Happy 70th Birthday Eric

Today, July 8th, much loved Serpie legend Eric Carter celebrates his 70th birthday. Eric was club president for two terms from 2007 – 2013, for which there was no precedent for over fifty years. He also sponsors the Eric Carter Quarter, a 440 yard race in May, sadly uncontested this year, and his swimming prowess has won him a lot of silverware over the years, including the Peter Pan Cup, appropriately for one so perennially youthful. He has manned his luscious and colourful fruit stand on a plum position at the top of Queensway, for the whole of the lockdown, keeping his grateful customers healthy and happy and not giving a fig for the weather. 

Now Eric has taken a couple days off to celebrate, although unfortunately not on holiday in Greece as originally planned, so having got a card signed by wardening trainees on Monday, a pear of Serpies pedalled kiwickly up Queensway to present it, James distracting Eric with chat while Anna craftily stuck a tutti frutti birthday garland on the front of his stall.  

The message in the card managed to banAnna’s puns but sadly not James’s:

“Have a berry apple birthday and a fruitful year to come. We won’t be making a speach but we avocad for you. When a mangoes swimming he makes lots of friends and orange of them send their birthday wishes!”

We are grapeful for all our cherryshed and apeeling friend has done to brighten up this meloncholy time. Eric isn’t on the email group but please do congratulate him in person by visiting him after your swim from Friday onwards and buying his delicious fruit.  

Three cherries for Eric - Pip Pip Hooray!