A Dip With Bowler & Beach (Kings Cross Pond)
For as long as I can remember I’ve gone on adventures with my brothers. From our early years in Yorkshire, venturing into the deep mysterious depths of Bluebell Woods in search of log-dwelling wood-lice, to our teenage years in Cumbria, leaping into the River Eden…
As we grew older and bolder we ventured further afield and swam in crystal clear salt cascades in Turkey and plunged into ice cold Himalayan mountain waterfalls in Northern India.
Throughout the years one constant has remained - we’ve always been on these adventures together as brothers, so you can imagine our delight when we found another set of brothers with a love of wild waters and the outdoors…
We e-met brothers Matt and BJ Hepworth online and instantly knew we were kindred spirits. These two brothers, also born and raised in Yorkshire, had decided to launch an exciting new British luxury beachwear brand.
Bowler & Beach was inspired by early childhood memories of summer holidays spent swimming under the warm Portuguese sun and adventures outdoors in the British countryside. Matt says “Whether enjoying a beautiful swim on the British or Portuguese coast or relaxing on a beach in the Caribbean, we want Bowler & Beach to encompass the carefree spirit of living for the moment and collecting countless memories along the way”.
Their shorts are dreamed up and designed in London and made in Portugal with distinctive and eye-catching prints. Their first collection, ‘The Animals’ is made up of four prints, The Lobster, The Swallows, The Seahorse and The Stag, each an iconic animal. The Bowler & Beach logo itself represents the British charm and heritage of the iconic bowler hat alongside the carefree spirit and fun of times spent as brothers together in the Portuguese sun. Matt and BJ’s ethos at Bowler & Beach is “not just about the here and now; it’s about carefully growing a loyal following and encouraging everyone involved to have a great time on the journey along the way.”
“Whether enjoying a beautiful swim on the British or Portuguese coast or relaxing on a beach in the Caribbean, we want Bowler & Beach to encompass the carefree spirit of living for the moment and collecting countless memories along the way.”
From our perspective it was fantastic to see another set of brothers connecting their past with their future, from summer family holidays in Portugal and growing up in the British countryside to launching a swimwear brand that represented those two worlds. We loved their passion and given that we spend all of our swims head to toe in neoprene or in speedos, goggles and swim-caps (it’s safe to say we don’t look the most stylish bunch) it was very refreshing to go for a swim in shorts that combined British style and Portuguese flair and made us look a lot less like a bunch of bedraggled tadpoles.
With that in mind we decided to set off an a little swimming adventure of our own. Two sets of brothers passionate about swimming and a life lived outdoors. We needed the perfect place test out the shorts. We wanted somewhere that would reflect the combination of British gentleman and Portuguese flair. In the end we opted for the glorious urban wild swim spot and art installation that is the Kings Cross Pond.
Huge thank you to Upstart Photography for the photos….