When it’s this hot, all you want to do is find a way to cool off- and whilst air-conditioned restaurants and frozen cocktails offer some respite, don’t forget that nature has a few tricks up its sleeve too.
Of course, safety is important, and if you are planning to swim in open water in hot weather there are a few things you always need to bear in mind.
The risk of shock from cold water and strong currents are both serious, and these need considering before you embark on a wild swim.
With that in mind, Swim England has released advice to help keep people safe whilst swimming in open water here.
Fortunately for us, there are a number of guided open water swimming sessions available in and around Manchester with open water markers, safety instructors, and qualified coaches on hand to help you get the most out of your swim.
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With that in mind, let’s get into the good stuff – namely, where to go for your next (safe) dip.
We’ve picked a handful of spots in and around Manchester suited to varying levels of experience to give you some inspiration.
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The Farm Club at Pickmere
This family-run venue sits within 300 acres of Cheshire countryside, with plenty of safe open swimming opportunities for beginners. Here, you can get into the sport of open water swimming with help from safety instructors and experienced coaches on SUP boards. Pre-booked sessions take place between May and September.
Boundary Water Park, Cheshire
Image: Facebook
The warm, shallow lake at Boundary Water Park is perfect for novices and families, with the added benefit of having sessions overseen by qualified coaches to keep you safe. These run on Thursdays from 5.30-7.30pm and on Sundays from 10-1pm.
Between May and September, Open Swim UK run four weekly sessions at Sale Water Park to encourage people to experience the joys of wild swimming in a safe environment where they can perfect their technique. What’s more, there are indoor changing rooms, lockers, showers and even wetsuit hire available. Priced at £7 or £4 for juniors, no membership is required.
Salford Watersports Centre, Salford Quays
Salford’s Water Sports Centre offers open water swims on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays in the Ontario basin. Priced at £5 for adults and £4.50 for juniors, there are changing rooms and hot showers available, as well as free parking on site.
Uswim host guided open swimming sessions at Salford Quays every Saturday between 8-11am and on Wednesday evenings from 5.30-7.30pm. Water safety is guaranteed, with water quality-tested before sessions. Uswim provides full safety covered with measured 400m, 750m and 1km swim courses available.
Elton Reservoir, Bolton
Image: Facebook
Managed and run by Bolton Triathlon Club, you can typically join in with guided open water swimming sessions at Elton Reservoir in Bolton every Tuesday from 5-8pm from May through to late August/ early September. However, this summer the algae has made swimming here unsafe leading organisers to close the reservoir until 2023.
A ‘Bubble Planet Experience’ with giant ball pits and an infinity room is coming to Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Manchester will soon welcome a ‘dreamlike world’ filled with giant, colourful bubbles, when Bubble Planet Experience makes its Manchester debut.
Expect giant ball pits, giant balloons, floating soap bubbles, and an infinity room in this brand-new-for-us immersive experience.
Bubble Planet Experience has already been visited by more than four million people in cities across the globe, including New York, Los Angeles, and London – now it’s time for its first trip to Manchester, where it’ll pop up inside Depot Mayfield.
Visitors will be able to explore 10 themed rooms, each one offering a different surreal landscape that will ‘blur the boundaries between dream and reality’.
Highlights include the Bubble Ocean, a vast expanse of bubbles designed to evoke calm and serenity, and the Infinity Room, where mirrors and shifting lights create the illusion of endless space.
Underwater Bubbles will transport visitors into a hypnotic aquatic world, recreating the magic and mystery of deep-sea exploration.
An infinity room at Bubble Planet Experience
There’s also a Bubble Dome, where younger visitors can unleash their creativity in a play area, plus the chance to go on a virtual reality adventure.
Expect dazzling light displays, interactive installations, and unexpected textures.
Bubble Planet Experience is co-produced by family entertainment producer Exhibition Hub and Fever.
Hamza El Azhar, CEO of Exhibition Hub, said: “We are delighted to be bringing Bubble Planet to Manchester for the very first time alongside the team at Fever, and to be part of a city with such a strong and celebrated cultural identity.
“We look forward to welcoming everyone to experience a joyful, immersive adventure that sparks curiosity and wonder for all ages.”
The waitlist for early access to tickets is available HERE.
Junk food adverts are now banned on TV before 9pm in the UK to ‘protect’ kids’ health
Emily Sergeant
Junk food advertisements are now banned on television before 9pm in the UK in a bid to help protect children’s health.
In what is being considered a ‘landmark’ move by the Government, as of today, adverts for less-healthy food and drinks will be banned on television before 9pm and online at all times, as part of world-leading action that is expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year, and reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000.
It’s also expected that this ‘decisive’ action will deliver around £2 billion in health benefits over time.
According to the Government, evidence shows that advertising influences what and when children eat – shaping their preferences from a young age, and ultimately increasing the risk of obesity and related illnesses.
At the start of primary school, 22.1% of children in England are overweight or living with obesity, and this rises to 35.8% by the time they leave.
Junk food adverts are now banned on TV before 9pm in the UK / Credit: Alan Hardman | Kobby Mendez (via Unsplash)
This change is part of a range of measures that the Government is taking to ‘lift children out of poverty’ and help give them the ‘best start’ in life – with other measures being the introduction of the Healthy Food Standard, and giving local authorities the power to stop fast food shops opening outside schools.
“We promised to do everything we can to give every child the best and healthiest start in life,” explained Health Minister Ashley Dalton, as the junk food advert ban comes into force.
“By restricting adverts for junk food before 9pm and banning paid adverts online, we can remove excessive exposure to unhealthy foods – making the healthy choice the easy choice for parents and children.
“We’re moving the dial from having the NHS treat sickness, to preventing it so people can lead healthier lives and so it can be there for us when we need it.”
Featured Image – Karolina Kołodziejczak (via Unsplash)
Georgina Pellant -
18th July 2022 
