You should be proud of your pools – visiting swimmers

Welcomed by local bathers, a group of swimmers from Brighton and Hove, who visited the island for a weekend midway through January, donning their swimsuits for a dip in the cold waters of winter, have declared how proud Guernsey must be to have an amenity like La Vallette bathing pools.

Cecile Stanford, one of the visiting swimmers, said the group had enjoyed their swim in the bathing pools, as well as in the sea at Grandes Rocques and Cobo.

‘We spent a delightful weekend in your lovely island,’ she said.

‘We’re a group of swimmers who gather as often as possible to swim in the sea all year long.

‘When the wind is too strong, we retreat to Shoreham harbour – tide dependent – and it doesn’t have the beauty of a sea pool, such as the bathing pools in your island that would be ideal to keep training in the winter, which limits us a lot here in Brighton.

‘These bathing pools enable access to the sea even when the weather does not permit an open sea swim, we’re very envious of them.’

The group said they try to spend a few days abroad in different places to explore and that they felt especially welcome here.

‘Our Cobo Bay swim was on Sunday morning with the Guernsey swimmers, who invited us to their usual Sunday swim, which was really nice,’ she said.

‘We felt welcome and safe with the group and the chat in the cafe post-swim was a plus and made us realise how warm and strong the swimming community is in Guernsey.

‘This winter, we have also been participating in the informal Polar Bear Challenge with monthly mileage targets keeping people swimming in cold water during the darker season.

‘We hope to welcome Guernsey swimmers on their way to Dover where their awards are due.’

She added that there were many advantages and benefits to having such resources available in Guernsey.

‘It’s a great resource maintained by volunteers and open to everyone,’ she said.

‘It’s not been gentrified and has a wonderful inclusive atmosphere, allowing swimmers of all ages and ability to come and go as they please and enjoy the facility and it fits perfectly into an iconic and unspoiled landscape.

‘This is a great asset to swimmers and has probably contributed to many islanders’ success in completing one of the most challenging swims worldwide – the Channel.

‘These pools’ humble structure and facilities have lasted robustly through hundreds of storms and we all sincerely hope that generations of local and visiting swimmers will continue to enjoy them.

‘Guernsey should be so proud of them.’

Thanking islanders, the group said they hoped to return.