Julie Wilson Nimmo, who starred as Miss Hoolie in the beloved children’s TV show, is a keen wild swimmer and is about to premiere the second series of her show, Jules and Greg’s Wild Swim.
However, she is aware of the dangers of the sea after a family tragedy in Whitley Bay.
In the new season of her show, the actress and her husband Greg Hemphill, known for his role in Still Game, take on the high winds and freezing waters of Scotland’s islands.
Nimmo revealed that her grandfather Benny died of a heart attack while trying to rescue her mother from drowning in Whitley Bay.
She said: “You would not swim in that strong undercurrent.
“We love to swim but you’ve got to respect the sea.
“My papa from Liverpool drowned in Whitley Bay trying to save my mum who was out of her depth, and my poor papa Benny had a heart attack in the sea.”
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“I was only tiny at the time.
“Since then, my mum wanted us all to be big, strong swimmers and I know they [her parents] feel funny about me swimming, and I totally respect that.
“It just shows you that things can go wrong in the sea, and you’ve just got to give it utter respect.”
The memory came back to her as she and Greg visited Vatersay Island to pay respects at a memorial for the 350 emigrants to Canada who died in the Annie Jane shipwreck on September 28, 1853.
Greg started wild swimming four years ago after seeing Julie’s enthusiasm for it, joining over 7.5 million wild swimmers in the UK.
In their second series, they travel 200 miles west to the Outer Hebrides and 500 miles north to Orkney and Shetland.
Jules and Greg’s Wild Swim – The Island Adventure is set to air from January 6 on BBC iPlayer.