Final race of the 2025 club championship

Arthur was club President when the "class of ‘67” joined the swimming club -  Bill Deeley, Mike Olizar, Peter Larrad and Brian Thomas.  Mike Olizar will always share his fond memories of Arthur, who was very quick to welcome new members kindly into the fold.  The "class of '67" all owe him a debt of gratitude for making new members feel so much at home.

Arthur was club President twice, in 1965-68 and 1977-80.  He took over the role as club handicapper in 1952 when Clary Reed stood down, continuing in this role until the mid-1960s.  Arthur still provided handicapping assistance and cover into the 1980s.

Those of us who remember Arthur recall a most kindly chap, one of nature's gentlemen.  He was club President when “the class of ‘67” joined the swimming club -  Bill Deeley, Mike Olizar, Peter Larrad and myself, Brian Thomas.  Arthur was club President twice, in 1965-68 and 1977-80.  Arthur took over the role as club handicapper in 1952 when Clary Reed stood down.  He continued in this role through to the mid-1960s, and still provided handicapping assistance and cover through to the early 1980s.

Arthur was a great friend of Alan Titmuss and was part of the group of club members affectionately known as “the Harrow mob” -  Arthur plus Alan Titmuss, Teddy Bennion, Maurice Ferris, and Jack Baker (Alan Titmuss’s uncle).

Our records show he joined the Club aged 29 in 1934.  He served in the Royal Artillery 1939-45 in the UK, France and Germany, landing in France a few days after D-day.  Most of his working life was spent with a well-known firm of wholesale silk and fabric merchants which involved buying trips to Europe.  On retirement he worked for a few years at Harvey Nicholls in the accounts department.  Apart from the Serpentine his other great interest was cricket, both as a player, then umpire and of course as a spectator.  He was an also avid fan of Chelsea football club.

When asked, as people would, “what’s the water like today Arthur?” his predictable response was always, “like wine my boy, like wine”.  Whilst club Secretary I was interviewed in the studio of the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Christmas Eve morning, 2009.  I was determined to honour Arthur by working it in.  When I did, it rendered Jim McNulty and John Humphreys speechless!  Perhaps we should make it compulsory that any club official must use this quote when interviewed on national media?

For many years the club champion was decided by a one-off half mile race.  There was a major change to the format of the club championship in the mid 1970s. Rather than a one-off 880 yard race the club championship was decided over five races to reflect "all the weathers and conditions" in which we compete - 55 yards, 110 yards, 220 yards, 440 yards culminating in the 880 yards in high summer.