Wanted: Mermaid seeks new tail

In November 2018 Lindsey Cole swam the length of the River Thames – dressed as a mermaid. The swim captured the imagination of swimmers across the country as she collected litter as she swam to raise awareness of plastic pollution. She even made the national news when she rescued a cow. Mermaid Rescues Cow – the headlines wrote themselves!

The River Thames swim was Lindsey’s first foray into outdoor swimming and what struck her most was the strength of community: “This was my first insight into the wild swimming community. I called them the Thames Angels. They bloomed from every meander, randomly appearing behind the reeds. People joined us to clean the river.”

Lindsey is now calling on the outdoor swimming community to help her make a new mermaid tail. “The tail I used for the Thames was a very basic child’s toy. As I have more plans for mermaid voyages I want a new tail and as its an environmental project I want it to be made from sustainable materials – like old swimsuits that would otherwise go into landfill.”

The new tail will be made by a Clevedon sea swimmer who is also a costume designer. Together they have created a rainbows scales design. “If anyone has any brightly coloured swimsuits lurking in their cupboards that they longer wear and would otherwise go to landfill, please send them my way!” says Lindsey. “It’s been fun involving the swimming community so their swimsuits can be forever stitched into my tail.”

If you have any old swimsuits going spare contact Lindsey at lindsey@lindseycole.co.uk