I've started swimming regularly. It's great - a nearby school pool, twice a week, very genteel people, no racing and splashing, just good steady exercise.
It's the University of the Third Age swimming club. I qualify now that I'm over 50. Yes there are some advantages to advancing age. It's possible I'm mistaken but I've got a feeling that Sue and I bring down the average age by a few years. The pool is lovely and warm, and we just swim up and down. Being one of the youngest, I'm also one of the fastest, so it's tempting to feel smug and I have to keep reminding myself that everyone else is mostly over 70. It takes us almost as long to get changed as it does to swim, but that's part of the fun. There's quite a lot of chatting in the changing rooms as most people seem to be neighbours or have been coming for years. It feels like I'm getting an insight into what I'll be doing in 20 years time.
Grandchildren, waiting times for minor ops, and interesting events around Cambridge feature frequently. Someone was recently organising a collection and a Christmas card to thank the club organisers - you can never plan too far ahead, just a pound or two is fine, for a gift voucher from Scotsdales. This drew a comment from a venerable lady that it's hard work organising the club - week in week out, keeping track of members, money and attendance. Yes said another, it's a lot easier to prepare and give a lecture - I'd rather do that any day than all the work of the club she said. A point of view that wouldn't have ocurred to me!
