Some years ago, we were approached by a production company about appearing in a short film about Plymouth independent businesses. After a short consideration, we declined. Why? Well, the concept felt a little bit forced - we love independent business, love Plymouth, love our independent business associates, and champion the growth of IB in the city. But make a film about it? Was there really enough of a story here yet? Not for us - the scene is still developing and we will definitely get there… but this project felt a tad premature and it was whilst thinking all of this over, the penny dropped that there was a truly phenomenal story (in every sense of the word) waiting to be told that nobody had picked up on…
For too long, we have assigned the word culture to the sole dominion of the arts, and it’s about time this is recognised for the gross inaccuracy that it is! Culture is an ancient and complex pyramid of levels and chambers and most importantly, a base. Culture is often happening in the places that you least expect it; and the creators often do not choose culture but are instead chosen by the culture. In this case, whilst the world was falling to pieces in the midst of a pandemic, and whilst institutions were gazing inwards to understand their values, people from the city and beyond were called to a most unlikely source: the sea.
Photo credit Lloyd Hunt here on Substack - please check him out!
Creativity happens when you box people in, and oh boy were we boxed in during 2020, no? That short 1hr allocation for physical activity saw an cambrian explosion of aquarian activity: swim groups, races, insta accounts, photographers, distance swimmers, bathers, paddle-boarders, kayakers and thalassophiles from all over the city converge to experience and share in the joy of the waters of the peninsula. True grassroots movements often don’t have single leaders, and instead have networks, and this is undoubtedly what happened at Devil’s Point during lockdown. It wasn’t a single person,a business or a elected official or a property developer who started it all. It wasn’t the push of someone’s will; instead, a network of people answered the clarion call of the ocean which offered health, well-being, community, beauty, friendship and more… all at no cost whatsoever. The swimmers were ubiquitous and it mattered not the day of the week, the temperature of the water or what the weatherman said. Swimmers were now a permanent fixture on the peninsula.
The secondary effects were remarkable. These be-hatted, dryrobed natators were to have a far more profound impact upon the city than just their presence in the waters. Plymouth City Council clocked that this nano-industry was gaining incredible momentum and installed a swimming pontoon just off the lido. Clothing labels such as Three Buoys popped up; fitness groups like Operation Enrichment placed the sea at the centre of their community workouts whilst teachers like Jason at ACE Swimming taught people the techniques of sea water swimming. Fashion, infrastructure, community groups and education all grew from this shared love of the ocean. One of the greatest events we ever saw at Devil’s Point was the Firestone Freezer - a charity New Year’s Day swim at 12 noon. Jack was brutally hungover from a NYE Hutong Party (remember them??!!) and was not up for it at all until 11:55 when he got massive fomo and borrowed a pair from a neighbour (thanks Mikey). It was an amazing community occasion.
Environmentally, community and politicians worked together to secure Devil’s Point as a area of designated bathing water. This meant cleaner, safer waters for out bathers, paddlers and enjoyers. The tidal pool has just been renovated with reinforced walls whilst upgrades and planned for lockers and handrails.
Where were we during all of this? We were making the oat lattes and banana bagels which sustained the energy of this movement. Not by design but by circumstance, our cafe became a meeting point where pre and post-swimming folk would converge to reignite their pilot light following a dip in the icy-cold surrounding waters and our bagel was the perfect bite for swimming sustenance. Shaped like the sun, generous, warming, toothsome and hand held - a bagel and a coffee became as ubiquitous as the dry robe and beanie.
Maybe at this juncture we should say that this was not the grand plan of a some wild marketing strategy! Far from it - this was an organic development that paddled parallel to the swimming culture growing all around us and thus we become a very small (bagel shaped?) part of it.
Swim culture was not new to us, however. The Harman family spent a huge amount of their childhood at Devil’s Point, swimming, rock pooling and bouldering around the headland. In fact, on Sunday 14th April 1991, Mam, Joe and Jack went scrambling over the rocks, even though mam was nine months pregnant with the force of nature that was to be George. She said she felt she had to go down there and walk, and that night, the contractions started, surely powered by the fresh air and salt waves of Devil’s Point, and on Monday we saw the arrival of George (the world would never be the same again!). Fast forward some 35 years, and our Joe is now an endurance wild swimmer, with the Breakwater Swim as his next personal milestone. Even dad, now in his mid 70s still gets in (although he is banned from sub 10c temps - but that’s a story for another time). Then there was the time that Emma’s dog, Monty, bolted from the boot of Graham’s car in DP carpark down to the foreshore, sending her, Jean and Papa G into a frenzy. Yep, swimming at DP is inexorably linked to our families.
Swimming even influenced our branding.
Somewhat cheekily, we initially called this post ‘The Best Thing to Ever Happen in Plymouth’ and yes you would be right to say it’s a tad clickbaity, but looking at the dozens and dozens of photos that have been sent in, of friendship, of health, memories, community, celebrations, love of the natural world, art, photography… it’s damn hard to think of another natural phenomenon in the last 20 years that has captured the essence of humanity quite like wild swimming. Is it the best thing to happen to Plymouth in the last 20 years? Dunno, but gosh it’s pretty damn special isn’t it? It has no brand, no leader, no single voice, and instead is a natural, vibrant, diverse and distributed phenomenon, one which celebrates this beautiful corner of England. Where the waters are deep, the skie shines blue and the sun sits up high.
Lastly, on our socials we reached out to our community and asked for some photographs of the their swim life, as there is so many shots that we repost on Insta but we keep none of them. The response has been amazing (some of these really did bring tears to our eyes as some of you guys have become dear friends) and were going to do a mini gallery at the bottom of this Substack, as there are far too many to leave out but we reached our email size limit so we are gonna do a gallery post very soon! Too many incredible pictures to leave out. Pt2 soon we promise! Thank you for all the contributions. The light, the laughter, the lattes. It’s all there.
‘Friendships are forged in the water’ Cordelia.
Enjoy, swim safely, thank you and see you in the water,
The Hutong.
+++
We would like to thank all the contributors listed below with these quite magnificent photographs. It feels like we have lived through you in each shot - what a life.
Love always to Empower her Ventures, Cords, Georgia, Lydia, Jo Dyer, Heather, Emma, Lloyd, David Tang, Hollie, Michael, Marcie, Olive, Ollie M, Dom Moore and Notch Photography and more <3
