Thanks to Carole for some very good tuition.
I discovered that not having been swimming since I was a nipper, when the primary focus was bombing and running about like a loon, my drowning dog style is not really the most effective. Basically I can "swim" enough to not drown instantly but that's about it.
After a few lengths of various exercises (with rather limited success for me in that I didn't drown, did swallow quite a lot of water) Paul H, Rob C, Marek, and Alan all know what they are doing did something different. Carole moved PVT and I over and gave us some breathing exercises to start afresh so we could build from there in the future.
So long away from swimming I really wasn't keen on sticking my head under as it's so alien and my reflex effect thought "ahh drowning get your head up!", which results in me moving along at an angle with my head up and as much grace as a snowplow. After the breathing exercises I was a bit more comfortable so a good start for the first session. Hopefully with some more I'll be able to swim a few lengths properly with correct breathing which is all I want from it as I'm not doing any of this silly triathlon nonsense. The biggest problem I think Paul and I had with the breathing is that we're used to breathing in a rhythm with our cycling and it's all different in the pool, a bit like learning to breath all over again.
I can't go next week but will be back after that, thanks Carole - very patient.
Basically don't be frightened if you want to try it, not all of us know what we're doing or have a desire to dress in the indecent sort of outfit favoured by Rob C and Paul H
.