A race in memory of a lovely, weightlifting character from Bethnal Green.
The prizes were provided by Ron's great Serpentine friends Kirsty Neilson and Mary Olivary. Kirsty was away, but the always effortlessly elegant Mary was on hand to present the Ron (the Con) Whittam Power Cup to winner Debs Byatt.
Why the "Power cup"? Ron was a power lifter. He continued to compete into his eighties.
Why "the Con"? Don't ask!
Why is Mary Olivary "always effortlessly elegant"? She just is.
Debs took pride of place
Committee member Debs Byatt currently takes the lead on our club wardens' scheme.
Ron Whittam, 1931 - 2016
As an octogenarian Ron continued to win weight lifting and body building trophies
Ron Whittam joined the Serpentine Swimming Club in 2000, with the aim of swimming the Christmas Day race to quietly raise money for charity. Ron soon became a favourite of all he met at the lake and was quickly established as “part of the furniture”.
The “Ron the Con Power cup” was established on the fixture list in 2002, named with reference to the power lifting championships Ron was still entering, well into what some might call "his dotage", but club members would describe as "his prime".
Ron looking the part, Autumn 2002. With Ian Stuttard.
A chilly grey spring morning. Tony Schiemann patiently waits to get the race underway
Water 15.3c, but the air 9c. Warmer in than out.
Ron oversaw Rob's speech
President Rob explained how Ron came to the club and enthralled us all with his infectious chat and legendary tea making abilities
Rob also dug up some diabolocal detail on Mary and Kirsty (courtesy of the also absent Paddy Boyce)
A newspaper cutting reporting on the Peter Pan cup
Rob wickedly shared a Christmas Day newspaper photograph of Mary caught unawares, mischievously supplied by Paddy
The good life, or a misspent youth?
Mary led the three cheers in appreciation of Ron Whittam
Here's a more sympathetic Christmas morning snap of Mary
Peter Pan cup race, 2019
Ron was born on the 2nd October 1931 in the London Hospital, Whitechapel. The Bethnal Green Weight Lifting Club obituary described Ron as “a living link to the past". It went on to report that "he spent all of his life within a mile of where he was born. In 1944 he was bombed out of his uncle’s pub at Old Bethnal Green Road (his uncle being killed by the V1 "doodlebug" rocket). He then moved to a prefab in Ion Square (now Gardens) off Hackney Road and when new flats were built, he moved to Wellington Row where he spent the rest of his life.”
Ron joined the Serpentine Swimming Club in 2000, with the aim of swimming the Christmas Day race to quietly raise money for charity. Ron soon became a favourite of all he met at the lake and was quickly established as “part of the furniture”. Ron’s lifelong passion was weightlifting, first visiting the Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club aged 16. Even in his 80s he would still be training 4 times a week. Tuesday and Thursday at the Bethnal Green club and swimming Wednesday and Saturday at the Serpentine. Ron had also done a bit of boxing in his time and for 20 years he had been a member of LEBA (London Ex-Boxers Assoc).
The “Ron the Con Power cup” was established on the fixture list in 2002, named with reference to the powerlifting championships Ron was still entering, and winning, in his 70s. In fact he carried on "entering and winning" into his 80s. After Ron’s sad passing in March 2016 his close swimming friends Kirstie Neilson and Mary Olivari took on the honour of jointly sponsoring Ron’s race.
Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club, 1952. Ron 2nd right.
Ron Whittam with fellow boxing fan Gordon Brodie
Ron spent many happy hours chatting with anyone who shared the same passions. Foremost amongst those at the Serpentine was Gordon Brodie, who had boxed in his youth and in the army and had been in the same crowd as Ron at numerous wrestling and boxing matches attended in and around the East End in the late 40s, 50s and 60s - many decades before they became best of friends at the lake.
84 yards for Ron's 84 years
The race over, we swam together for a leisurely 84 yards at "Ron pace" - each yard remembering each of Ron's 84 years
The additional 84 yards was an impromptu idea of Kevin Blick's on the occasion of the 2016 race, the month after Ron's funeral
May 2016 was a lot sunnier than May 2023
For further details/stories/gossip on Mary and Kirsty, and Ron, please follow this link to the 2021 web report
Ron's funeral was held on 5 April, 2016
A large turnout from the Serpentine
And the Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club
(report compiled by Brian Thomas)