Saturday saw the 200m (220 yard) leg of the club championship series. Two more to go, 400m and 800m (440 & 880 yds), and the brothers Luckhurst are neck and neck.
RNLI themed prizes presented by Rob and Sarah Oulcott.
We also took time remember our dear old friend Dave Hoilliday, who sponsored this event for many decades.
Will Luckhurst came in first, just over an arm's length from brother Alan
The steady plodders race got the morning underway at 8 o'clock sharp
(photo: Norman Jones)
A fresh morning, though the water temperature did creep over 10c. (photo: Debs Byatt)
The contenders got going shortly after
Some got going quicker than others
Rob used his presentation speech to tell of the many achievments of club members. Joined by Sarah, he spoke with pride of no matter how impressive the achievement, it always seemed that another club member had gone one better. Ask Rob for details, and he will gladly enlighten you.
Rob went on to speak of the previous sponsor for the event, Dave Holliday, a true Serpentine character. He also introduced some of Dave's family who had joined us to watch the races - his sister Ange, his son Oliver, and Oliver's mum, Barbara. Dave contracted Covid 19 and died very quickly of the illness on 28 March 2020, the day his race had been scheduled to take place prior to the lockdown suspension of fixtures. He was 67.
Lewis all ears for the speech. (photo: Norman Jones)
Not sure what Rob just said, but it provoked some wry smiles
Stroke for stroke to the very end
Will, Alan, with Katie Irvine pushing hard on the outside
Second place Alan Luckhurst
Katie pushed all the way and was a very close third. A first (of many?) Serpentine prizes
New girl Katie Irvine was a medal winner for Team GB at the recent ice swimming world championships
Laure Latham swam against the tide whilst the fast race was on the way down
Having finished her race Laure was putting in the distance, preparing for her solo Channel attempt this summer
Ange, Oliver and Barbara joined in the "three cheers", encouraged by Lorraine Jones
Rob started swimming with us in January 2012, and by September that year completed a solo crossing of the English Channel in a very respectable 14 hours and 35 minutes - "It was only when I arrived and heard about the Channel swimming that I became interested. I blame Boris (Mavra) as he had a chat with me about it. Nick (Adams) also persuaded me to sign."
Concerning the other, better looking, Ouldcotts, Rob said "Lily’s Channel relay swim happened because she was crew on my solo and in her words 'that didn’t look too hard', so I signed her up for a relay. Sarah is a devout heads up breaststroke swimmer who does not race, so perfect for the Serps"
Never one for the "usual", Rob was part of a 2015 Serpentine team that completed the first-ever butterfly relay of the English Channel.
Rob was elected onto the club committee in 2018 and in 2022 succeeded Alan Mitchell as club President.
Rob's 2012 Channel track
Rob was handicapper Dani Lobo's choice as the 2018 "most competitive swimmer"
Bashful, camera-shy Sarah was cajoled into heling Rob celebrate
Dave Holliday was an accomplished clarinettist and would entertain us at club parties
1985, Dave on clarinet accompanied by Bill Phipps on nose-flute (if you look closely it's an adapted bicycle pump)
2000 prize giving
Dave, with President Alan Lacy, Handicapper Frank Simms, Rosie George, Yoko Reid, Roy Wrey, John Reid and Gordon Brodie. Yoko and husband John were long term members and have just re-joined our club, having recently moved back to London from Brighton
Dave was always somewhat inventive with his prizes
A flag theme in 2009
1986, and Brian Thomas joined Dave Holliday to apparently audition for stand-in parts for the Littlewoods catalogue
For lots more tales of the Ouldcott's adventures and Dave's decades at the club (he joined in 1980) please follow this link to "the race we missed" report from 2021.
(report compiled by Brian Thomas)