Poppy Lund took the honours in our historic mile. Followed by Vanessa Marshall and Chris Hatcher, who obviously talk tactics in the car as they drive in from home!
The morning was also blessed with a bunch of beautiful agapanthus from Mike (Mr Greenfingers) Harris' window box.
Winner Poppy Lund with her hands full
Four mugs and a nifty balance did their bit to hold Mike's agapanthus in place in the Colin Cooper cup.
An overcast sky for the Radford Mile
Gary Duffield surveys the water, whilst a non racing early swimmer floats to shore.
Tony Schiemann patiently waiting to get the race uderway
The Radfords provided a wonderful plethora of prizes
An animated Brian Thomas stood in for President Rob Ouldcott, away on his holibobs
Poppy pondering her choice of the very generous prizes.
Second place for Vanessa Marshall
Chris Hatcher, who swam with Tony in the 80s, in third place.
Brian Thomas, surprised to be 4th.
5th spot for very happy Charlotte Hallward
A drinks flask for 6th place Robert Fisher. Is James envious?
And a surprise prize for Paul Atherton, who valiantly battled on to finish the mile whilst others were getting changed.
We politely waited for him, so that he could happily experience the honour of winning his first Serpentine prize (albeit for coming last).
Coffee time for Christine Radford
For many years Tony was the club champion, being of national competitive standard and one of the club's fastest ever swimmers. Though a member of the Serpentine SC his pool training and competing was under the banner of South London SC, coached by his father Alf. Tony regularly competed in the ASA Southern Counties championships, his favoured events being 220 yards and one mile (still imperial distances in those days). One July day in the early 1970s Tony swam our Bridge to Bridge race in the morning and then was driven by dad Alf to Brighton for the Pier-to-Pier race a few hours later, which he won.
Tony's wife Christine was also a very good competitive swimmer - that's how they met. In his speech, Brian said that Tony may have been faster, but Christine was definitely the more graceful.
Tony and Christine moved to West Sussex some decades ago, meaning it was difficult to regualry attend Saturday morning races.
Tony won the Christmas Day race in 1967 and 1972, producing a sub 60 seconds time for the latter win. Quite an achievement in the sub 4c (39f) strength sapping waters of the Serpentine. This has only ever been equalled by Nick Adams, some thirty years later.
An open challenge for our currrent speedsters?
Tony's name made the press
No 1967 Christmas Day race photo of winner Tony, but here he is after the presentation, steading Louis Fabre on a vintage bicycle.
Dusty Rhodes and Louis Alt also assisted.
Front wheel drive for Louis (watched on by Ted Thomas, on the right).
Tony won the 1968 Club Championship
Difficult to make out out the swimmers on the board, but let's have a go. Left to Right - Maurice Ferris, Alan Titmuss, ?, Bill Harman, ?, Frank Simms, Tony Radford, ?, A Wooldridge, Brian Thomas (me), ?, Roy Wrey, Dusty Rhodes.
Club champion, 1968
A shield in those days
Sid Levy, Maurice Ferris, Norman Ducket, A Wooldridge, Tony Radford, Jack Peckham (Handicapper)
October 1929, Colin presenting one of the Colin Cooper cups
In 1929 the "public spirited" George Lansbury, Mayor of Poplar, leader of the Labour party and much admired Commissioner of Works between the wars, proposed a public bathing space in Hyde Park. Funds were raised by a public appeal for the development of the Lido bathing area and pavilion. A private offer was also made on the strict understanding that it was entirely anonymous: "and no one except Mr Lansbury shall know of my identity". The donation permitted the completion of the pavilion and, in the spring of 1930, the Lido complex opened to the public, replacing the old bathing huts with the ornate pavilion. A plaque in commemoration of Lansbury is built into the wall of the pavilion, with the inscription "who made this bathing shore for our enjoyment". The Lansbury plaque is on the east front of the pavilion; the Cooper memorial is in the middle.
Though George Lansbury respected the donor's desire for anonymity, over the years it became accepted that it was Colin and other members of the Cooper family who made the generous and greatly appreciated donation towards the development of the facility where Colin bathed before the war. It also ensured a permanent physical memory to Colin's young brother, Jack.
A plaque in memory of Jack Cooper can be found on the wall of the Serpentine Pavilion. Like elder brother Colin, Captain Jack Oliver Cooper, served in the Royal Flying Corp and at the tender age of 20 was killed in action while carrying out a bombing raid on Epéhy Station, France on 21st July 1916.
Our fixture records show that in the late1920s and early 1930s Jack's elder brother Major Colin Cooper, RFC, presented cups that were competed for over three races during the season, which were retained by the ultimate winner. Colin had joined the Serpentine SC in 1913.
The current cup was returned to the club by a descendent of one of these winners and has been used for the mile race since 1978.
Captain Jack Cooper, RFC
Jack Cooper (1896 - 1916) was the younger brother of Colin Cooper, who donated the cup. (Picture source: London Remembers website).
The plaque on the Lido Pavilion wall reads, “In proud memory of Captain J.O.Cooper age 20 years who was killed in action whilst serving in the R.F.C” with a verse written by John Drinkwater:
Time would have brought him in her patient ways,
So his young life spoke to prosperous days,
To fullness of authority and praise,
He would not wait so long, a boy to spend,
His boys dear life for England, be content,
No honour of age had been more excellent.
And finally, Mike's agapanthus window box jungle
(report compiled by Brian Thomas)