My first taste of the channel

Hi all
Well this weekend was my first taste of the channel - we went to Dover on friday until the monday and stayed in Little Satmar Holiday Park in our motorhome which was lovely.
On saturday we turned up to the beach front and met up with Freda Streeter who organises the swims as a matter of safety. Everyone is given numbered and coloured hats - red for solo and yellow for relay swimmers. She then gives a brief of where to swim and for what length of time! I was number 12 and we had 3 hours to swim with a feed on the shore at 1 1/5hrs. The water was 12C and the sun was out so it was loveley swimming! John plodded up and down in his kayak keeping a watchful eye on me and the other swimmers. I managed 8500m in the 3 hours. Sunday was pretty much the same except we were given 4 hours this time - feed after 2 hrs, 3 hrs then swim 1 more hour if you could! The sun was shining but it was really windy so there was a big chop in the water especially swimming to the eastern side! I managed the 4 hrs!
Big thanks to Freda, Nick and John! 7 hours sea swimming was difficult but good fun!