Jump right in

Lewes has the oldest freshwater open air pool in the UK, the Pells - dating back to 1860.

There's an older seawater pool at Lymington (1833). And there have been older pools - London's Peerless Pool dated to the 18th Century, but is long gone.

The Pells opens sometime in May each year, and for me it represents the start of the summer. On opening day at noon I like to jump right in.

Unheated and fed from an underground spring, it's usually so cold at the start of the season it takes your breath away and swimming is really tough.

But pre-season work to fix leaks and install new pipes has raised the starting temperature to a bracing 18 degrees.

This pic comes from the sunniest day so far, five days into the 150th season.

I tried to capture the Hockney-esque play of light on the water. And l like the way the surface becomes a mosaic of a myriad pieces.

It is just lovely to throw yourself in here at the end of the day.