Spoonful of Sugar
What drives somebody to swim in a freezing reservoir, and what do they find on the other side? 'Wild Water' tracks the landscape and cold water swimming community as they use the restorative powers of…
Spoonful of Sugar
What drives somebody to swim in a freezing reservoir, and what do they find on the other side? 'Wild Water' tracks the landscape and cold water swimming community as they use the restorative powers of cold water to reconnect with their mental health, identity, nature and each other. Our film is a documentary with Yorkshire's Gaddings Dam providing the backdrop to swimmers' lives and the story of their community. It will continue the line of interest for filmmakers and creative projects (e.g., Happy Valley and Gallows Pole) celebrating the region and local communities in Yorkshire and the North of England. Gaddings Dam is a reservoir hidden in the West Yorkshire moors 780 feet above sea level. The bleak but romantic landscape, steeped in the poetry and prose of Ted Hughes and the Brontës, is home to the UK's highest beach. The small strip of sand acts as a magnet to a community of swimmers, day-trippers, walkers, bikers and runners. There is a rhythm as people come and go, having made the twenty-minute trek up a broken footpath, each drawn to the beauty as it changes with the seasons; always the same, always different. Some hardened locals brave the wind, rain, and snow to swim wild all seasons for escape, comradeship, to keep the black dog at bay, or just for the sheer thrill. As they hit the water, all experience the same visceral hit, taking away everything except the moment. Time stops, and peace arrives. But there is more to this place than just swimming; a whole ecosystem of activity circulates around the reservoir. There are the volunteers who maintain the footpaths in all weathers, the pub landlord fighting to keep vehicles out of his car park, the farmer whose cattle need rescuing, the Gaddings Dam Preservation Society and the January Daily Dippers. The Calder Valley, Todmorden and Hebden Bridge are known for their mix of dyed-in-the-wool Northern folk, alternative 'lifestylers', lesbians, artists, hippies and professionals escaping the city. But 200 years ago, it was at the centre of the industrial revolution as Yorkshire drove the world forward, powered by its reservoirs. When Gaddings Dam was no longer needed, it fell into disrepair and spent long periods empty. It was scheduled to be drained once and for all in 2001, but a determined group of ex-mountain rescuers formed the Gaddings Dam Preservation Society. They brought the dam for just £1500 provided it was 'preserved for the people of Todmorden', which it is to this day. It is a fascinating glimpse into the North's industrial past and how it is being repurposed through collective effort, cooperation and community bonding. The Key Characters Vicky is a bleached blond 70-year-old who hides a lifetime of loneliness and depression beneath her chatty and sunny disposition. We accompany her swimming through a cold winter for the first time as she befriends the community and battles her demons. Emma lost her mother to COVID-19 and has struggled through the pandemic; she doesn't have children, which she continues to mourn. Her stepdaughter gives birth during the filming, which brings an extreme mix of emotions to the surface. Can her cold water swimming through the winter soothe her anxieties and give her inner strength? Sarah: Ten years ago, 'something snapped', and Sarah walked out on her husband and two children with just a rucksack on her back. She shares her journey of self-discovery and how she found her true self by swimming in the exhilarating water of Gaddings Dam. Clive is a local legend; he has swum naked at Gaddings every day for twenty years. A pillar of the community, he finds it impossible to turn down the chance of a quick dip and will often take the plunge three or four times a day. He thinks he went for between 500 and 700 dips in 2021! There are the people who swim, people who want to swim and people who can't believe people swim outdoors in winter. Nevertheless, it is very much in vogue as people are looking for ways to navigate a troubling world, and rarely a day goes by without a newspaper, radio, TV or magazine feature on wild swimming. Wild Water is a snapshot of British society, fascinating to those who know the area well but even more so to those who don't. It is a long way from Metropolitan cities like London, São Paulo or Sydney, offering a fascinating glimpse into Northern England. It has a broad appeal to which people from different backgrounds, social statuses and countries can relate, such as people's triumph over adversity, mental health, identity, bravery, community, companionship and physical endurance. Films such as The Ponds, Swim The Channel and My Big White Thighs demonstrate an international appetite for people's stories about outdoor swimming.
