Even before the late Roger Deakin published his book Waterlog, I was researching and writing Hung Out to Dry. Due to the abundance of swimming restrictions in my home city of Leicester, I was determined to find out why outdoor swimmer (wild swimmers) came in for so much prejudice. My journey has not been easy; hampered by dyslexia and having no computer skills whatsoever, the process of researching and writing a book seemed a formidable task. Finding a publisher was the next obstacle; most felt that a lack of interest in such a specialized subject would make the project unfeasible. Yet even when an offer to publish was secured, the cost of reproducing the photographs, many of which come from the Hulton Getty collection, meant that I would be out of pocket to the tune of thousands of pounds even if the book sold well. In the end I decided to do it all myself, and Hung Out to Dry is now finally in print. 

Today wild swimming is making a comeback. Yacov Lev and Rob Fryer launched the River and Lake Swimming Association and have been championing the cause on the internet. Swimming guide books such as wild swimming by Daniel Start and Wild Swim by Kate Rew (founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society) are helping to change people's perception of swimming in the great outdoors. Hung Out to Dry records the 2000 year history of the wild swimmer. I hope that through its publication readers will gain a deeper understanding of our rich culture. More importantly I trust that you will be tempted to look again at our rich and varied landscape and enjoy its pleasures by swimming in the water itself rather than just walking along its edge.

The hidden history of British Wild Swimming in rivers, lakes, lidos and the sea.