News

If anyone wishes to blow away the cobwebs with a trot very early on Sunday mornings during the current lockdown please note that South London Swimming Club are organising a (very socially distanced) run from Tooting Bec to the Serpentine and back.  This is in memory of our past President Cyril Wood who was a member of both clubs.  Please contact them direct via this link:  https://www.slsc.org.uk/cyrils-run/

Many thanks to Robert Hood for drawing this to our attention.

Saturday 31 October would have seen us racing over 100 yards for the Louis Schendler bowl, presented since 2001 by his daughter, Bunny.  The trophy is swum in memory of Louis, a member from the 1960s through to the new Millenium.  The event is normally the last 100-yard race prior to the Peter Pan cup and a chance for some of the more naive racers to "show some slack" and attempt to pull the wool over the handicapper's eyes.  Never a good move in the presence of eagle-eyed, scientific-minded Dani Lobo.

Saturday 24 October would have seen the final fixture of the Emmi Hunte cup series of races.  These are swum over varying distances through the season -  February 55 yards, March 110 yards, August 880 yards and October 100 yards.  Previously known as the Daily Telegraph cup, the trophy was re-dedicated to ever-popular veteran Emmi in 2019.

For many decades prizes for the Telegraph cup were provided by Ashwin Pandya.  Many will fondly recall receiving a prize from Ashwin, even if they were nowhere near the front or had even raced or indeed swum.  In fact one year even a passer-by was honoured.  Sadly Ashwin passed away in January this year.

Our race on Saturday would have been swum over 220 yards for in memory of Andrew and Ron Miller and Ron Hamill, three much-loved characters from not that long ago.  Norman and Lorraine Jones sponsor the race, providing "lucky-dip" prizes.

Our race on Saturday 10 October would have been over 220 yards for the Sid & Gladys Stovold memorial cup, with prizes presented by Tory and Jonny Long.

Sid was a national standard high diver and had been a member of the SSC for only five years when he sadly passed away far too early in 1962, aged 51.  Gladys continued to support the club and present the cup each autumn up to her passing in 2011.  Channel swimmer Tory Thorpe (now Mrs Long) has presented the prizes ever since.

Last Saturday's race would have been for the Cyril & Yvonne Wood cup.  Cyril was handicapper in the early 2000s and introduced a "scientific" element to handicapping by using a tape recorder to log race progress in real-time.  Yvonne would swim before each Saturday's race, changing swiftly to then assist Cyril as a judge.  They were members of both the Serpentine and South London swimming clubs.  On Christmas morning Cyril would race in the Serpentine at nine o'clock, then move on to Tooting Bec to take part in their race at eleven.  Cyril was club President, 1995-98.  He won the Peter Pan Cup in 2000.

Our cancelled race on Saturday 26 September would have been the All Clothes Race, with cup and prizes presented by John Sextone.  An All Clothes event has been part of the club's calendar going back to the 19th century, reflecting the club's Royal Humane Society origins.  For many this is the club's third blue ribbon event of the calendar.  Never has the phrase "it's not the winning but the taking part that counts" been so true.  Winning is optional but nice; finishing compulsory.