16 December 2025 I don't think I've ever been more surprised by a city than I was by Warsaw. Admittedly, I had done very little reconnaissance ahead of this trip so my pre-conceived notions of Poland were overly-influenced by memories from letters from a friend of mine who worked here in the post-Solidarity, re-opening to the "west" days of the early 1990s. Letters which painted an expectant and hopeful society, but bleak skies and an even bleaker infrastructure. I fully r

14 December 2025 I first found out about the European Masters SCM Championships in early September, saw the opportunity to visit Poland for the first time, and had no problem convincing my wife to make a long weekend of it, with a couple of days planned for racing in Lublin and then a couple of days for pure tourism in Warsaw. With Ryanair flying non-stop to Lublin, BA doing the same out of Warsaw, and the excellent and economical PKP Intercity train service between the tw

25-26th October 2025 I can't recall when I first learned about the Pond Forge International Sports Centre , but I've been wanting to compete here, or at least train here, since before I moved to England a couple of years ago. Some of my late 1980s University of Texas teammates raced here at the event the pool was built for, the 1991 World University Games, but I was completely off the grid living in rural Eswatini (now Swaziland) then, so I think this facility more likely ca

18th/19th October 2025 ... my 10th-great-grandfather, John Brundish and his wife, Rachel (née Hubbard), left their home in Felsham, England in Suffolk county for the new world. In 1633, John and Rachel would have been 40 and 33, respectively, and they sailed with two children, settling in what is today Connecticut, but was then part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. For reasons unknown, they dropped the "-ish" and replaced it with an "age" and thus the North American Brundag

12 October 2025 I am no expert on the intersection of the British school system with elite sports performance, but I have learned enough from living here almost two years to know that Millfield Prepatory School has an impressive aquatic pedigree.  When I saw an afternoon meet pop on the Swimming England Masters calendar, the Southwest Region Open Meet, I knew I had to make the trip.   It did not disappoint.  This facility, dedicated in 1995, has a reverential air, from the v

6 October 2025 Well, Boris did one thing great, even if all it probably was, was showing up and cutting a ribbon. While the 1930s era lido gets all the pool love online (which appears deserved), I swam indoors today and think this is the finest leisure Centre aquatic facility in the London area (note: I still think the London Aquatics Centre is the best pool, but that’s in a different category). The indoor tank appears to be 50M, with at least the far end (in the picture) at

5 October 2025 This morning’s very short 1,100 meters was so for three very good reasons. First, this leisure centre just outside of the downtown core of Southampton doesn’t start its Sunday lane swimming service until 8:30am and I have a morning train to catch back to London, with breakfast still to eat. Second, with yesterday’s 2,500 meters fast aerobic Masters workout, I had already ratcheted up my average weekly swim volume by 30%**, and I am trying to be mindful of incre

17 September 2025 I really would have liked to get a good picture of the inside of this newly renovated pool in Basel, but the lifeguard/entry office was right next to the only window with a good view of the whole pool … and that glass window had a sufficiently sized pictogram indicating no photos that I couldn’t take a snap and play dumb! So, a crummy picture of pretty pool, the Hallenbad Rialto , now #756 on my #1001Pools quest. In the basement underneath the four lane,

13 September 2025 - Tiranë After swimming the turquoise seas of the vibey beach paradise of Ksamil , where white-sand coves and clear...

1 September 2025 I didn't see any evidence of potters anywhere at the massive Furzefield Leisure Centre in Potters Bar, the first town...