History Part 6 (1972-1981)

LINKS: FOREWORD, PART 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12, NEWS

Lesley Stones & Alan Parry

From 1972 to 1976 the scene was completely dominated by three swimmers: Alan Parry, Lesley Stones and Duncan Cleworth. Apart from the numerous Lancashire County and Northern County trophies they won between them, they gained many national honours.

Alan Parry was the first member of the Tyldesley Swimming Club to win a gold medal at National Age Group level. He did so in 1972, when he won the twelve to thirteen year olds 200 metres Individual Medley. The following year he was England Schoolboy Champion in the same event.

He set a new English Schools record for the 200 metres Individual Medley in 1974, when repeating his championship success of the previous season.

Alan and Lesley Stones were members of the National Youth Squad for two seasons. They toured Switzerland, Luxembourg and Germany in 1974 and took in those three countries plus France in 1975. They were also chosen for the Eight-Nations Championship in Rouen, France in 1975. During that period Alan won four gold, four silver and four bronze medals, whilst Lesley took silver medals in both Ladies and Junior 200 metres backstroke events.

In 1973 Duncan Cleworth was selected to represent England at Junior International level in Sweden where he won a bronze medal in the 400 metres freestyle.

He was also the holder of the Daily Mirror International Handicap Trophy, which he won in 1974.

Duncan Cleworth at the 1976 Montreal Games

(Photograph supplied by Mrs Joan Cleworth)

Duncan was the Senior National Short Course Individual Medley Champion in 1975, the year in which he created an all-time record, by winning sixteen Northern Counties Long Course Championships. He was also the English Schools Senior Individual Medley Champion in the same year. He held two gold, five silver and four bronze medals, from various other championship meetings.

In 1976 he won the National Short Course Individual Medley Championship once again and was chosen to captain the England Team in the Schools International at Wigan.

He was a member of the Senior Great Britain Team which went to Sweden, France and Russia and represented Great Britain in the Coca-Cola International, when he achieved the Olympic Qualifying Time resulting in his selection for the Great Britain Team in the 400 metres Individual Medley event at the Olympic Games in Montreal.

Duncan returned from competing in the 1976 Olympic Games on 2^nd August, exactly 100 years after the formation of Tyldesley Swimming Club. As Tyldesley Swimming Club prepared to celebrate its Centenary Peter Gallagher represented Great Britain against France, Canada and Germany in Bonn. He came second in the 1500 metres freestyle.

CENTENARY DINNER

Tyldesley Swimming Club organised along with other celebrations, a Centenary Dinner to be held at the Formby Hall, Atherton on the 30^th October, 1976. However, due to a fire at Formby Hall the dinner took place at Aspull Civic Hall. Some of the guests travelled up to 200 miles to attend.

The Club President Mr. Ernest Chadwick and his wife Jennie headed the table of notables in the swimming world including Mr. Fred Moorhouse, President of NCASA; Mr Harry Booth, Lancashire County ASA; Mr. Reg Way, Bolton and District SWPA; Mr. L Torres, Manchester and District SWPA; Mr. John Cleworth, life member of Tyldesley Swimming Club; Mrs. A Eckersley, councillor and Mrs. Len Sumner, Wigan's Mayor Elect who presented to the club the Len Sumner Centenary Cup.

J. Booth & Son Ltd., of Westhoughton catered for 246 people and Waterfields Bakery of Leigh made a large cake decorated to represent a swimming pool, complete with lane ropes and goal posts! Each guest received a centenary medallion and a small gift. After the meal the evening continued with dancing and a raffle, the prizes having been donated by local shops, businesses and clubs. A grand time was had by all!

In 1977 to keep abreast of the times a new public address system and modern starting blocks were purchased.

