The Tidal Year – Details, episodes & analysis

My book The Tidal Year is out today! As a special thank you to my podcast listeners, I've included a free preview of the prologue and chapter one from the audiobook read by me. Here's more about the book:

Freya is still searching. For four years, she's been looking for a way to fill the empty space her brother's death left behind. Ready for another distraction, Freya decides to swim every tidal pool in Britain in a year with her friend Miri. The adventure takes them from a pool hidden in the cliffs of fishing-village Polperro to the quarry lagoon of Abereiddi via Trinkie Wick where locals meet each year to give the pool wall a fresh lick of paint. As Freya travels further from London, she finds herself closer to memories of her brother. With every swim, and every stranger they meet in the water, the challenge becomes more than just a way to explore the coast, but a journey of self-discovery.

The Tidal Year is a true story about the healing power of wild swimming and the space it creates for reflection, rewilding, and hope. An exploration of grief in the modern age, it's also a tale of loss, love, female rage and sisterhood.

You can listen to the full audiobook on Apple Books, Audible or wherever you usually download your audiobooks. Plus, it's in bookshops around the country. Enjoy!

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What makes the difference between a bad loser and a good one? Seren Jones tells us as she reflects on her time as a former competitive swimmer and what it means to dream big, and find new challenges along the way. Seren also co-founded the Black Swimming Association. We spoke about the fantastic work they do, swim safety, inclusion and our favourite places for a dip in Wales.

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Pre-order The Tidal Year: amazon.co.uk/dp/1399709674/ 

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Welcome back! I'm delighted to kick off a new series with a very special swimmer. Jessica Hepburn is an adventure activist and the author of 21 Miles. 

After a decade of trying to become a mother Jessica Hepburn stopped her fertility journey and decided to swim the English Channel. As the training began, she learned you need to put on weight to stave off the cold so Jessica decided she would meet and eat with inspiring women to answer the question: does motherhood make you happy?

In this episode, we look back on her adventure and chat about being an endurance swimmer who doesn’t feel at all like one. Plus, we chat about one of my favourite places: Hampstead Ponds! 

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21 Miles by Jessica Hepburn is available wherever you buy your books. 

You can pre-order The Tidal Year here: amazon.co.uk/dp/1399709674/

Thanks to this episode’s sponsor TRIHARD. Say goodbye to chlorine and shop their skin and hair products at 15% off with the code Tidal at trihard.co

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It’s the finale of Series 1! In 1988 Tom Gregory swam the English Channel. And he was only 11 years old! He was the youngest person in history to complete the 32 mile swim and as regulations have changed since then, it’s a record that will never be broken. 

A Boy in the Water is a heartwarming memoir about his experience. In this episode, we spoke about adventures with his swimming club, endurance swimming at such a young age, the coach who guided him through it all and the impact he had on his life. We also spoke about memories, writing, 80s nostalgia and his reflections on how times have changed with the way we parent, encourage and trust. 

In this episode, we chat about 

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A Boy in the Water by Tom Gregory is available wherever you buy your books. 

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Cleveland Pools is Britain’s oldest lido dating back over 200 years. It’s set to open once again! Restoration to make the facility fit for the future has started and they’re working to create a unique open-air public swimming pool in Bath, with the energy for heating the water coming from heat pumps in the adjacent river. In this episode I chat to project director Anna Baker. We spoke about Anna’s work, the history of the lido and the power of community action to make a heritage project like this happen. 

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@clevelandpools

You can find more about the restoration at clevelandpools.org.uk They’re still raising money to re-open the lido and need your help to make it happen! Go online to find out how you can donate your money or time. It’s really vital to this wonderful heritage site. 

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Outdoor Swimmer is the only magazine dedicated to open water swimming in all its forms. They share inspiring swimming stories from triathlons to first dips! In this episode I chat to the magazine’s founder Simon Griffiths. We spoke about his earliest memories swimming, competing in triathlons and of course his journey to founding the magazine. 

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@outdoorswimmer 

You can explore the magazine and buy a subscription at www.outdoorswimmer.com

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Cathy Rentzenbrink is the bestselling author of The Last Act of Love, A Manual for Heartache, Dear Reader and her latest novel, Everyone is Still Alive. Cathy swims in the sea near her home in Cornwall (including a new tradition of a publication day swim) and is hoping to start swimming all year around. We chat about that and lots more about swimming, as well as its connection to the creative process. This episode also touches on grief and how life is about accumulating experiences, both good and bad, that make us who we are. 

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@catrentzenbrink

All of Cathy’s books are available wherever you buy your books. 

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Does a week of wild swimming and yoga in Cornwall sound like bliss to you? Well, that’s what Lauren Biddulph thought when she founded The Salt Sisterhood, a women’s wild swimming retreat based in Cornwall. 

Lauren has a moving story to tell about the power of swimming and its ability to bring people together and forge female friendships. In this episode, we spoke about banishing negative self talk, how we can not just accept that there’s light and dark in life, but also lean into it. And how yoga and swimming can help with that. 

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@thesaltsisterhood

Explore upcoming wild swimming retreats: www.thesaltsisterhood.com

Thanks to this episode’s sponsor TRIHARD. Say goodbye to chlorine and shop their skin and hair products at 15% off with the code Tidal at trihard.co

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Nathaniel Cole is a writer, workshop facilitator and co-founder of the inner city swimming club Swim Dem Crew. They hold weekly sessions for people to become better swimmers. Much of what Swim Dem Crew do is about personal development and self-affirmation, using swimming as a tool to empower people and make the sport more inclusive. 

In this episode, we spoke about Swim Dem Crew’s work and explored topics including masculinity, inclusion, how the confidence people gain from swimming can touch other parts of their life and Nathaniel’s own journey to creating a career around helping people. 

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@swimdemcrew

As Nathaniel says in this episode… when you’re ready, Swim Dem Crew is ready for you! Check out their amazing work or join them for a swim here: www.swimdemcrew.co.uk

Thanks to this episode’s sponsor TRIHARD. Say goodbye to chlorine and shop their skin and hair products at 15% off with the code Tidal at trihard.co

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Marika Hackman is a singer-songwriter and regular at London Fields Lido. Part of her creative process, including when writing her most recent albums Any Human Friend and Covers, is walking along the canal listening to early demos before a reflective swim at the lido. In this episode, we spoke about all the things we love about swimming: that feeling of being hugged by liquid, how joyous it is to see people exercising self-love and the body positivity of getting a glimpse of body hair in the changing rooms. Plus, we chatted about Marika's very special performance from the bottom of an empty swimming pool! 

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@marikahackman

Order Marika Hackman's brand new album Covers, out now: marikahackman.backl.ink/covers

Thanks to this episode’s sponsor TRIHARD. Say goodbye to chlorine and shop their skin and hair products at 15% off with the code Tidal at trihard.co

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.