Day153- The Rizza

In a small village called Caldercruix where i originally came from many moons ago, Is "the Rizza". More officially known as the Hillend loch, it is a popular fishing loch known to many for it's great angling club. 
Our family home was situated in a wee lone street surrounded by a few farms and fields. A fantastic place to grow up and the rizza is where i learned to swim. There was a concrete stop further along which sadly now cant be accessed due to the land being sold on :( It was simply a case of being thrown in by my father and told swim or drown lol. My father had spent months trying to teach me how to swim and driving the 20 odd miles to the pool each week...but patience was never my dads strongest trait. I was 6 at the time and when our big German shepard jumped in to protect me i copied what she was doing and so i swam the doggy paddle for 3 years until i learned a new stroke :) Many find it harse but it was just simply how it was done back then ....and i did go on to be a swimmer for the west of scotland team when i was older so i dont hold any grudges :) my brother who is terrified of heights never recovered from the sent up the blackpool big wheel with me as young children to combat his fear, however has never forgiven him for that old trick though x 
Swimming is now completely banned here due to strong under currents but the rizza holds some historical world records ive discovered 
Hillend Loch is a naturalised reservoir established between 1797 and 1799 when the North Calder Water was dammed. It was, at the time, the largest man-made reservoir in the world. It still supplies water to the Forth & Clyde Canal and the remains of the Monkland Canal.