Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Dover is being featured live this morning as a 70 yr old man attempts to swim the channel. Get down there for a peak..opposite hotel area? It looks pretty choppy.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Marek, it is hissing down!!
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
What amazes me is the poor chap is changing on the beach,there is no official ''see you off'' presence from anyone in Dover. Another promotional opportunity missed?
Bern
We had the storm passing over last night. I hid under the table with a bottle of chilled mateus.....
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I do not think he is going yet but in training to do it, his support crew are with him on the beach.+He is not greased up ETC.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
And they start from Shakespeare beach not in the harbour.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Think you may have missed the point..it doesn't matter whether the guy is greased up or from where he starts off his record breaking attempt. Dover could have entered into the spirit of things and been present on the beach therefore boosting the towns name to 2 million viewers.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
It is great to see a Dr and at 80years old still going for it,gives us younger ones a target to aim for in life.Peter I think a few still go from the Dover beach or they did years ago when I went across with a few.Good luck to him and I
hope he makes it.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
we never know about these channel swims until afterwards usually by the national media.
i don't know what the big secret is, it would be great for the swimmers and the town if a crowd gathered to cheer them off.
Guest 720- Registered: 20 Jul 2011
- Posts: 114
It's one of the features I enjoy reading about in the Mercury each week. I presume they can't say when people will be setting off because that depends on the tides, conditions, pilots, etc. But they do often have details of swims that have taken place, as well as fascinating facts about some of those who swim the Channel. If I remember rightly, one of our former Mayors was arranging a book for the Channel swimmers to sign once they had completed their swim. Did anything ever become of that?
I see Vic's exaggerating again - I think the Dr is 70 years old rather than 80.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Isn't really much of a spectator sport and there isn't much novelty in it these days.....
Been nice knowing you :)
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
there would be interest in thisi chap because of his age as there would have been for the retired airline pilot that did it a while back.
celebrities always attract interest, remember david walliams when he crossed in one of the fastest ever times?
even more interesting would be a local celebrity, over to you vic.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
No not this one,I do swim but could never take that on even as ayoung man having been across with them and see what happens somtimes sorry to much for me.I think I am right that the reporter on the news said he was 80years old.
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
I've always thought Dover should make more of its association with cross-Channel swimming. It is viewed as the ultimate test for an open water swimmer and people come to Dover from across the world to undertake this gruelling feat. And yet, apart from the statue on the seafront, there is nothing for visitors to learn about this amazing feat. Combined with some of the more "unusual" Channel crossings, this could make a very interesting visitor attraction.
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
Well the White Horse PH has a long association with the Channel Swimmers and for years has been letting successful swimmers sign the walls or ceilings - there is years of history on the walls.
Plus Jeanette the landlady has started occasionally going out with the pilots as an observer
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 641- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,335
Other than locals and people in the know who are aware of the signatures written on the walls and ceilings of the White horse Inn, how else do tourists and passers by find out about this topic of great interest?
I'm with Marek and Kevin, we as a town need to be more hands-on with reference to the channel swimmers, I personally don't have any idea of what, when and how many swimmers leave Dover per year etc, it would be nice to know
Absolutely.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
There are two organisations that look after Channel Swimmers - the Channel Swimming Association (the CSA) and the Channel Swimming and Pilots Federation (CSPF).
They both have websites and both record the successful swims.
In Novemer the CSA have a celebratory dinner and prize-giving (usually) at the Town Hall for those swimmers who have excelled and the CSFP have their dinner and prize-giving (also at the Town Hall) the following March.
I won't go into the politics of why there are now two organisations, but they both do their best to advise and help the swimmers have a successful crossing.
I do agree that there should be more publicity for them. I wrote an article on one of the swimmers who first swam the Channel in 1958; Montserat Treserras Dou - she was the first Spanish person to swim the Channel and the article was celebrating her 40th. Aniversary and then, ten years later, I did another one for her 50th.
She has been coming to Dover for many years (she used to stay with us when we had our guest house) and stays here for a few weeks helping and advising the swimmers.
A great Lady, who is over 80 now, but stills travels from Madrid to Dover. She's going back to Madrid on Tuesday.
Roger
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
Oh come on it isnt difficult to find out
- 30 seconds it took me to find this on the interwebs:
http://www.channelswimmingassociation.com/
and about another 30 seconds to find this:
http://www.channelswimming.net/"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Well done Ross - I was going to look that up later. We posted at the same time I see.
Roger
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
indeed Roger and thanks for the information about the respective associations dinners
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi