Waterlog

Beautiful writing from the late Roger Deakin, who comes across as just the loveliest man, completely absorbed in his beloved hobby of outdoor swimming. Inspired by John Cheever's The Swimmer, Roger set out to wildswim through the British Isles; we are consequently treated to his musings on everything from pondweed to land rights, all hilariously and tenderly relayed with a singular passion that few of us are lucky enough to experience. With so many pools closing in the last few years this reads like an elegy in retrospect, and I do wonder what Roger would make of our current situation, and what steps he might take towards rectifying it.