Now that we're taking our first tentative steps into Autumn, we can hold on to a little bit of Summer by visiting Whitstable with pretty coloured beach huts and crystal clear seas. As part of the Blog Tour for The Whitstable High Tide Swimming Club: Part One: Diving In I have a guest post for you today about the real places you can find in Whitstable and tips if you fancy trying a bit of sea swimming, although I haven't so much as dipped my toe in the icy North Sea for many years.
Inspired to visit
Whitstable after reading the book? Here are five places you may
recognise in real life.
1. West Beach
First things first:
West Beach – and its lovely row of beach huts – is as glorious as
it sounds in the book. Head west along the coast from the town
centre, go past the sea-front houses, and you’ll come to it: quiet,
beautiful, and covered in wild flowers from spring to autumn. Not
everyone loves shingle beaches, but it’s easily solved with a pair
of sea shoes and it sure keeps the sand out of your picnic. Don’t
forget to check the tide tables if you want to swim like Maisie and
Deb. When the tide’s out, you’ll be lucky if you can get more
than ankle-deep.
2. The Neptune
Sitting directly on the
beach, The Neppy is a Whitstable institution, beloved of locals and
visitors alike. With its white weatherboard exterior and picnic sets
outside, it’s a magnet for summer drinkers, but it’s cosy in the
winter, too, when sea-storms lash against the windows. If the crowds
get too much for you, seek out some of Whitstable’s wonderful
backstreet pubs, like the New Inn or the Smack. True locals drink in
the Yacht Club, but you have to be a member.
3. The Windy Corner
Stores & Café
Set on a residential
street not far from West Beach, the Windy Stores is the café you
always dream of finding: great coffee, art on the walls, and the
world’s most perfect mushrooms on toast for breakfast. Whenever you
turn up, it’s always full of people tapping on laptops, giggling
with friends over coffee or indulging in a slice of carrot cake while
their kids queue for sweets. Whitstable is awash with wonderful
cafés, from the classic Tea & Times to the new-fangled Blueprint
Coffee and Whitstable Produce Store, and this book was written in
most of them!
4. The Harbour
Whitstable has a way of
reminding you that it’s still a working fishing town. You only need
to take a stroll into the harbour to see all the fishing boats lined
up, and to buy shellfish – including the famous oysters – from
the black sheds on the quay. Many tourists leave out the looming
towers of the aggregates plant from their holiday snaps, but for me,
this is part of what makes Whitstable so special: the collision of
longstanding industry with arty ‘down from London’ culture.
There’s now a permanent market on the harbour where you can buy
anything from bric-a-brac to sushi, as well as crabbing nets to
dangle off the end of West Quay. Take a tip from a local: to catch
the big ones, you’ll need to use bacon as bait.
5. Trendy gin bars
Okay, I invented the
pop-up gin bar where Julie gives Deb some unwanted career advice, but
Whitstable’s drinking scene is getting an awful lot cooler, and
unlike Deb, I think this is a great thing. If I had to call a
favourite, it would have to be the Twelve Taps with its magnificent
range of gins (sorry, Deb), craft beer and prosecco on tap. But I’m
also deeply fond of goth micropub The Black Dog, the chic little bar
attached to the David Brown Deli for a superb wine list, and, over in
Tankerton, the wonderful Jo Jos at the top of the Slopes. Wherever
takes your fancy, you’ll always be able to spot the locals: we’re
the ones in striped shirts with wind-blown hair. To blend in, you’d
better dress down.
Five tips for wild
swimmers
Inspired to take up
sea-swimming after reading The Whitstable High Tide Swimming Club?
Here are some tips for getting started.
1. Know your beach
Every beach is
different. Spend some time paddling first, and get a feel for how the
sea is behaving. Is the tide coming in, or going out? Are there any
rocks to avoid, or shelves where the waves break suddenly? If it’s
a monitored beach, find the safe swimming area marked by red and
yellow flags, and ask the lifeguard about any tides or currents you
should take into consideration. Don’t be afraid to ask local
swimmers for advice.
2. Assess your ability
Put simply, it’s
harder to swim in the sea than in a pool. If you’re a weak swimmer,
spend some time in the local baths first, developing your strokes and
building up strength and distance. You could even work with a coach
or take adult lessons to build confidence.
3. Bring the right kit
Whether you’re a
bikini swimmer like Deb, or a wetsuit swimmer like Maisie, will be a
matter of preference - and the time of year you plan to swim. But
it’s worth making sure you have everything you need before you get
in the water. Here’s a checklist:
- Swimming shoes if the beach is stony
- Goggles if you plan to put your face underwater
- A neoprene glasses retainer if, like me, you’re lost without your specs
- A light towel to dry off – I’m devoted to cloth hammam towels
- Waterproof sun cream
- A bottle of water to rehydrate
- I hate to say it, but a bright bathing cap like Maisie’s really can help you to stay visible.
4. Acclimatise
The best way to get
used to cold seawater is to start swimming in the summer, and then
keep going into autumn as the sea gradually cools. Winter is up to
you. If you don’t have this option, it’s sensible to cool down
gradually rather than shocking your body. If I’m swimming in cold
weather, I stand on the beach in my cossie for a few minutes before
getting in. Get into the water slowly, and stay shallow so that you
can get out quickly if you need to. Have warm clothing ready for when
you get out, even if it’s the summer. A cup of tea helps if you get
really chilly.
5. Safety first
Sea-swimming is one of
the great pleasures of my life, and it gives me an instant hit of
happiness. However, I know my limits and carefully assess the sea
every time I swim. If I’m in any doubt about safety, I don’t go
in; it’s as simple as that. You can read up on basic survival
techniques on the RNLI’s excellent website, respectthewater.com.
There are also some useful (and inspiring) articles for beginners on
the Outdoor Swimming Society’s website: go to
outdoorswimmingsociety.com and select ‘survive’ in the top menu.
Follow the tour:
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