In the swim

The sun is shining and it's hotter than July. In a shady corner of the Old House Museum, this knitted swimsuit is part of a forties display. Moss green, it's a far cry from the vibrant swimwear you find on sale today. Even a vogue for retro swimming costumes doesn't go as far as reviving knitted versions. Some of you may remember the woolly weight of water in a costume like this, often hand knitted for children. Once a suntan became a symbol of leisure and luxury, no longer associated with outdoor and farm work, then swimwear became a fashion item. From the glamorous upholstered costumes of the 1950s to the bikinis of the 1960 nowadays there's a huge range of swimwear or lack of it to choose from. Who could forget the swim hats of the 1960s, essential for maintaining glamour whilst protecting the perm. Serious and sporty swimwear follows fashion trends too. The outdoor pools and lidos of the 1920s and 30s created a desire for outdoor swimming. Park Hall Pool in Little Hayfield was my favourite, and there's still the increasingly popular Hathersage Pool in this part of Derbyshire. Wild swimming is in the news nowadays too and in a spell of good weather the rivers and waterfalls beckon.