Marilyn prided herself on her swimming abilities – twice she had swum St George’s Channel – so when Daphne down at the White Swan challenged her to swim Dickerson’s pond she treated it as a bit of a joke. “You can’t be serious!”
But Daphne was serious, and Marilyn accepted – though with a haughty flourish.
“What’s that disgusting smell and that scum?” Marilyn asked on the day.
“Oh, that?” Daphne made a gesture of irrelevance. “That’s just leakage from Dickerson’s piggery.”
The photos taken of the… non-event, along with a report, now grace the walls of the White Swan bar.
Note: The featured pond is at Brooke, in Norfolk, UK; the film on the water is only pollen
crispina kemp 
Haha! Love it. Methinks I would pass on swimming there, as well…
LikeLiked by 2 people
I hope the people of Brooke will forgive my use of their pond. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh now… I don’t see why they would mind 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cos I polluted their pond
LikeLiked by 1 person
How did you?
LikeLiked by 1 person
In my story
LikeLiked by 1 person
Right, right. Silly me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
We used to have a river flowing through my home town in Massachusetts that was so heavily polluted by paper mills upstream that you could tell which month it was by the specific shade of yellow, green, and brown in the river. It was said that if you fell in, you should seek immediate hospitalization.
We did not swim there. Instead, we swam in a mill pond that had leeches.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like it. And leeches do serve a purpose (great for getting rid of black eye in time for your wedding)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have lacked for that opportunity. And curious that you mention it. I hope it was not the groom that gave it to you! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember reading it in a a novel
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve seen scattered articles saying leeches have sometimes been used in modern medicine. Certainly it beats having a cat lick your wounds.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s just we’ve become squeamish 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many a life was saved by allowing maggots clean a war-wound
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reminds me of when they tried to swim the Murray River … unfortunately
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
Hi Crispina. Here is my writing that was inspired by your photo:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Klf-_sNVssc96g4D-apO8JJ0qUstxgYKgQf-VPawzds/edit?usp=sharing
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice piece about the two boys and the pond and the fish that got away. Oddly, I have two cousins named Hadley and Tim, brothers to each other not cousins. My cousins. It is a bit nostalgic for me as I don’t see those two names together except my cousins. They’d have fished that pond too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Judy. What a coincidence, those names just popped into my head! I’m glad you enjoyed it.😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
That is so touching. Glad it touched you, Judy. 🙂
LikeLike
I have commented directly on the doc
LikeLike
Did I miss the white swan?
LikeLiked by 1 person
The name of the pub!
LikeLike
Ahhh!! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
There goes the haughty florish. I love it. Great fun.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person