FIRST CLUB TRIP

On the 6^th August, 1977 Tyldesley Swimming Club arranged a special holiday/training trip for the fastest forty five club members, aged seven to fourteen years, to visit Birchfield Lodge and Heathersage Swimming Club in Derbyshire's Peak District. For the next twenty years this became an annual event and the club took as many as seventy two swimmers on visits to such places as Cleethorps YMCA (three visits); Colomendy Camp, North Wales (five visits); Lancaster University (one visit); Dolfriog Hall North Wales (three visits); Wydale Hall, Scarborough (three visits); Centre Parcs, Nottingham (two visits) and Pontins, Prestatyn (one visit). Activities included barbecues, interesting visits and the famous Mavis "Bent" rounders match.

In 1978, Duncan Cleworth represented England in the 4 x 100 metres Individual Medley and 4 x 50 metres Individual Medley at the Commonwealth Games in Canada.

Joanne Toone was the Ladies Captain of the Bolton and District SWPA at the Northern Counties Festival of Swimming at Blackpool.

A refurbishment took place at the pools' changing rooms which disrupted club sessions, but true to spirit the club carried on regardless.

In 1979 Tyldesley swimming Club became affiliated to the Central Lancashire SWPA.

In 1980 a notice was placed in the local press advising that the club was over-subscribed. A good sign for the future?

Anne-Marie Giles and Julie Rigby represented Great Britain in the Catholic School Olympics, held in Milan.

ERNEST & JENNIE CHADWICK

On the 9^th March 1981 Tyldesley and Atherton's "Mr Swimming" Ernest Chadwick sadly died. He was sixty, for many of those years he had dedicated himself to Tyldesley Swimming Club and its members. He was honest, cheerful and of exemplary character, a man who set very high standards.

As a young man he was a team swimmer and water polo player with Tyldesley. When war broke out in 1939 he joined the Royal Engineers and was posted to Nigeria, where a serious arm injury cut short his swimming and water polo activities. He was eventually discharged from the army because of this injury and in 1943 married Jennie Whittle, herself an athlete, and since 1939 a club member.

When war ended, Ernest was elected onto the committee and Jennie followed twelve months later. They both worked hard for the club. In the late 1940's Tyldesley Swimming Club were members of Manchester and District and Bolton and District Swimming and Water Polo Associations. In those days Tyldesley Swimming Club had a boys and mens squad plus a water polo team. Then Manchester and District passed a resolution that its member clubs had to have a girls and ladies squad within the next twelve months. Ernest wrote to Miss A. Green the headmistress of Tyldesley Senior Girls School, now Fred Longworth High School, asking if she would provide the names and addresses of decent girl swimmers. Ernest and Jennie then visited parents of these girls, cycling from Atherton to Tyldesley, Astley and Boothstown. They got their girls and ladies teams!

Ernest and Jennie Chadwick

(Photograph supplied by Mrs Jennie Chadwick)

Out with swimmers and the water polo team, sometimes three and four nights a week, their service to swimming in general soon got Ernest and Jennie well known, and they became respected figures in the "Swimming World".

Jennie was the first lady to referee a polo match in the North when she took charge of the away match between Tyldesley and Trafford Park.

Ernest became the best known swimming administrator, and though approached by some associations, with a view to Presidency, refused saying "He was only interested in Tyldesley Swimming Club". In 1975 after twenty one years as secretary he became Club President, and in 1978, he finally relented and accepted Presidency of Lancashire County. He was again elected President of Tyldesley Swimming Club in 1979 and Jennie took over from him in 1980.

After Earnest's death a collection was taken by his work colleagues and Jennie requested that the money be used to buy a silver salver, this is called "The Ernest Chadwick Memorial Plate" and is competed for each year by local swimming clubs.

First winners during Tyldesley Festival week in May 1981 were Tyldesley, who beat teams from Hindley, Atherton, Wigan and Howe Bridge. Over 200 swimmers competed in this gala and many spectators had to be turned away. It was decided in future years that only three teams would compete. Jennie proudly presented the trophy to her own club captain and since its inception has done so thirteen times in twenty one years.

In 1987 Jennie decided it was time for a change and a rest and stepped down as President. Jennie continued to regularly attend Management Committee Meetings until 2002, giving the club the benefit of her experience, diplomacy and a wealth of swimming and water polo knowledge. In 2007 Jennie has been a member of the club for 68 years.