By the Sea

“I don't know how to swim,” whispered one of the ladies to me.
Today at my local nursing home we ran a 'By the Sea' art day where aged care residents and a few of daughters school aged friends painted together. Using a selection of black and white vintage beach scenes from the 1940's to the 1960's, we coloured and painted in bold and bright colours. With a set of vintage swim caps on hand, we talked as we tried them on and passed them around sharing our swim stories.

A few of the ladies mentioned that when they were growing up, only people who lived by the sea or could afford to go on family holidays knew how to swim. We compared this to how it is these days, the parents grumbling about early weekend swim lessons for their kids.

We talked about the changing fashion of swim bathers and Esther Williams, who in her hey day swam her way to movie fame. It was a good morning for both young and old. A big thank you to the parents who lent their kids for a colourful, fun and playful craft day!