Otter History 150Th Anniversary (2019)
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02Otter Swimming Club. 150th Anniversary 2019 Contents FOREWORD 03 EARLY YEARS – 1869 TO 1900 04 1900 TO WORLD WAR ONE 08 THE WORLD WAR ONE PERIOD. 12 ROLL OF HONOUR - WORLD WAR ONE – 1914 – 1919. 13 OTTER BETWEEN THE WARS 14 OTTER IN WORLD WAR TWO – 1939 TO 1946 17 ROLL OF HONOUR – WORLD WAR TWO – 1939 – 1946 20 OTTER IN THE POST WAR PERIOD – 1946 TO 1959 21 OTTER IN THE 1960’S 25 OTTER IN THE 1970’S 36 OTTER IN THE 1980’S 39 OTTER IN THE 1990’S 44 OTTER IN THE NEW MILLENIUM 48 OTTER IN THE CURRENT DECADE 55 OTTER IN THE FUTURE 70 APPENDIX 1: SCHOOLS 71 APPENDIX 2: OTTER TROPHIES 72 FOREWORD A HISTORY OF THE OTTER SWIMMING CLUB 1869-2019 OF THE OTTERA HISTORY CLUB SWIMMING the Club’s Annual Reports, Diaries and first Masters swimming competition in Texas Handbooks have been an invaluable source in 1970. He stayed in touch with his Otter and this author acknowledges his debt friends in the UK and in 1972, Otter organized to those who compiled them and then so the first Swimming Masters competition in helpfully deposited them into the Club’s the UK, with an Otter member, Kelvin Juba, Archives. elder son of our former Club Coach Bill Juba, as the primary organizing force. As will be Sir Winston Churchill once commented that seen in the ensuing pages, on the swimming “a nation that forgets its past has no future”. side Otter have evolved into a Masters only The same concept might reasonably apply club, participating in county, national and to sporting entities; particularly one that is international events, which are tiered in five- as venerable as Otter Swimming Club and year age bands, from 25 to no upper limit. remembering our past may perhaps remain However, on the Water Polo side, the club still relevant as the Club continues to evolve. competes at the highest levels in national What will hopefully come through in this leagues, with the addition in recent years of updated history is the ethos, which is imbued a squad of highly proficient Lady Water Polo within the Club, wherein many have selflessly players, who in a few short years have found contributed over so many years. What may themselves challenging the best teams in also be evident is the Club’s continuing James Stewart - Author the country. This updated history attempts to ability to regenerate itself, while necessarily trace the evolution of the Club, from its initial adapting to changing circumstances. In 1869, In 2019, the Otter Swimming Club celebrates inception to where we find ourselves now. th reflecting our Victorian antecedents, the its 150 Anniversary and this booklet is an On the way, it will attempt to highlight the Club was formed as a Men only swimming attempt to place on record, key events in Club’s major achievements along with those club. Between 1890 and 1900, water polo the Club’s history and to try to highlight members whose contributions in the pool or became part of the swimming family and our the activities and personalities involved in on the pool-side, were integral to the Club’s records show that our first Water Polo Hon the Club during this period. This exercise operation. in bringing the Club’s history up to date, Secretary was elected for 1892. Thereafter, owes much to the two histories written Water Polo (polo derives from the Balti word Over its 150 years of history, Otter has previously; namely for our first 100 years for ball, “pulu”) became an integral part of the changed and will almost certainly continue written by the late Dr. Carmichael A. Club’s activities. Some peripheral adjuncts to change to meet the competitive needs Young and the later history for our 125th to the sport of swimming, such as Diving, of our members. In addition to swimming anniversary as written by John Goodbody. Ornamental Swimming and Plunging, came and water polo, club members now involve This current booklet will have drawn heavily and went within the Club’s internal calendar, themselves in open-water events and on those two previous works and where although a Diving Cup was still competed multi-sports events such as triathlons the same events are reported on, there will for internally into the 1960’s. In the 1970’s, and Iron Man competitions both in UK and inevitably be similarities with what has been we shook off our Victorian inhibitions and in abroad. The Club is entitled to take a certain written before and the current author freely common with many other swimming clubs, pride in the achievements of past members, acknowledges his huge indebtedness to our lady members started to join and quickly but what will hopefully come through is a two earlier historians. became influential