The 2026 Radford Mile for the Colin Cooper cup

For many years Tony was club champion, being of national competition standard and one of the club's fastest ever swimmers.  Though a member of the Serpentine SC his pool training and competing was under the banner of South London SC, coached by his father Alf.  Tony regularly competed in the ASA Southern Counties championships, his favoured events being 220 yards and one mile (still imperial distances in those days).   One July day in the early 1970s Tony swam our Bridge to Bridge race in the morning and then was driven by dad Alf to Brighton for the Pier-to-Pier race a few hours later, which he promptly won.

Tony's wife Christine was also a very good competitive swimmer: that's how they met.  Tony may have been faster, but it is said Christine was definitely the more graceful.

Tony and Christine moved to West Sussex some decades ago, meaning it was difficult to regualry attend  Saturday morning races.

Tony won the Christmas Day race in 1967 and 1972, producing a sub 60 seconds time for the latter win.  Quite an achievement in the sub 4c (39f) strength sapping waters of the Serpentine.  This has only ever been equalled by Nick Adams, some thirty years later.

Brian drew attention to the contrast in the weather we endured for the 2025 Radford Mile.  "From the handicap clock start at 7.30 a.m. to the very last swimmer home and on to the speech and cup presentation the downpour did not abate."

Club records show Colin Cooper joined the club in 1913.  Colin served with the Royal Flying Corps during WW1, holding the rank of Major.

Our club fixture card for 1928 records the Colin Cooper cup being swum for over four races -  55 Yards in May, 110 yards in July, 220 yards in August, and 55 yards in September.  The 1927 fixture card is missing, but the races do not appear on the 1926 card.  So the series was either over the two years 1927 & 1928 (not unheard of -  the Telegraph series used to be nine races over three years) or just 1928.  The cup was kept in the possession of the 1928 winner and half a century later was donated back to the club and was, from 1978, presented to the winner of the Radford Mile race.

Major Colin Cooper’s younger brother, Captain Jack Oliver Cooper, also served in the RFC and at the tender age of 20 was killed in action while carrying out a bombing raid on Epéhy Station, France on 21st July 1916.  You will find a plaque dedicated to Colin’s younger brother (by four years) on the wall of the Lido pavilion.

It was the 'public spirited' George Lansbury, Mayor of Poplar, leader of the Labour party and popular Commissioner of Works between the wars who, in 1929, first suggested a public bathing space in Hyde Park.  Funds were raised by a public appeal for the development of the Lido bathing area and pavilion.  A private offer was also made on the strict understanding that it was entirely anonymous "and no one except Mr Lansbury shall know of my identity".  The donation permitted the completion of the pavilion and, in the spring of 1930, the Lido was completed, replacing the old bathing huts with the ornate Serpentine Pavilion. A plaque in commemoration of Lansbury is built into the wall of the pavilion, with the inscription "who made this bathing shore for our enjoyment".

Though George Lansbury respected the donor's desire for anonymity, over the years it became accepted that it was Major Colin Cooper, RFC, who made the generous and greatly appreciated donation towards the development of the facility where he bathed before the war and to ensure there would be a permanent physical memory to his young brother, Jack.

Hannah Donovan received a prize as the final finisher.  She was determined to share the honour with the inspirational Nancy Babarinde who had proudly finished her first ever one mile swim.