Saturday's race was over 100m (110 yards) for the Bill and Ron Maggs memorial cup. This year the cup and prizes were presented by James Norton, Jon Benton having agreed to swap prize duty with James for the race last week. Back to schedule in 2025?
Illyan Kovatchev claimed the cup.
Illyan received the cup from James Norton
Jon Benton normally presents the Maggs Memorial trophy, but not this year
Our man Maggs
Bill Maggs, left, chats over a post-race cuppa with Louis Fabre, Christmas morning 1954. Both Bill and Louis continued racing into their 80s.
Butler Bill Maggs is recorded as a starter in the Christmas Day race of 1910. He won the Peter Pan cup in 1920 and again in 1954, aged 71. Bill continued to race with the club up to the mid-1960s. Bill's son Ron did not compete in our races but always supported the club and the Maggs Memorial fixture.
Ron Maggs, Bill's son, is also remembered by the race
1996, a young Nick Adams congratulated by Ron Maggs on his victory
Illyan meekly approached the presentation table with characteristic shyness
Illyan proudly displayed the cup, and his prize of Kew Gardens speciality biscuits
Ian Morgan, second
President Rob was pleasantly surprised at his third place
Another bashful prize winner
James Lythe, fourth
2023 cup winner Heather Miller sneaked into fifth place (photo: Norman Jones)
Two races this morning
One the board, ready for the first race (photo: Norman Jones)
Race underway (photo: Norman Jones)
Illyan,first in the first race, and first against his handicap time to be judged first overall (photo: Norman Jones)
Time to take a breath, and contemplate whether to swim back or not? (photo: Norman Jones)
Eager spectators ready themselves for the second race
A bit of sledging. A bit of stretching. Then a bit of swimming. (photo: Norman Jones)
Race underway under a crisp early spring sky (or is it still late winter?)
The field strung out mid race
Grey water, pale early morning sky with cloud moving gently in as the racers approach the finish
President Rob introduced us to Bill Maggs and to the cup, which Bill won in 1910
The Maggs memorial race has been on our fixture list for decades, but the cup was not introduced until this century.
In 1913 Bill Maggs was honoured by the Royal Humane Society for saving the life of a drowning man. The Rushden Echo, 31 October 1913 reported "without waiting to remove any clothing, the rescuer Mr W F Maggs immediately jumped into the river and swam to the assistance of the helpless man, brought him to the bank and using the Schafer's method of resuscitation, was able, in about 80 seconds, to bring the rescued man back to consciousness. The man, Mr Lanesbury of Wilby, soon made a complete recovery."
The Royal Humane Society presented Mr Maggs with a certificate, which read "who did his duty nobly and like an Englishman", and a solid silver pen, suitable inscribed. Bill Maggs, who was employed as Butler to the Hon. Sir.E.Chandos-Leigh. said 'he had only done his duty and what any other similarly placed person would have done."
Bill won the Christmas Day race for Peter Pan cup in 1920, and again in 1954
No photo, but here is a press report of the 1920 race
1920 starters list
All Clothes Race winner, 1926. Bill won many trophies over his decades with the club.
1930, Bill Maggs fourth from the end of the board
"Heavily muffled spectators gave loud cries of 'well done Maggsy'"
1954 press report of Bill's victory
Writing in the mid-2000, Alan Titmuss recalled the following tale -
"Recently, a chance remark from Jenny Cleaver, a regular swimmer who comes with her dog Lilly, the one who manages a dip without getting her hair wet, told us that her granny's butler once swam in the Serpentine. It turned out to be none other than our man Maggs who was also Butler to Edward Simpson, the divorced husband of Mrs Simpson the Duchess of Windsor."
Jenny joined the club in 1993 and, with husband Sir Anthony Cleaver sponsors our summer blue ribbon event - the Bridge to Bridge race.
On 4 August 2014 James became only the 24th Canadian to swim the English Channel
A respectable time of 14 hours, 59 minutes
James's Channel track
Canadian-British James has completed many marathon swims, including the English Channel, Lake Bolsena, Messina to Calabria and Capri to Napoli. For a report on James's 34 kilometres Capri-Napoli exploit in 2015 please follow this link -
And finally, we sang and ate cake to celebrate a big birthday for Clare Doyle
Many happy returns, Clare
(report compiled by Brian Thomas)