First Serpentine silverware for a Cecil sister. Today Antonia. Jessica and Lizzie will no doubt not be far behind in the coming weeks and months.
Antonia Cecil
Welcome prizes for the sweet of tooth
Sid joined in 1923 and faithfully served the club for over 60 years, celebrating his membership diamond jubilee in 1983. In 1955, following the death of Albert Greenbury the Club's President for twenty years, the committee decided to limit the number of years served in office. A term of three years was proposed and instigated with great political skill and foresight by Sid, whose presidential term quite “coincidentally” covered the club’s centenary year in 1964. Quite some nous!
Autumn 1925, Sid first on the left
Perhaps Sid’s nous stemmed from being a long-serving representative on Holborn borough council. As a Labour councillor Sid was instrumental in ensuring the post war resurrection of a project to build the beautiful Oasis public swimming pool on the site of what was "Holborn Baths". The project started in 1937, but was halted by WW2. Today's outdoor swimmers of central London have a lot to thank this esteemed past member of the Serpentine Swimming Club. Though the water is somewhat warm compared to the Serpentine lake (it's heated!) it is still a very iconic venue.
Ready for the 1964 100th Anniversary
President Sid speaking at the 1963 launch of the "Breaking the Ice" book that recalled the 1st hundred years of the club
Writing in the mid-2000s, Alan Titmuss recalled Sid as "a popular member who was unable to give less than 100% effort to anything he undertook, including the photographic shop he owned in Leather Lane, Holborn. His boast was that “it was the best shop in town” and nobody would ever disagree. Committee meetings were held there, with beer and sandwiches followed by cine films of Sid's latest trip. Sid had walked into a plate glass window and his optician recommended he see a bit of the world before he lost his sight totally.
"He might have been good at selling cameras but not at using them. He didn't believe in keeping the camera still and letting the subject move. The committee was treated to reel upon reel of Sid on safari with herds of wildebeest trekking across the plains, all going in the opposite direction to Sid's camera. The result being that most of the committee dropped off to sleep!
"AGMs were held at Sid's Willesden home where his dining room was large enough to seat the whole club (in the late 1960s). Down the length of one wall was a large black trophy cabinet, which wouldn't have been out of place in a top-flight football club’s trophy room. Rumour had it that an RSJ had to be installed to support all the silverware he had won over the years. Although his eyes were deteriorating fast he still drove to the lake, going miles out of his way to follow a carefully chosen route of left hand turns and one-way streets around London."
December 1954. Sid was a strong and steady breaststroker.
In 1983 we celebrated Sid's 60 years with the club
With Arthur Goffrey and Mario McCLarnon
Rachel Bayley got the morning's race underway
Slate grey water for the first Saturday of summer
Thanos and Mike, masters of ceremonies.
Antonia Cecil was called forward to receive her first ever Serpentine trophy
Delighted
Another first
Second place Liz Thody was also a first time prize winner
James Norton 3rd
High five offered by fourth placed John Luckhurst. Chloe was suspicious. What a very perceptive young lady she is!
President Laure told us all about Sid, then Nick, then Sakura.
Sid died in 1984. His daughter Ann continued to visit the club to present both cup and prizes for many years. Sadly the club lost contact with Ann and the Levy family in the late 1990s. Nick Adams and Sakura Hingley (now Mrs Adams) have sponsored the race since 2011.
2011 - big hugs
Tori Thorpe (now Mrs Long) was the first to receive cup and hug from Nick
These days Sakura gets her own share of big hug practice
Seb in front, Ben on the bench.
Their August 2013 wedding by pure coincidence (?) coincided with the 138th anniversary of the day Captain Matthew Webb left Dover to become the first to swim the English Channel - 24 August 1875.
Nick joined the club in 1992, aged 14 and has proved to be one of the UK's most formidable long-distance swimmers, completing numerous Channel crossings and many other amazing swims - Catalina Channel (California), Robben Island (South Africa), Strait of Gibraltar, Manhattan Island (New York) circumnavigation to name but a few. Nick was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2013.
Those in the know will tell you that Nick has been of great assistance and inspiration to many English Channel and marathon swim aspirants. He is a past President of the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation. This link will give you a little bit more background -
https://www.openwaterpedia.com/wiki/Nick_Adams
In recognition of Nick's contribution as an ambassador for the Serpentine Swimming Club and to Channel and marathon swimming Nick was made a club vice President in 2023, the year of his 30th Channelversary.
Oh, and he has also been SSC club champion on more ocassions than he cares to remember.
Over the years Nick has won much Serpentine silverware
The 1995 Peter Pan cup. Eventual winner Nick, with Gordon Brodie, Norman Jones, Peter Larrad and Geoff Ransom.
Nick followed up with another Christmas Day win in 2002
Nick completed the 100 yards course in under 60 seconds
2004 Ron Hamill cup, presented by Lorraine Jones.
Not to be outdone, Sakura won her Peter Pan cup in 2018.
Sakura joined us in 2002 whilst studying medicine at Imperial College. She was captain of the IC swimming team under coach Norman Jones. With such a coach Sakura had no option but to agree to swim with us in the Serpentine, come wind, rain and shine.
The waters of the Serpentine gave Sakura the long-distance bug and in 2005 swam the Channel in a very respectful 11 hrs 08 mins. Like Nick, Sakura has also completed the 28.5 mile Manhattan circumnavigation, Catalina Channel (20 miles), Strait of Gibraltar (9 miles) amongst other achievements. Sakura has also completed a number of marathons and the Bolton Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile cycle, 13.1 mile run) which Sakura described as "horrible; tougher than the English Channel".
Three big cheers for the Adams family, led by Laure.
Three cheers over, and it's time for cake.
Wonderful swimming themed ginger cake baked by wonderful birthday girl Linda Paxton.
(photo: James Norton)
(Report compiled by Brian Thomas. Images provided by Brian and the club's archives, unless credited to individuals)