As Swim Serpentine is in Hyde Park, one of the Royal Parks, the weekend before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, there was a lot of uncertainty about what would actually happen.
Swim Serpentine Support Group
The Facebook Swim Serpentine training group wouldn’t even allow any discussion about it whatsoever. It was meant to help people be less anxious but personally not talking about things just made it worse. We knew that Monday 12th September would mean an announcement but we couldn’t even refer to that. Even with one of my comments referring to it being deleted.
Still Training for Swim Serpentine
Packs were arriving and people were still getting excited. No such pack had arrived for either myself or my friends. We decided to still go for a 2 mile swim the weekend before the event to prove that we could do it. We actually took off almost half an hour on our previous 2 mile swim too!
Possibilities for Swim Serpentine
We discussed the possibilities – would it be deferred, made virtual, moved or some sort of refund offered. Most likely it would be deferred as the whole point is being able to swim in the Serpentine so virtually it wouldn’t work. Plus not everyone may have access to wild swimming safely and in the pool could be really tedious – especially for those doing the Serpentine 6.
Personally I think the worst outcome would have been it moving late in the year, meaning a forced wearing of wetsuits.
A full refund would have been costly for them, especially seeing as lots of packs with swim hats had already been sent out.
Waiting for the Swim Serpentine Announcement
Monday came and we kept checking everywhere for an announcement. The day passed on and still there was no announcement. Not even an indication of when it might even happen. The Swim Serpentine clock still counting down on the website.
To me it felt that it was going to definitely be the case it was not on. Not only as a mark of respect but because it would be very busy: The Royal Parks were where people were putting down flowers.
Transport Issues
People were being to worry about booking transport. Our own transport to and from London was already booked. We asked ourselves whether we might still want to use it regardless of whether the Swim Serpentine went ahead or not. It would be good to be part of history but would the crowds be too overwhelming.
The Announcement
At 14:30 I noticed that the countdown on the Swim Serpentine website had disappeared. Then the news came at around school pick up time that it would not go ahead. First on Twitter, then Facebook and then an e-mail. That we had the option to defer or get a full refund.
It would be September 2023 and we would be giving that decision/hearing further at the end of October. Just a shame that our teen who wants to do it will be just a tiny bit too young to do it then!
Some people were asking about whether it could be virtual and lots of people were suggesting places where they were going to swim it on Saturday anyway. We can keep the swim hats but need to send the other bits back (swim tags) in the freepost envelope. I still haven’t received mine though.
Oh no! That’s a shame that it has been postponed until next year but it’s understandable with what is going on at the moment in London.
What a shame, but not at all surprising. It would be impossible to run it safely with all the extra pressures on London over the weekend.
Will you do it next year?