I'm in France!

Seven weeks, 14 swims, 1416 lengths, 22 miles... I'm in France! But they wouldn't have me because I'm still waiting for my new passport, so I've had to come home.

My dad came to swim with me tonight and mum was watching from the side (as usual, she found someone she knew to talk to). There were the usual ones getting in the way but one of the things I've learned is just to head straight for them and if they don't move - tough!

It still hasn't sunk in that I've done it!

Thank you to everyone who's sponsored me - the total from the swim is £664 which is so much more than I ever expected.

And now I'm going to have a glass of wine!

The most ridiculous thing happened.

Just as I was running out of things to write about on here, something almost spectacular happened.

I go to the pool at Barnoldswick. I pay. I get changed. I have a shower. I head for the pool. But wait... why is there a shutter down?! I can hear people in the pool - but I can't get to it!

I was totally confused. Why had they let me pay if the pool wasn't open? Who was in there with no way of getting out? What was going on?!

I decided to go and ask at the front desk, which meant getting changed again. Just as I was getting things out of my locker another lady went into the changing rooms. Then another. I began to think that maybe I was a bit early... It was 8.10, and I thought the session started at 8pm, but maybe it was 8.30. I went back to the showers and hung around there for a while, and then a few more women appeared. Everyone was a bit confused by the shutter, but they opened it at 8.30. Thank goodness!!

It was very busy for a while and I was sick of people getting in my way, but slowly they all left and I was on my own for the last 10 minutes. Lovely!

I swum another 2 miles, meaning there is only one more to go!!

A very uninteresting swim this time... it was relatively quiet and I had enough time to do 2 miles, then a bit extra - in total I did 142 lengths. Actually, I think I did a bit more as I kept losing count and going back to the lowest amount I thought I was on!

This means I have exactly 3 miles to go - 192 lengths. Almost there!

Getting closer (to France, and to the fundraising target)

Once again I've been slow in updating this, sorry.

I think the main reason is that I feel like I've finished already, because of the amazing amount of money I've raised so far! On Saturday we held a coffee morning and the total from that alone now stands at just over £425!! I never expected it to be so much and it means that, when added to swimming sponsorship (providing I finish and everyone pays up, of course) my total is about £1,100. As a group of 12 we are aiming for £12,000, so I'm well on track! Thank you to everyone involved in the coffee morning, particularly my mum for all her hard work.

I was at the pool again on Monday, and it was a bit of a performance. Tom dropped me off at Colne, where I knew there was swimming club but thought there would be lanes open for public swimming... guess what? There weren't! So I had to ring home and ask for Tom to be sent back (he hadn't even made it home yet!). He then drove me to Barnoldswick for attempt number 2. Mum had rung to check whilst I was waiting for Tom, and been told I could swim between 8.30 and 9.30pm. I arrived at 8pm, so I had to wait for half an hour before I could go in!

When I did make it into the water it was relatively uneventful. There were 2 lanes, which on first inspection both looked like slow lanes. I decided that wasn't fair so I invaded one which contained 2 other ladies. One was swimming as slow as the people in the other lane, but the other was swimming at exactly my speed. We got on well! Although we did have to keep shuffling around and overtaking the other lady, meaning I couldn't get as much done as I wanted to. I have no idea why she didn't move to the other lane, as she was clearly annoyed at us.

In the end I only had 50 minutes to swim so I got 80 lengths done. And just to top it all off, mum missed the turning into the pool and had to drive around Barlick!