Viva Lewes June 2015 Issue #105

Community Group
Lewes Swimming Club
Come on in, the water’s fine!
The current incarnation
of Lewes Swimming
Club can trace
its history back to May
1975, when Maurice
Breese – the town’s
recently-appointed
mayor – suggested
setting up a number of
clubs for young people.
Former Olympic swimmer
Christine Parfect,
who’d recently moved
to the area, was in the right place at the right time.
She became the club’s coach, using her experience
to ensure the new club was affiliated with the
national governing body for swimming. “Maurice
was our president for years”, she tells me. “He was
a lovely man, quite the Lewes character.”
Despite its name, the Lewes Swimming Club’s first
sessions didn’t take place in town. “There was only
the Pells in Lewes at the time”, Christine explains.
“We started off at the old Devonshire Baths in
Eastbourne, which have long gone.” Today the
club meets at Lewes Leisure Centre, at Seaford
Head Pool, at Ringmer Swimming Pool and at
Seahaven Swim & Fitness Centre in Newhaven.
For more information, I talk to Tim Cole, who has
been a member since 2007. “I joined because of
my children, mainly my eldest son, Nick. He’s got
a through-knee amputation and found swimming
very therapeutic.” Nick soon discovered that he
was good enough to swim competitively, as evidenced
by a shelf full of trophies and a gold medal.
Not only has he represented England at disabled
swimming events, he’s competed against ablebodied
swimmers at club and county levels. “The
club was good for him and we became involved by
supporting him”, says Tim. “That’s how lots of our
volunteers start. They
bring their children, they
support them, and eventually
they get involved
with the club.”
Recently Lewes Swimming
Club has become
licensed, which means
any times set at club
championships will count
towards county events.
But there’s much more
to the club than winning,
as Tim points out. “We teach all ages, from four
upwards. Our aim is to improve the quality of
swimming. Some swimmers don’t want to be competitive;
they just want to come for fitness. Some
like the social side. And quite a few want to push
themselves. We cater for all abilities, really.”
“Everyone’s very supportive. There’s a good camaraderie,
definitely. And it’s a life-saving skill. There
aren’t many sports you can say that about.”
For a competitive sport, swimming is remarkably
sociable. Tim and Nick speak fondly of the
friendships they’ve made at the club, and Christine
Parfect tells me she still regularly meets her fellow
competitors from the 1956 and 1960 Olympics.
I can’t resist asking her about the gold medal she
won in Cardiff at the 1958 British Empire and
Commonwealth Games, as part of the 4x110 yard
Ladies Medley team. “That was a fantastic race.
Absolutely nail-biting.” Is her medal still on the
mantelpiece? “In the loft. But the world record
certificate is on the landing!”
Mark Bridge, photo by Tim Cole
For more details about Lewes Swimming Club,
telephone Caralynne Ledingham on 07503 018610
or Trixie Nisbet on 01273 582629
lewesswimmingclub.org
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