About Rosie

My own journey with the sea started with a move to Brighton when I was 17. I lived within walking distance of the promenade, and my walks to work and to Art College ran parallel to the seafront with glimpses of the sea through the rows of houses and shops.

A move up to London, then to Germany, and back to London ended that part of my relationship with the ocean, but it was resurrected with a vengeance when

I moved back down to the south coast in 2018. And this time, I’m just a stone’s throw from not just one big beach, but a multitude of smaller ones, each with their own stories and charm.

Living on top of the cliffs also brings the coast to me in other ways. On rougher days, at different times of the year, you can smell the sea – for good or for bad, the misty sea fret feels comforting in it’s cloak round you. The view and feeling it evokes from the cliff top is a different one from the sand flats and acres of shingle.

A few years ago, at a particularly tough time in my life I felt this weird compulsion to get into the sea. And not just get in, but totally immerse myself in it. I was at the point of going to the doctors for prescriptive help, but I knew, just firmly knew deep inside that it was going to save me, and it did.

Later on, I started weekly psychotherapy, and that, combined with the sea swimming and sea visits if it’s a non-swimming day, has worked for me. I’ve shifted my work schedule to be more adaptive and have cut out as much sugar as I can do.

Sea-swimming is dependent on the tides, so I’ve had to carve out time for it. The first thing I do in the week is write the high tide in my diary so I don’t book any calls at that time. It feels really good at this age to be setting time aside for something that I know is benefiting both my mental and physical health in so many ways.

I’m constantly appreciative of the area that I live in and what is now a part of my daily life.

From the acres of flat sand at Camber Sands, to the huge sea rock defences at Broomhill. Dungeness of course is a whole other world. Ramsgate is a favourite with its turquoise sea and rolling waves.

Hythe has a fun current to swim against. Margate’s amazing tidal pool and the quietness and seaweed at Minnis Bay.

On other days the Sussex coast brings the Seven Sisters cliffs as a swim view and a careful check of the tide times to swim at Birling Gap.

No beach or sea is the same and I’m happy to make it my life’s work to visit and swim in them all.