Serpentine Swimming Club

Today's top bloke - Stuart Bowman

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.

Shoulders aloft

James was due to sponsor last week's race, but was busy at the Winter Swimming Championships in Oulo, Finland

Stuart, proud collector of trophies and tasty tins of biscuits

First home in the first race, Samorn Chimkeaw.

Second in the first race, Ilyan Kovatchev

Second in the second race, John Craske

Toby Crooks also in a prize position

Happy birthday to you

Honoured by the Royal Humane Society, 1913

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."

Early 1960s, with fellow octogenarian Louis Farbe

A direct connection with today

Alan Titmuss recalled the following tale in the mid-2000s -

"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 sponsored the Bridge to Bridge race from 2000.

For further detail on Bill Maggs and the race history please follow this link to the 2021 "race we missed" report. The article also takes a looks at the Lido refurbishment of the mid-1990s.

https://serpentineswimmingclub.com/news/51085/maggs-memorial-race-2021