thing odd patch of ice around first thing on sunday. sunday morning, sparkling sunshine, light wind under relatively calm start to the day. but come lunchtime, clouds spilling into the west, then the rain gets into the west, then the rain gets into western scotland, then that rain starts to pick up, and corrie deepens to the north—west of the uk. again, the risk of damage and disruption across northern britain, with scotland once again likely to bear the brunt in this system, even on into first thing monday. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines: the us warns that the russian troop build—up near ukraine is the largest since the cold war — as attempts to find a diplomatic solution continue. the downing street lockdown report is now expected to be delivered before the metropolitan police inquiry ends. five states declare emergencies and more than 5000 flights are cancelled — as the us east coast braces for

a major blizzard to hit the region. a more detailed study is under way after pilot research finds some people with long covid may have hidden damage to their lungs. ash barty wins the australian open tennis to become first home winner in 44 years. canadian singer—songwriter joni mitchell hasjoined neil young in calling for her music to be taken off spotify. now on bbc news, we follow three people from tynemouth who have taken up cold water swimming and say it is doing wonders for their mental health.

you know, once one person does it, then they pull other people in and everyone gets addicted. the minute you get in, basically your body thinks it's going to die. that's what makes you go, "oh, ifeel so alive!" it was really hard to cope with. ijust didn't want to get out of bed because i thought, "what's the point?" and things got worse | and worse and worse. by all rights, if i look. back on my own story, i should be dead. laughter. it is nice to feel like you're motivating somebody to go and do something that you know will make them feel good. not one bit of us was expecting this, no. laughter.

and do you know what? i've only known these lots since november, and look how many friends i've got now! you walk in that sea and you forget about everything. it's massively changed my life. so, we're here, 6:30 in the morning, and just checking out the sea, just to make sure there's no rips that we might get caught in. it's an incredible time of day to come down and just be at one with nature. i feel really relaxed, to be honest, but i get quite excited when i know i'm going to go in and feel the way i'll feel afterwards. couple of years ago, i really got to think about it,

that i really wanted to do it and then last summer, i mentioned it to my friend estelle, because i knew she went in the water, and i said, "would you mind if i came with you sometime?" so, she said, "right. "tomorrow is a good day." so we went in the next day and i haven't looked back since. you know, sometimes it's about hurling yourself in the water and itjust grounds you and affirms you, and other times it sort of connects you to something that's inside you that you never realised was in there because we're just laughing and hurling ourselves around in the boshy waves and getting sea slaps to the back of your head and honestly, it's so much fun! and other times, you know, when it's really calm and serene, it's really beautiful to just swim out, to be in nature and just look around you and to appreciate what's in front of you. and it'sjust lovely to do that.

yeah, you'vejust got a big grin on yourface. i think from the moment you go in to the moment you come out, we're laughing, and smiling and itjust makes you feel like nothing else matters because you're so in the moment. god, i'm cold! yes! hypothermia would be a very bad thing! after drop is where, you know, you've come out of the water, water's really cold and you continue to get cold, so then your teeth start chattering and you start shivering. so it's really key that you get dressed quickly. i know i've been in way too long if i do get shivery. you're literally chattering! laughter.

dealing with children, it's very hard. i think if i start talking about certain cases that did affect me at the time, because i let them in, i would probably get upset about them even now, 20 years later. i mean, there's some very traumatic things where i dealt with a three—month—old baby who'd been hurled against the wall. i mean, that isjust awful. and you just have to watch your own mental health and be very, very mindful of that, and look after each other.

good girl. going from 30 years, full—on, full time, oh, i was in floods of tears — as you can imagine. my last day — oh, i'm going to get... yeah, it'sjust such a hard thing to do — leave — leave a job and the people that you've grown up with and loved, and i still felt passionate about the public. i'm so pleased i had the open water swimming because my little community in the police was replaced by my swimming community. it all started as a bit of fun and then, we thought,

"well, why not raise money for charity as well?" and we got 100 people involved within a couple of weeks, from all over the uk. it was amazing. and itjust grew and grew. seeing new people coming down, you know, once one person does it, then they pull other people in and everyone gets addicted. i get a real kick out of it because i know that they're just going to thoroughly enjoy the rest of their day. you get people who are right up to 80—plus and having fun and having a laugh and bringing the body boards down and screaming with laughter. woo! everyone is just so supportive. laughter.

