Dear Family and Friends

I wanted to update you all on the mindboggling challenge Alex set himself a couple of weeks ago! The 21-mile swim for St Paul’s Stretch 21 community project. Well, in four sessions set over three days...in a approx 11 hours and 50 minutes ... HE DID IT!

For those of you who like statistics, these are a bit dodgy, as I didn’t have a stop watch to calculate actual swimming time so these include loo stops, vaseline reapplication (!) refuelling (countless bottles of sports drinks), fiddling with goggles, asthma inhaler stops, greeting supporters etc!

Session 1: 404 lengths in 4 hrs 15; session 2: 295 in 2hrs 15; session 3: 300 in 2hrs 50 and session 4: 352 in 2 hrs 25. Poor Alex didn’t have a lane to himself so had to struggle with everything from old ladies doing weird backstroke kicking him in the head, to grown men practising their stud 50m sprints!!! The Channel will be a doddle.

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone for your support and encouragement both online and by the poolside (especially to the length counters who relieved me from time to time- Granny, Aunties and cousins). It wasn’t all plain sailing by any means and your kind words and generous donations spurred him on when the going got tough! Alex is so grateful to you all and is thrilled to have achieved (and today just got over) his target of raising £2,100. This money will make a difference. If you still want to sponsor him that would be great.

Have a wonderful Easter!

Best wishes to you all

Joss and Alex