The Tidal Year: a memoir on grief, swimming and sisterhood AS HEARD ON RADIO 4

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Wave period is also an indicator of the power of the waves. A ‘swell’ wave (10 seconds or more) is usually more powerful and will break with more force at the beach than a ‘choppy’ wave (6 seconds or less).

Tides change in height – low water level and high water level vary throughout the month. The tides build up to a maximum and fall to a minimum twice a month. The tides with the biggest difference between high and low water are called springs and those with the smallest are called neaps. Funny and moving, brimming with bracingly refreshing uncertainty and a salty refusal of resolution, it is a book to float away in.' POLLY ATKINAs Freya travels further from London, she finds herself closer to memories of her brother. With every swim, and every stranger they meet in the water, the challenge becomes more than just a way to explore the coast, but a journey of self-discovery. The amount that the tide rises (covering the beach) and falls (exposing the beach) changes every day. Large tides that create higher than average high tides, and lower than average low tides, are called ‘spring tides’. Spring tides can occur all year round and can be more dangerous as they lead to the tide coming in faster. The pool at Ilfracombe — and its complex network of six tunnels — was man-made in Victorian times. It was formed by damming the water, so it’s covered by the sea twice a day. When I arrived, the pool was submerged. I’d have to be patient. Swimming was, in many ways, a parallel exercise to grief and I found that the learnings were often the same. It ebbed and flowed. It was stormy, then calm. To read the essays in our ongoing TIDAL 10 project, a diverse collection of writings that attempt to define the 2010s in music, visit TIDAL Read. For an extensive offering of best-of-year and best-of-decade playlists, as well as our recently launched year-end Now Playing initiative , sign up for TIDAL. – Ed. The Wu-Tang Clan told their story in two ambitious film projects: A documentary, Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men, premiered on Showtime in May; and a dramatized miniseries, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, came out in September via HULU. Also upholding heritage hip-hop values were Little Brother, who released their first studio album in nine years, May the Lord Watch. And yes, the UBN network is broadcasting once again.

Funny, sad and honest, but ultimately also hopeful, The Tidal Year is a wonderful and welcome addition to the growing canon of books exploring the restorative power of wild swimming.' SOPHIE PIERCE

Immersive and compelling. I read it in a single day! Everyone should take a plunge into this book.’ CATHY RENTZENBRINK

Cross-shore winds are when the wind blows parallel to the shoreline. When these winds are strong, waves can become increasingly choppy. If you’re in a kayak or on a paddleboard, it might be hard to paddle along the beach into the wind.

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Lifeguards can give you advice on waves if you’re planning to go into the water. Direction of waves offshore Be aware that the tide rises much faster in the hours around mid-tide. This is faster than it might seem to in the first hour after low tide

Reads like a lusciously languid dream sequence... It's not just about how water can redeem us but how words can too. A powerful debut.' CHRISTOPHER BEANLAND Immersive and compelling. I read it in a single day! Everyone should take a plunge into this book.' CATHY RENTZENBRINK My book The Tidal Year is out today! As a special thank you to my podcast listeners, I've included a free preview of the prologue and chapter one from the audiobook read by me. Here's more about the book: Welcome to 19 for ’19: The TIDAL Year in Review — our guide to 2019’s most memorable sounds, stars and moments. This genre-spanning exercise moves chronologically through the year, using 19 notable dates and events as the jumping-off point for discussion of related music milestones. Of course we couldn’t include every single artist, song, album and happening that impressed us in 2019, but this calendar of sorts is a great place to begin reflecting on an outstanding year in music that often felt like one continuous highlight reel. Geography also affects the tidal range. Looking at tide tables for all of Britain, it's clear that the height of the tide varies around the country. For example the spring tidal range at Avonmouth is 12.2 m while at Lowestoft it's only 1.9 m.If the offshore waves are directed away from the beach and have a short wave period (less than 6 seconds) then the wave height at a flat beach is likely to be smaller than the height of the waves offshore. The tide rises and falls much more slowly around low and high tide than in the hours either side of mid-tide. The area of beach covered by the tide can change very fast from shortly after low tide up to an hour before high tide. A moving and memorable book... Her writing is contained, clear and as powerful as the changing tides she swims in. She is a talent to watch.' RAFFAELLA BARKER