of work Demolishing a decent theatre to make way for a car park (I wasn't going to do angry work posts here, but this one has really annoyed me)

First Serpentine swim of 2026 and it was a beauty #OutdoorSwimming

Luvvie night out at The Stage Awards 🎭 Really pleased that Soho Theatre Walthamstow won Building of the Year and there was a lovely moment when Royal Opera House's stage door manager won unsung hero award But otherwise a bit much for a damp Monday night in January

Hamnet was better than expected - having loved the book but been hugely disappointed by the stage adaptation Lead actors were excellent individually, but maybe not quite enough chemistry between them Cried a bit, but not as much as the poor woman further across my aisle #FilmSky

Saturday (finally) means it's jukebox time 🎵😺

#RenewalSongs #MusicChallenge Yes - McAlmont and Butler m.youtube.com/watch?v=POII...

What was your #ChildhoodCinema ? ABC / Savoy, Ocean Road, South Shields (Too young to see Jaws at the cinema, but I did see Flash Gordon here)

At 5.30am we collectively cancelled this morning's river swim due to the awful conditions It was the sensible thing to do. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to sulk all day without my coldwater fix... #OutdoorSwimming

#RenewalSongs #MusicChallenge Dry the Rain - The Beta Band m.youtube.com/watch?v=wsbR...

#RenewalSongs #MusicChallenge And my song of the week #SOTW New Leaf - The Reds, Pinks and Purples m.youtube.com/watch?v=FoRL...

First theatre trip of 2026 booked - Gerry and Sewell at the Aldwych Theatre 🎭 It does originate from the north east so hopefully it will be more nuanced than this poster might suggest

#RenewalSongs #MusicChallenge Feeling Good - Nina Simone m.youtube.com/watch?v=oHRN...

#RenewalSongs #MusicChallenge I can see clearly now - Johnny Nash m.youtube.com/watch?v=b0cA...

#RenewalSongs #MusicChallenge New Year's Resolution- Camera Obscura m.youtube.com/watch?v=MB7s...

Audacious plan to have an early swim in the semi-frozen lake then meet another group of friends for a second dip in the river A successful morning #OutdoorSwimming

#RenewalSongs #MusicChallenge A New Crown - Shapes Like People m.youtube.com/watch?v=rAA4...

First Jukebox of 2026 😺🎵

2.6 degrees - coldest swim of the season so far 🥶 Justifying the use of 🥶 #OutdoorSwimming

#RenewalSongs #MusicChallenge Redemption Song - Bob Marley and The Wailers m.youtube.com/watch?v=yv5x...

Saw Song Sung Blue today because I unashamedly love Neil Diamond It is an objectively bad film. Awful dialogue. Truncated timeline makes no sense But ND songs bring up such strong memories and emotions that I still spent much of the film nearly in tears, unconnected to the film #FilmSky

Nearly a full moon for this morning's swim 🌕 More time spent putting layers on afterwards than time in the water #OutdoorSwimming

#RenewalSongs #MusicChallenge New Year - Beach House m.youtube.com/watch?v=Agg0...

First dip of 2026 - with the now traditional bagpipe accompaniment Swimming after several espresso martinis and just 5 hours sleep is breaking all the coldwater rules, but it sorted me out nicely #OutdoorSwimming

#RenewalSongs #MusicChallenge New Way, New Life - Asian Dub Foundation m.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Hc...

2025 was a tough year on a number of fronts, but there were some moments of pure joy: Birthday trip to Manchester 🍻 International Women's Day swim on Brighton Beach ⛱️ Opening night of Soho Theatre Walthamstow with mass ceilidh with Alex Horne 🎭 Walking and swimming in the Surrey Hills 🏊‍♀️ (1/2)

Frosty walk through some ancient woodlands - enough to justify a bit of Waitrose ginger pudding to warm back up afterwards (No photo of the pudding, it didn't hang around long enough)

#2025FavSingles #MusicChallenge Slow Country- Sunstack Jones m.youtube.com/watch?v=J5xF...

#DecemberDuets #MusicChallenge Photograph - REM with Natalie Merchant m.youtube.com/watch?v=iO2e...

#2025FavSingles #MusicChallenge Make me right for you - Cathedral Bells featuring Yndling m.youtube.com/watch?v=YvHE...

#DecemberDuets #MusicChallenge Visions of you - Jah Wobble feat Sinéad O'Connor m.youtube.com/watch?v=AuG1...

#2025FavSingles #MusicChallenge Sundown - The Florist m.youtube.com/watch?v=NYx-...

#DecemberDuets #MusicChallenge Song for a Secret - Jesus and Mary Chain with Isobel Campbell m.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xm9...

#2025FavSingles #MusicChallenge Psyops - Tulpa m.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rr8...

#DecemberDuets #MusicChallenge Let me get there - Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions with Kurt Vile m.youtube.com/watch?v=3i3D...

Jukebox time - because apparently it is Saturday today... 🎵😺🎄

#2025FavSingles #MusicChallenge Favourite Pair of Shoes - Lande Hekt m.youtube.com/watch?v=2XOF...

#DecemberDuets #MusicChallenge El President - Drugstore and Thom Yorke m.youtube.com/watch?v=bg4t...

#2025FavSingles #MusicChallenge Cross your heart - Momma m.youtube.com/watch?v=wAzg...

#DecemberDuets #MusicChallenge Ramblin' Man - Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan m.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vf6...

#2025FavSingles #MusicChallenge Upside down in an empty room (slow version) - The Reds, Pinks and Purples m.youtube.com/watch?v=yGP4...

Just watched the "who died in 2025" montage on BBC, so that's really put me in a festive mood... (It was also quite badly done, some weird clip choices)

#DecemberDuets #MusicChallenge I was born on Christmas Day - Saint Etienne with Tim Burgess Merry Christmas BlueSky Friends 🎄🎅🎁 m.youtube.com/watch?v=HSSg...

Fortifying myself for the festivities with two dips 6.30am swim with the Friday crew, breakfast, change kit and back to the river for 10am dip my Saturday swimmers (This will not help with the inevitable 'what day is it?' Christmas confusion) #OutdoorSwimming

#2025FavSingles #MusicChallenge The Chase - They are Gutting a Body of Water m.youtube.com/watch?v=D8o2...

#DecemberDuets #MusicChallenge Your kisses burn - Beth Orton and Mark Lanegan m.youtube.com/watch?v=60bS...

#2025FavSingles #MusicChallenge Ebb Tide - The Telephone Numbers m.youtube.com/watch?v=T6dl...