Spoonful of Sugar
Horror,Thriller
Film Details
What drives somebody to swim in a freezing reservoir, and what do they find on the other side? 'Wild Water' tracks the landscape and cold water swimming community as they use the restorative powers of cold water to reconnect with their mental health, identity, nature and each other. Our film is a documentary with Yorkshire's Gaddings Dam providing the backdrop to swimmers' lives and the story of their community. It will continue the line of interest for filmmakers and creative projects (e.g., Happy Valley and Gallows Pole) celebrating the region and local communities in Yorkshire and the North of England.
Gaddings Dam is a reservoir hidden in the West Yorkshire moors 780 feet above sea level. The bleak but romantic landscape, steeped in the poetry and prose of Ted Hughes and the Brontës, is home to the UK's highest beach. The small strip of sand acts as a magnet to a community of swimmers, day-trippers, walkers, bikers and runners.
There is a rhythm as people come and go, having made the twenty-minute trek up a broken footpath, each drawn to the beauty as it changes with the seasons; always the same, always different. Some hardened locals brave the wind, rain, and snow to swim wild all seasons for escape, comradeship, to keep the black dog at bay, or just for the sheer thrill. As they hit the water, all experience the same visceral hit, taking away everything except the moment.
Time stops, and peace arrives. But there is more to this place than just swimming; a whole ecosystem of activity circulates around the reservoir. There are the volunteers who maintain the footpaths in all weathers, the pub landlord fighting to keep vehicles out of his car park, the farmer whose cattle need rescuing, the Gaddings Dam Preservation Society and the January Daily Dippers.
The Calder Valley, Todmorden and Hebden Bridge are known for their mix of dyed-in-the-wool Northern folk, alternative 'lifestylers', lesbians, artists, hippies and professionals escaping the city. But 200 years ago, it was at the centre of the industrial revolution as Yorkshire drove the world forward, powered by its reservoirs. When Gaddings Dam was no longer needed, it fell into disrepair and spent long periods empty.
It was scheduled to be drained once and for all in 2001, but a determined group of ex-mountain rescuers formed the Gaddings Dam Preservation Society. They brought the dam for just £1500 provided it was 'preserved for the people of Todmorden', which it is to this day. It is a fascinating glimpse into the North's industrial past and how it is being repurposed through collective effort, cooperation and community bonding.
The Key Characters Vicky is a bleached blond 70-year-old who hides a lifetime of loneliness and depression beneath her chatty and sunny disposition. We accompany her swimming through a cold winter for the first time as she befriends the community and battles her demons. Emma lost her mother to COVID-19 and has struggled through the pandemic; she doesn't have children, which she continues to mourn.
Her stepdaughter gives birth during the filming, which brings an extreme mix of emotions to the surface. Can her cold water swimming through the winter soothe her anxieties and give her inner strength? Sarah: Ten years ago, 'something snapped', and Sarah walked out on her husband and two children with just a rucksack on her back. She shares her journey of self-discovery and how she found her true self by swimming in the exhilarating water of Gaddings Dam.
Clive is a local legend; he has swum naked at Gaddings every day for twenty years. A pillar of the community, he finds it impossible to turn down the chance of a quick dip and will often take the plunge three or four times a day. He thinks he went for between 500 and 700 dips in 2021! There are the people who swim, people who want to swim and people who can't believe people swim outdoors in winter.
Nevertheless, it is very much in vogue as people are looking for ways to navigate a troubling world, and rarely a day goes by without a newspaper, radio, TV or magazine feature on wild swimming. Wild Water is a snapshot of British society, fascinating to those who know the area well but even more so to those who don't. It is a long way from Metropolitan cities like London, São Paulo or Sydney, offering a fascinating glimpse into Northern England.
It has a broad appeal to which people from different backgrounds, social statuses and countries can relate, such as people's triumph over adversity, mental health, identity, bravery, community, companionship and physical endurance. Films such as The Ponds, Swim The Channel and My Big White Thighs demonstrate an international appetite for people's stories about outdoor swimming..