it's absolutely a part of my life now. sarah—jane is a new member to the chatter tribe. i metjacqui on my first day, and she could tell i was really nervous, and i was apprehensive about going in, so she took my hand and said, "come with me. "i'll take you into the water with me." we walked in together and i felt reassured because she was there. and she says, "once you get under the water, you'll feel absolutely great." had really good fun this morning, bouncing around in the waves, and it's really good that it's like this, because we have a lot of belly laughs. we have such good fun, and it's just lots of giggles first thing in the morning. it sets us up for the day. i don't think anyone can really put their finger on what it does for you, but we all know that it reduces inflammation. for example, i have an

autoimmune condition that attacks my thyroid, so i have adjusted my diet. going in the sea, it's reduced the inflammation in my body. first thing in the morning, i was out with my dog, and i bumped intojacqui, who was obviously going into water. she says, "oh, we do this cold water challenge every day throughout july. " it's chilly! and so regardless, i thought, "right. "i'm going to commit myself to that." i mean, i'm looking at you here and there's the sun coming down on the water, and it's just sparkly and beautiful, and just everything about it — being in nature isjust the big

thing, isn't it? if i can start my day by coming in here, it kind of sets me up. it's almost like meditation, being in this for half an hour before i start my day. it's really good for your mental health. it's very good for people who have depression. i was anything but weak—willed — until it came to alcohol. and then, once i started, i just couldn't stop. it's like rediscovering my own history every time i come in here because what you've got to remember, i was drunk through most of the �*90s anyway, so... my first day as art director, i ended up getting flown business class to rome to photograph pink floyd — i wasn't photographing pink floyd, the photographer was.

between myself and the editor, you know, you were held responsible for the kind of look and the sales of the magazine, you know? and the covers is where it got interesting, but very stressful, because you were having to do one very week, you know? and because of what i did was visual, everybody could see the cover. it starts feeling like you're getting bullied, because everybody�*s got an opinion on it. so this is — we did three different kylie covers. the intention being as if they got laid out properly on a magazine shelf, it obviously drew a lot more attention to it than there just being one time out cover. kylie was impressed, so i got a signed one from her, and i got a voice message from her as well. and i didn't realise that voice messages got deleted after seven days, so i was only able to boast about it for seven days, that i had a voice message from kylie minogue, thanking me for the cover that we did. i come from this perspective of like, "wow! "i'm getting to meet these

people who are musical heroes, football heroes," and you get to be in the same room as them, and you get to work with them. and i was always petrified. i was always petrified. mr bowie came in, you know, i couldn't help but be like that, you know, wow, david bowie, it's actually david bowie. i used to drink and believe that it gave me confidence. what i've recognised since is that what it did do is it killed the fear. i did have some absolutely wonderful times doing what i did for a living, you know? we worked hard and we played hard, you know? and i played way too hard. dog barks.

smashed my kneecaps, did my jaw, snapped two fingers. everybody knew that i'd had this mad accident, and i thought, "right". i then had to get to the bottom of why i drank the way i drank. i went to see counsellors and one of them, one day, asked me if i would like to go to rehab, and i said yes. i thought over there would be far better than over here. what i didn't realise, at the time, over here was in here, and i was going to take that wherever i went. did 7.5 months in rehab and came out and drank again and things got worse and worse and worse and worse and i pushed people away. those who loved me, i pushed them away. once your alcoholism gets hold of you, everything comes second to it — everything.

i've had like 19 operations as a direct result of my alcoholism, including a liver transplant. the restoration of the sight in my left eye — i was 98% blind in my left eye. by all rights, if i look back on my own story, i should be dead. i had a busy lifestyle, i was very fit. i used to go boxing every morning before i went to work, and then i started feeling poorly quite often, i was picking up viruses. i was getting colds quite a lot. i was feeling very fatigued and i could gradually tell that my body was just not

functioning properly. and then the bone pain started. they told me that i had leukaemia and that i needed to start chemotherapy within a couple of weeks. i never thought about myself at that time, it was always about my family and how it would affect them, and especially a single mum with two boys. me and mike got togetherjust after i got diagnosed. he's been there all the way and he's been really strong, and we've been through everything together.

i was a yacht master instructor, so i teach people how to sail and do yacht deliveries, and i'd be spending a lot of my time away from home, so i decided to become sarah—jane's carer. i got told that if i caught covid, that it could be detrimental to me, so i had to then shield. my two boys were still going to college, so they had to move out and move in with their dad for six months. i was really, really anxious. i got to a point where ijust didn't want to get out of bed because i thought, "what's the point?" there'sjust me and mike in the house, with milo, the dog. and that was my life for six months.

when everyone was in lockdown, they were the same as us, you know, we were already isolating. all of a sudden, felt a bit of anxiety being in crowds, not necessarily for my own health, but for sarah—jane's health, you know? because i'd had covid, my kids were able to move back in with us. so that was a blessing in disguise for me. come on, then, let's go. doing the morning swims now has been a revelation. i think sarah—jane's feeling a lot more energised because of everything. i am, as well. so it's nice that we're getting proper days back,

you know, getting up nice and early, getting stuff done, being more productive and just feeling better in ourselves. once i'm in the middle of that high tide, and i find myself just completely present. and that's what's fantastic about it for me, to kind of accept and be grateful for what's going on, and what's going on as i'm in the water, breathing in and out, not drinking in between, and absolutely thoroughly enjoying where i am, doing what i'm doing. and the freedom comes from how insignificant i feel when i'm in the water. it's like, "oh, wow." nothing matters. all the things that are a concern aren't really a concern. it'sjust my head telling us they are. it was almost like it became silent.

