Will be braving the Great North Swim this June to raise money in memory of my Granda, aka Ron, Ronny, or the Gadge.

I tried open water swimming for the first time last year by taking part in the 1 mile Swim Serpentine race in London, and while I was very slow I didn't sink and managed to make it over the finish line. Despite the fact I haven't swum since then, I've decided to go all in and sign up for double the distance, in a much bigger lake, to make this really count!

We lost my Granda to covid at the start of the pandemic, and it was so early into the lockdown that we weren't allowed any proper funeral. I had just moved south so was stuck in Oxford on my own, virtual links hadn't been thought up yet, and even the people at home weren't allowed to meet up to celebrate him. We planned to have a memorial once things opened up, but the three weeks turned into three months turned into a couple of years, and unfortunately this lead to it never happening.

He's a huge miss, and while the pandemic might have stopped a normal funeral celebration we don't want to miss the opportunity to mark his passing. I'll be braving 2 miles (!) across lake Windermere on the 7th June, followed by us raising a glass to him. Not sure any of us will stomach a John Smiths for him, but hopefully he'll forgive us.

All money raised will be going in his name to Parkinson's UK, who's research he helped with in the 7 years before he died, and who were so helpful for information when he first got diagnosed with it. Better 4 years late than never!

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