THE GENTRIFICATION OF SWIMMING

This month Brunty’s got it in for wild swimmers, who he believes have diminished his chances to brag about his open-water exploits...

- MARTYN BRUNT

There's no doubt that if there's one pastime that has boomed over the past couple of years, it's wild swimming. Or, as it used to be known, 'swimming'.

It's a sure sign that something has caught on when it starts being written about in newspaper lifestyle supplements. And it seems that I can't glance at social media these days without being bombarded. with adverts for tow floats, organic towels, insulation cups that keep your post-swim latte warm, and camouflage changing robes.

Naturally my reaction to this is delight at seeing so many people enjoying outdoor healthy pursuits and discovering the joy of swimming. That's my public reaction anyway.

Behind the insincere smile I'm quietly seething that the thing I do, which was previously considered the exclusive preserve of super-fit nutters, has been gentrified, and my opportunities to brag about my death-defying open-water exploits have been diminished. For nothing takes the edge off the element of danger you've cultivated like seeing your sport appear in a free magazine from a supermarket.