Bec

The United Kingdom's largest open-air swimming pool. That's where I took myself off to in the morning of my last day in London, to swim in the unheated waters of the mythical, swimming mecca (in my mind at least) that is Tooting Bec Lido. The first length I could barely breathe because I couldn't take my mind off the temperature of the water, the second length as I began to warm up it felt like my chest was burning and after that I got into my rhythm, started to swim as normal and did another ten lengths to complete my experience. Overall verdict - bordering on the awesome. On getting out of the pool my head felt light and my legs were wobbly as anything as I headed over to the showers. I don't think any of the other three swimmers in the lido noticed, three swimmer who had the air of The Regular about them and I watched them glide up and down as I sat outside the wee cafe there alone with my coffee and my cookie and my thoughts and took in the whole scene and reflected on the fact that it was probably a good job I didn't live in London because, amongst all the other things I'd do, I'd probably want to go there quite a lot. Roger Deakin - you've got a lot to answer for!

More record buying in the afternoon before the train back and a midnight arrival at home, getting back to a sleeping household which gave me all the excuse I needed to stay up fannying around on the internet for far too long, I never learn...

While I contemplated my latte, this came on over the shop at Rough Trade East.