Bobby Baxter joined us for the annual race in memory of his 1889 Christmas Day winning great grandfather. Arthur Hester was a key club member in the late 19th century, serving on the committee from 1890 to 1902.
Ruta Skatikaite
President Laure spoke of Bobby Baxter and his great grandfather, Arthur Hester.
Arthur Hester was Bobby Baxter's great grandfather and won the Christmas morning race in 1889 at the age of 22. Prior to the involvement of James Barrie and the presentation of a Peter Pan cup in 1903, the winner of the Serpentine SC Christmas Morning Race was presented with a gold medal. The medal has been kept in the Baxter family as an heirloom. It was in 2007 that Bobby made contact with then club Secretary Alan Titmuss and came along to the club one Saturday morning to show off the medal to members. Bobby joined the club in 2008 and became a regular racer for many years.
Arthur was a local lad from Fulham, whose family ran a tobacconist shop in Lille Road.
In 2009 the then Hon. Secretary Alan Titmuss managed to find a slot in the fixture calendar for an Arthur Hester memorial race, in anticipation of the 120th anniversary of Arthur's Christmas victory. The cup we use for the race is one of the previous Daily Telegraph cups that were bequeathed back to the club, and was introduced in 2014. This particular Daily Telegraph cup was competed for over nine races across three seasons, 1940, 1941 and 1942 - three events each year: 110 yards, 220 yards and a 110 yards All Clothes Race.
A welcome from the wardens
Large cucumbers courtesy of Mr & Mrs Luckhurst (photo: Laure Latham)
Clock going, first away Yvonne awaited the call
James and Nick had quite a while to wait (photo: Nick Hungerford)
Comparing notes
The race appeared on our calendar in 2009, with a cup introduced in 2014.
A Holmes Hyde Park Christmas story
Arthur was recently featured in a new Sherlock Holmes short story set at Christmas 1889. (photo: Laure Latham)
The case of the new Sherlock Holmes short story - President Laure investigates
Once she has had her fill of marathon swims perhaps Laure will turn her eclectic talents to sleuthing? (photo: Nick Hungerford)
Fellow conspirators?
Ruta, Laure and Bobby
Nicola Sanderson
New boy Mashti (not sure of the spelling). The Tunisian tornado?
Ted Gerald (photo: Nick Hungerford)
James Norton (photo: Nick Hungerford)
Stuart Bowman (photo: Nick Hungerford)
And finally, a bashful Ian MacEachern (photo: Nick Hungerford)
(Report compiled by Brian Thomas. Images provided by Brian and the club's archives, unless credited to individuals)