as both competitors description of a club that is very much in and then taking on the offices of the Club. the present and whose members are worthy The author of this work, apologizes in During the 1960’s, a former US naval officer, successors of those who have gone before. advance for any inaccuracies, omissions Dr. Ransom J Arthur was based in London This History necessarily encapsulates major and facts misstated. Through the efflux of and became a member of Otter and he was achievements as culled from Annual Reports time, memories fade and records become impressed with the Club’s ability to retain and what is less easy to convey is the lost. However, a semblance of continuity has members in competition, beyond the ages vibrancy and sheer enjoyment, as observed been provided through the Club’s Committee when swimmers of similar ages at other by your scribe, that members obtain from Minute Books, so assiduously recording key clubs were retiring believing that they were training, competing and then socializing events recorded for most of the 20th century too old for the sport. Dr. Arthur, who died in in each other’s company. Long may that in laborious handwriting. Additionally 1989, returned to the USA and organized the continue. 03 Otter Swimming Club. 150th Anniversary 2019 EARLY YEARS – 1869 TO 1900 In 2014, a book called “Played in London: a club to be known as the Leander SC. – Charting the heritage of a city at play”, Present at that gathering were Messrs. E.S. was sponsored by English Heritage and Foote (sic) (Superintendent of Marylebone EARLY YEARS 1900 1869 TO EARLY authored by Simon Inglis. The primary Baths), Walter Terriss (better known in later William Terriss 04 focus was on the locations of sporting years as William Terriss, the fine actor who activity – for swimming, recording first was stabbed to death outside the Adelphi outdoor and then indoor pools and their stage-door in December 1897), C.A. Mills, users. Otter Swimming Club is noted B.E. Green, J.H. Cocks, H. Mitchell, Dr Staples as the second oldest swimming club in (who subsequently became its President), London, predated only by The Serpentine H. Hand, W.J. Peach, M.A. Smale, L. Pomeroy SC founded in 1864. Our own previous Dodge and a few others. It decided that the histories also acknowledge the seniority club should be run on the lines of the Ilex of Brighton SC (1860) and the Durham City – a body of swimmers mainly composed of and Northumberland amateur swimming members of the chief amateur rowing clubs clubs dating back to 1861. Maidstone SC was – and that Foot be President, Terriss Hon. founded in 1844 operating from a raft in the Treasurer and Mills Hon. Secretary.” Note: River Medway, but there is no proof of its An 1877 Ilex SC handbook, with George H continuing existence. It is acknowledged Rope’s handwritten name inside, remains also that Cambridge University SC was in our Club archives and seems to testify to founded in 1855 but likewise it is not known the links between these early clubs. whether it has been in continuous existence since that date. Inevitably, other universities William Terriss was actually born William and schools Charles James Lewin in 1847. His father would also was a barrister. He was schooled at have formed Christ’s Hospital and then at Bruce Castle clubs at around School Tottenham, where among other this time, but influential friends, he met the famous no records explorer, hunter and conservationist have been Frederick Selous. William also studied at located to Jesus College Oxford, but left without a confirm this. degree. By 1868, he had embarked upon a stage career, adopting the name William We know Terriss, although for a while some records frustratingly little about the men who At the end of the above minutes was seem also to refer to him as Walter founded Otter Swimming Club, with one reportedly the signature of Walter Terriss Terriss. Perhaps inspired by Frederick exception. A note in our archives, refers who changed his name to William Terriss, Selous, he was reportedly a man with to page 166 of “The Life of William Terriss” which hereinafter we will call him. On 5th wanderlust in his veins with stints in by Arthur J. Smythe. William Terriss was a November 1869 it came as a surprise to the merchant navy and as a Bengal noted stage actor in the latter half of the the members that another Leander Club tea-planter preceding his acting debut. In 19th century. The extract reads “A swimming had been in existence for two years, which 1869, after returning to the London stage, handicap, which created considerable necessitated the changing of the Club’s he must have been numbered among interest, took place on Thursday September name.