Turning Points
A moment of clarity swimming in a saltwater lido in the rain leading to a big life decision.
Tickets are now available to all for the in-person event I’m organising in London on Sunday 12th October. It’s going to be a beautiful day of connection, creativity and taking inspiration from nature. Everyone is welcome and I’d love for you to join me there. More info and links to book a ticket can be found here:
Turning Points
I’m on the cusp of something. I can’t tell you too much about the exact details of that just yet because there are a good number of obstacles and things that need to happen before this ‘something’ becomes completely clear and in motion. But, if you’re a paid subscriber you will discover more as you read on.
We were on holiday in Cornwall back in early July. There was one day where rain was forecast all day, and rain it did without pause for many hours. Undeterred, we planned a different kind of day; not one of beaches or coastal walks but instead a trip to the nearby town of Penzance.
The first stop was Penlee House Gallery and Museum. We parked the car nearby, just managing to bag the one remaining space in the car park which was presumably full of cars of other holiday makers who had planned a similar sort of day to us on account of the weather. To get to the gallery we passed through a park with a busy tennis club, manicured gardens, an open air theatre, a children’s play area and a bowling green. Even in the morning drizzle it was clear that there was plenty going on here.
This small gallery and museum contained an exhibition called ‘Birds: the art of Cornwall’s birdlife’ which was a beautiful exploration of this important symbol of the county through paintings and sculpture by artists long dead and those very much alive and creating their own interpretations of the significance of birds. It was seamlessly curated and the perfect size to fully take in every nook and cranny. I loved it.
An hour or so later, we emerged from the museum to continued drizzle, heading towards the town centre past a row of imposing and characterful Victorian houses. “I wonder how much houses cost around here?” we mused in the way we often do when visiting a nice place. A few moments later the question was answered when we passed an estate agent with its photographs and listings in the window. The answer was considerably less than the part of London we live in.
We ducked into shops, sometimes to escape the rain and sometimes because the shop looked interesting: a kitchenware shop that seemed to go back forever like a tardis, a book shop specialising in writing and photography about the coast, an organic deli selling the freshest-looking herbs and cucumbers we’d seen in a while. There were two bakeries making it difficult for us to decide which one to buy a sourdough loaf from and there was a tiny shop selling home made candles and other products scented with essential oils. I bought a lip balm in a cute little tin. Here were all the kinds of independent shops I crave and live in hope will one day open in our suburb of outer London, yet haven’t in the almost 8 years we’ve been living there.
As lunch time approached, we hunted for a cafe to escape the rain. It turned out to be more challenging than anticipated due to several places being closed on Wednesdays and those with steamed up windows that were open turning out to be full once we went inside. Eventually we found somewhere and were treated to bowls of home made soup and sandwiches made with locally sourced ingredients and love.
I’d persuaded J that we should take our swim gear with us to Penzance that day. Despite the rain, I was keen to swim in the open air salt water lido which juts out on the corner of the headland. My reasoning was that we would be wet anyway so the rain wouldn’t matter! He reluctantly went along with it - true love, surely?
Once we were in the (freezing cold) pool, we swam up and down in an attempt to keep warm, chatting as we swam. There’s something special about an open air seawater pool. Perhaps it was the cold water making our synapses fire differently, but whilst swimming up and down that pool under grey skies, we had a moment of clarity.