Produce from the Garden of England (i.e. John's back yard) presented as prizes for the 800m (880 yard) race for the Andean Project cup. Paul Atherton harvested his first Serpentine trophy and his share of the yummies.
This race is also the third of the four race Emmi Hunte series - February 50m, March 100m, August 800, October 100m.
Meanwhile, the club vice Captain and the club Champion were on the other side of the world, swimming down south up in the Andes proper.
Tastiest prizes of the year
Paul (the hat) Atherton proudly displayed his first cup
Watched on by Katherine Luckhurst
Paul got the race going
His steady, bowler hat adorned heads-up breaststroke saw him keep the lead through to the finish line.
Mike and Robin oversaw proceedings
Whilst various Luckhursts watched on
In President Rob's absence past President Brian stood in to welcome the Luckhurst family and to tell the background to the Andean trophy
Will, Katherine, Linda and John Luckhurst kept us waiting before unveiling the goodies (photo: Vanessa Marshall)
Established in 1985, the principal aim of the Andean Project was "to enable research to be carried out into the ability of the plants of the Atacama Desert to thrive at different altitudes, and to develop their medicinal and nutritional potential". The end goal was to provide assistance to the indigenous people of this part of the Andes to develop sustainable farming practices.
The Andean cup first appeared on our fixture list as a relay event in May 1987
The event made it into the Sunday papers (Patricia could be quite persuasive)
Patricia was born in Welwyn Garden City in 1925 but grew up in Buenos Aires where her father was a civil engineer. Patricia dated her interest in desert gardens from the age of four when she was presented with a small plot of desert land. Patricia's husband and fellow devotee to the Andean Project (and to the Serpentine Swimming Club) was a retired British diplomat named Ivor Francis Sutherland Vincent, though Pat and all of us at the Serpentine always called him as Bill - no idea why!
Sadly Bill died in 1994, but Patricia carried on the work in Arica, northern Chile, splitting her time between London and Chile until Patricia's own illness meant she had to ask for the Project to be closed down in late 2009.
In January 2010 the Government of Chile conferred on her the Order of Bernardo O’Higgins in the grade of Knight Commander (Comendador) for the valuable contribution she had made to the development and preservation of the flora and fauna of the Chilean Andean region. Just before Patricia left the UK for the last time she visited us at her beloved Serpentine to watch the Saturday morning race. It is a testament to Pat's powers of persuasion that the taxi driver brought the black cab down to the Lido for her to view proceedings.
Patricia died on 23 May 2011 in her own bed in her own flat in Arica, Chile, in the country in which she wanted to end her days.
(source for the above is my own recollections of Pat and Bill, plus "The Clarion", October 2011 - the parish magazine of St Mary the Boltons). Brian Thomas
(photo: Vanessa Marshall)
John Luckhurst joined the club in September 2010. A new office location fortunatley entailed a journey from Charing Cross station across Hyde Park and past the Serpentine. John also "persuaded" oldest son Alan to also sign up at the same time. John's enthusiasm for racing in the Serpentine spread to the other family members, who joined in 2014. Perhaps they were puzzled as to where John and son were disappearing on a Saturday morning and returning with a big smile of satisfaction on there faces? They have all become dedicated members and regular racers (though of late daughter Katherine has enjoyed quite a few Saturday morning lie-ins).
As a family they have become very involved within the club. Club vice-Captain Alan is very much involved in organising "Team Serpentine" in external events. John took over the role of organising cup engraving when John Reid moved to Brighton and, with Mike Harris, has been busy cataloguing the club's cups and trophies. Concerning Mrs Luckhurst, Mr Luckhurst wrote: "Linda is one of those quiet, thoughtful, intelligent and beautiful individuals that the club has so many examples of. She is completely sold on the club and loves the privilege of providing the desserts for the SSC Christmas party. She has been an exceptional mother to our three children whilst managing life as a busy GP". Linda has recently retired and now entertains herself by getting under John's feet at home and tidying up anything not nailed down (at least I think that is the gist of what Mr Luckhurst said?).
Both Alan and Will Luckhurst have been crowned club champions in recent years . Alan, Will and Katherine have previously been competitive pool swimmers with Maidstone Swimming Club. It should be noted that, despite what is says on The Royal Parks' website, the Serpentine SC is not the oldest swimming club in the country. That honour goes to Luckhurst's old club, formed in 1844, some 20 years before ourselves and 16 years before Brighton SC. That said, Maidstone SC long ago ceased to be an all-the-year-round outdoor swimming club and for many, many decades have been an indoor pool outfit.
Will was club champion in 2022
A wet early summer Saturday. Julie Thayer, daughter of past President Arthur Goffrey, presented the championship cup.
Alan succeeded younger brother Will in 2023
Alan's turn to be champion
2023 was a good year for Alan - he became "an English Channel swimmer"
Friday 21 July, 13 hours and 29 minutes.
Linda is also not to be passed by when it comes to winning silverware
Vets' champion, 2024
Paul had his arms full - goodies plus silver
Ian MacEachern 2nd
Sophia Holder - an eager, hungry third
In what has become an annual tradition, the Luckhursts awarded a "random number" prize
Step forward Matt McKeown, lucky seventeenth place
And a prize for Vanessa, second from last
A thirst quencher
With a delicious touch of irony, whilst four of the Luckhursts were presenting the Andean cup for a Serpentine high summer race (water 22c), Alan Luckhurst accompanied Katie Irvine (someone had to) for a swim in a glacial lake high in the Andes proper.
Club vice-captain Alan and club champion Katie were competitors at the International Winter Swimming Association championships in the Patagonian glacier lake El Calafate, Argentina (water 3c). The Serpentine medal haul was nine - 3 golds, 5 silvers and a bronze.
Patagonian glacial lake El Calafate, temperature 3 degrees.
Katie, Alan and friends
It was lovely to once again see Bill Deeley lakeside
Chloe, Deirdre, Bill and son Andy (photo: Mary Gilbert)
(Report compiled by Brian Thomas. Images provided by Brian and the club's archives, unless credited to individuals)