and it's that break in the cloud happens in the sun hits and just hits and puts a pool of light on the sea. way off in the distance. and i thought, this is my church, this is — that's what it is. it is my church. you try and explain what it is that you feel, and people still look at you as if you're daft. i mean, the truth is there's no really clear sciencey evidence yet. but what we think might happen is, the minute you get in, basically your body thinks it's going to die. yes. laughs so, you get in, and all

of these cold receptors in your skin, they start firing off like crazy. and because your body thinks it's going to die, it sets off the fight and flight response, and it chucks out loads of adrenaline, cortisol into your bloodstream. yeah. that's what makes you go, "oh, ifeel so alive." and then you get out, and you just feel that really gentle, warm, like, sort of, high, relaxed feeling. well, at that point, your body's producing dopamine and serotonin, and that's like your body's natural painkiller. yeah, for sure. they're starting to think that it means that we get better at dealing with everyday stresses that build up over time and cause mental health problems over time. right. we just get better, better adapted to dealing with everyday life stressors. should be on prescription, shouldn't it? i believe it is. is it? i believe that in some areas... go and throw yourself in cold water?

some areas in the uk, cold water swimming is being socially prescribed, which is fantastic... fantastic. it is, really great. since i've started cold swimming, which was three weeks ago, i've now come off my antidepressants. i've been off them a week now. i feel great during the day. i don't feel depressed, don't feel anxious any more. i live for the moment. it's massively changed my life. in water: 0h! i've got over all that stuff, all that self—consciousness of, one, there being beasties that are going to eat me up, and believe me, i know it sounds daft, but i really, if i saw seaweed, that was a shark as far as i was concerned. really handy, plus you canjust slip it on. - the self—consciousness of being about three stone over weight, that's kind of gone. ijust try to be a bit - discreet at times, you know? i know, i've got over that being naked in front of — most people. most, most of the time,

if anybody wants to lookj at my exotic body, feel free. laughter. i baked this morning. there looks as if there's some serious catering going on over there. well, i have a fantasy that by the time i walk back . on the beach, i'll havei a swimmer's physique, like, but i suppose this . is a swimmer's physique. aye, if you're a killer whale! laughter. it floats! the tribe is building all the time. they all laugh. we alljust enjoy being with each other, and we share that experience. and you know what? i've only known these lot since november, and look how many friends i've got now. we wouldn't have known each other, particularly, no? no, but i don't think i would've been sarah's friend. i mean, we've got nowt in common! they all laugh.

so, if i go in, this does it by itself? yep, it should do it by itself, they've all been tested. they've got the little green button on the bottom. are you ready? hoist away then. pull, pull, pull, pull. that's it, keep on going. go on, go on! that's my exercise for the day! not one bit of us was expecting this, no. fantastic stuff. been on a yacht, on a lake, but never, ever seen it like this, this isjust

so exciting for me because it's not what i do every saturday morning, it's amazing. i'm trying my best to look like i know what i'm doing. he laughs. so relaxing, and it's a beautiful day and just lovely, isn't it. it's perfect. we just need dolphins now. yes, we just need the dolphins to come out, and then... the icing on the cake. yes, definitely. dolphins! 0ver there! oh, my god, they're so close, look! wow, look at that. 0h, would you look at that? we could be anywhere in the world! couldn't make this up, man. couldn't make it up.

we are quite lucky to livej here, to be quite honest. is kirk going in as well? no, i think he's wimped out too. just you? if i hear either of these two scream as they go in, - i'm not going in, mind you. see me going in ahead. laughter. woo! i fully intend to dip for the rest of my life, and i'll be encouraging people into the water as much as i am now. it's free, it's out there. it is nice to feel like you're

motivating somebody to go and do something that you know will make them feel good. and if other people can enjoy it as much as we do, then myjob is done. very stormy conditions for the uk at this weekend. saturday, we have been watching storm malik particularly

battering in northern britain. tomorrow, corey set to work his way through, another stunt named by the uk met office will stop and warnings for eastern scotland until the middle of the afternoon. a ridge of high pressure was that the patient as a book to the evening and overnight, the winds will become lighter. the skies will return clear and it will turn cold. frost developing. sunday morning, sparkling sunshine, light wind, a relatively calm stuck to the day. lunch time, cloud spilling into the west, then it went into western scotland and rain picks up as 7 ?macr02 scotland and rain picks up as ??macr02 depend scotland and rain picks up as ? ?macr02 depend to the north—west of the uk. we'll see the risk of damage and destruction across northern britain. scotland is likely to bear the brunt of the system even on into first scotland and rain picked up

this is bbc news, i'm rebecca jones, with the latest headlines... the us warns that the russian troop build—up near ukraine is the largest since the cold war — as attempts to find a diplomatic solution continue. the downing street �*lockdown parties�* report is now expected to be delivered before the metropolitan police inquiry ends. a woman has been killed by a falling tree, strong winds of storm malik batter parts of the uk. five states declare emergencies and more than 5,000 flights are cancelled — as the us east coast braces for a major blizzard to hit the region. a more detailed study is under way after pilot research finds some people with long covid may have hidden damage to their lungs. ash barty wins the australian open tennis to become

first home winner in 44 years.