Finally did a triathlon!

[Byron]

That's an interesting bit of history - wish it was still true about the salmon but where's the PLA's water aeration boat these days? (or has it given up when
the infrastructure for waste water treatment is so ancient and inadequate now that there is to be another Thames under the Thames in a tunnel to be bored at a cost of billions of pounds?).
We did get a whale of course but the poor animal beached way too far upstream and unfortunately died during all the efforts to get him back to the estuary (the remains (might be her not him)are now in the Natural History Museum in Kensington).

The beach was great for the poor east end kids of the day and the idea was revived only last year - just a waste of money however as the rip tides and strong currents make it necessary to constantly top-up the sand.
I think eyes were cast at the Seine in Paris - but that's a different matter where the artificial beach has been created up on the banks.

The inebriated guy who swam across near Blackfriars last year was fined
but as an aside is there any film of the Major who was also fined many years ago when he flew his aircraft under the arches of fourteen bridges?

[Byron]

Took ages to retrace this but couldn't resist repeating clever pic on some alternative recreation there (old beach location far left in photo)
http://www.reflexstock.com/stock-pho...30964735-0.jpg

[Byron]

Beach on Seine (or should that be beach insane?) - surprised at the French - can't see myself rushing over to Paris to enjoy this:
http://designcrave.com/wp-content/up...DC072310-E.jpg

[NakedBudd]

A fun memory I have is when I volunteered to work the World Triathlon Championship, held at the Walt Disney World Resort that year.

It was a full, and very well-organized, tri. The swim was from the beach at the Polynesian Resort, out to the island where the Fairytale Wedding Pavilion is today, and back to the beach at the Grand Floridian. This was the early 1990s so it was a veritable sea of Speedos. The bikes were staged in the parking lot of the Grand Floridian, and you rode all through the WDW resort.

And of course, the run was the best part. Imagine hot hunky and sweaty guys running throughout MAGIC KINGDOM Park in all their Speedo-riffic glory, and then down Main Street U.S.A. like the 3:00 Parade and then out to the finish line on a big grassy area where the bus station is today.

Although really, the BEST part was the Europeans who, finished with the race itself, went over to the cool-down area where water hoses were set up, shower-style... and proceeded to strip stark naked in front of everyone. That was a heavenly sight!!

[Byron]

I had better revise post#11 as a head count has just revealed a record 700 grey seals in the estuary and they are spotted well upstream now even swimming beyond Tower Bridge.

A PS: http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...0820-00010.jpg
Last week's female dolphin seen 20 miles upstream at Chester on the River Dee.
Spectators amused by "playful" daily leaps but more likely to be distressed and trying to make sense of its surroundings. Rescue charity has captured her now and safely returned to deep water.

[Byron]

LOL - I can never seem to get this right - info. now is that this coming weekend's open water
swimming competition is relocated to Milwall Dock as a health and safety report has arrived on the unsuitable water quality of West India Dock.