That’s what it’s all about!
Here in South Devon, locals call outsiders ‘blow-ins”. I like the expression “blow-in”. For me it creates an image of a seed being carried on the wind to land gently and, if nurtured, setting down roots. We both knew we had some work to do to feel less like outsiders in a part of the UK that I had never lived in and after having lived outside of the UK for over two decades. Even more so for Bryan who had never lived on mainland UK before. But, it seems, that the wind carried us to a fertile land. Just over one year on from our arrival in Devon, we both feel a sense of contentment and connection to the place we now call home.
A big part of that has come from the people we have met, and the experiences we have had since living here. Living within walking distance of the coast, one of those experiences has been that of sea swimming. It was a bit of a slow burn to get myself in the water. I had been toying with the idea not long after we had bought the house, but it wasn’t until I discovered the fearless, and ever so slightly mad, group called the Happy Hub that I finally took the plunge. This growing band of, mostly, women inspired by the exuberant founder Annie Elliott have provided one of the most supportive, encouraging, confidence-building networks I have ever known.
The trepidation I felt on my first dip in the waters of Torbay last April was on par with the horror I had felt at getting up at 5.30 am to do it. But it only took that one dip for me to be hooked. I can’t recall the air or sea temperature that day – both were bloody cold! I do recall my butt cheeks, backs of arms and small of my back feeling so cold they were numb. I also recall the smile that went ear to ear as realisation hit me, along with the cold, that this was it. I was in. The sense of achievement was immense.
Since then, I have been sea swimming a couple of times a week for the majority of the time we have been back. I get the same kick out of getting into the water every time I go in, but the buzz comes not just from being in the sea but from the phenomenal people that I get to swim with each time. I can’t recall a single swim that hasn’t involved endless hugs, cheeky chatter and laughter. The swims not only involve swimming but also singing, dancing, wave jumping, dive bombing and general larking about. There’s so much written about the mental and physical benefits of cold water swimming, but combine that with the benefits of fun and laughter. Belly laughing and smiling from ear to ear soon become a fabulous way to overcome the fear of the cold! Just a few weeks ago the sea conditions on the Saturday dip made it less than ideal for a swim, so it instead turned into an impromptu water aerobics session and then morphed into the Bay Watch version of the Hokey Cokey. With lots of in-out, knee bends and shaking it all about, we did the Hokey Cokey and we turned around – because, after all, that’s what it’s all about.
And it is. What it is all about is feeling part of a community, taking part and joining in. Doing things we haven’t tried before and becoming friends with people who were strangers a year ago. Since taking my first nervous dip, and with the help of some sea swimming lessons, I have started to swim further distances. The furthest was 2km, and I hope to build on that in the future. One top tip I discovered for longer distances is to remove your trainers before setting off. In my eagerness to get into the water on one swim with the Happy Hubbers, I didn’t realise I was still wearing my trainers until I was knee-deep in the water. Thinking it was easier to keep them on, I carried on to the 5-knot buoy. It may not surprise you to know it made for hard work!
To give myself motivation before I’d even taken my first dip, I’d signed up for an annual swimming event that takes place each year as part of the Agatha Christie festival. Agatha was born in Torquay and was a keen sea swimmer. The Agatha Christie swim starts at a beautiful bay called Beacon Cove which Agatha swam in as a child. It then follows a scenic route for 1 mile to end at Meadfoot. Despite being promoted as a “sightseeing swim” with participants being encouraged to take their time and enjoy the scenery, I had found the prospect daunting. It turned out to be a fabulous experience, surrounded and supported by many of the Happy Hub group. This was just one of the experiences I could not have imagined happening before our move to the Bay, but has played a huge part in creating a sense of belonging to the place we now call home.
Despite the heavy focus on house renovations this summer, and in addition to time spent in the water, we have begun to explore on land as well. We are spoilt to live in such a beautiful part of the country and to have so many things to do right on our doorstep. Living so close to Dartmoor, it seemed an ideal opportunity to take part in the 11 Tors Challenge organised as a fundraiser by the Dartmoor Search & Rescue Team. Then, when Bryan decided to investigate mushroom growing as a potential solution for a half-dilapidated stone shed at the rear of the house, he discovered a mushroom farm not too far from us that offered educational tours. Our visit to the farm turned out to be more successful than the subsequent attempts to grow mushrooms, but more on that another time.
We’ve started to uncover some of the local history too. Paignton itself has origins as a Celtic settlement and was first mentioned in 1086. There is plenty of more recent history too, like Slapton Sands where Exercise Tiger, a training exercise in preparation for the Normandy Landings, ended in disaster. We’ve barely scraped the surface in the time we’ve spent there so far but continue to be impressed at quite what the area has to offer.
Sailing plays a big part of our lives so it is, perhaps, unsurprising that we became members of Paignton Sailing Club in our first season in the UK. We also went on to join the Stoke Gabriel Boating Association. While Bryan has rediscovered his love of dinghy sailing and racing, we both wanted to find ways to be involved and give something back to these community-based clubs.
Both of us gained our Powerboat level 2 qualification earlier this year to enable us to help out by offering safety boat cover that is essential during club racing. It has also enabled us to take part in sailing and social events. Over the summer, this included us offering our dinghy driving services in support of the Stoke Gabriel Boating Association summer cricket match. The cricket “pitch” only appears at low spring tide and disappears rapidly as the tide rushes back in. The expression “mad dogs and English men” kept coming to mind as we took part in this somewhat eccentric tradition but is a great example of the fun and slightly whacky things that are now an option for us. We could not have envisaged this before moving here, but it’s yet another example of how we have been able to become part of the community in which we live and begin to develop a true sense of belonging and a fabulous network of friends.
Bryan gained his instructor qualifications for both Dinghy and Powerboat training this summer too. I am happy to support from the land and joined the committee for the Paignton Sailing Club for Publicity, marketing and funding at the end of last year. Being in Thailand for several months of the year led to my “virtual” attendance at a number of the monthly committee meetings. The time difference meant that I was in attendance from 2.30 in the morning each time but, stoically, did not miss a single one.
The seeds have been sown. Our connections here starting to take root. For now, we are going to do the Hokey Cokey and turn around as we head East for the winter, but it won’t be long until we are back. Back home, where our heart is because, after all, that is what it is all about.
Here’s a link back to COVID times giving a different perspective of missing home: https://ripeningnicely.com/2021/08/30/theres-no-place-like-home/
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