Last night, after another Michelle and Steve special in the pool, we all trooped over to the Marlborough to celebrate Lawrence Springall's 10 years in the club. Lawrence had very kindly hired a room at the Marlborough and provided food for us all. I
think I recall Lawrence describing OTS as a welcoming constant in his life (he said something about inbetween jobs, house and boyfriends); but if you want all the details vie the video below.
Lawrence particularly praised Michelle Weltman for her role in the club and her encouragement (presenting her with some flowers) and Philip Collins got a mention for running the OTS helpline (that was pre-web days).
Back in those days you apparently phoned a number and our Phil would be on the other end providing warm words of reassurance and encouragement.
As usual there were a few who dropped out early (I think being up till 6am had something to do with it, didn't it Eric and Alex) and some who stayed till the landlord threw us out. Nonetheless a very enjoyable evening so thank you Lawrence. I think it is fair to say that the vitality of the club is a reflection of its members.
As promised, here's the video of Lawrence's speech and some words from Michelle:
Last Updated on Monday, 29 June 2009 10:59
OTS water polo team makes the cover!
The London Orcas water polo team have been working hard at their fundraising, with a dinner held in Brighton on 17 June. 3Sixty magazine were kind enough to sponsor the event, a result of which saw Stephen Lue on the covere of June's edition of the magazine. I'm sure you'll all agree that Stephen does us proud!
A copy of the entire magazine can be found here (all 26mb of it!) and the four pages featuring Steve can be found here.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 June 2009 22:28
Tournoi International de Paris 2009
" . . . tell Wind and Fire where to stop," returned madame; "but don't tell me." A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
Over 50 swimmers from Brighton and London swept into Paris like a firestorm last weekend for the Tournament International de Paris (TIP) 2009.
The swim performances were noteworthy. The team captured the lion’s share of the medals. The relays, always a highlight, were made even more fun by the inclusion of a 10 x 50M freestyle race. In a thriller, OTS was up against Paris Aquatique for the title. In a race that fluctuated back and forth between the teams, it came down to the last 50. Displaying true grit, Stephen Lue put his head down and powered home to secure victory for OTS. Truly, a memorable OTS swimming moment.
Another “swim of the meet” goes to Ian White. After winning the 1500M freestyle in just over 18 minutes, he pulled himself out of the water only to return to the blocks in the very next heat to race the 400 IM. In a testament to his ability, he won the 400 IM and then, appropriately, collapsed into the warm-down pool for a well deserved rest.
While OTS did well in the medal table, the team also had many swimmers who have only just begun to participate in swimming competitions. Meets such as TIP are a great way to get used to the rhythm of a swim meet. Issues such as how the marshalling process and the starting formalities work (was that one whistle, or two?), combined with the excitement of racing in a competitive framework no matter what your speed, make it less daunting for newcomers to the sport.
The weather for the entire weekend was glorious. With temperatures in the mid-20s, the open roof of the Piscine Georges Vallerey bathed the competition in warm sunshine. This created a holiday atmosphere around the pool, allowing for some serious sunbathing between races.
The organisation of the meet went very smoothly, with due credit to Luc Perrin-Pelletier and the entire Paris Aquatique team. Likewise thanks are due to the officials who volunteered their holiday weekend to make sure the meet ran like clockwork.
On Saturday evening, Francois Bouillaguet-Zuliani and Eric Chaline organised a team dinner at a charming restaurant in the northern reaches of the Marais. Taking over the restaurant, OTS celebrated a successful day in the pool. The food and wine were memorable, but even more so the company as old and new friends enjoyed the evening.
Sunday evening saw the big TIP wrap-up party. After dining and drinking in various parts of the city, the team got together at the Mix Club to join with thousands of fellow athletes to celebrate the weekend. The music was eclectic and the team skits even more so. Parisians love a good show, and the costumes and themes were a credit to creativity.
Everyone who attended is still buzzing about the fun they had and pictures and videos are flying around Facebook. To those who could not make it this year, be sure to hold the date in your diary next year for another memorable Parisian rendezvous.
The second Brighton swim thing will be on Saturday 11 July 2009 in Brighton. It's a great afternoon, very relaxed and the perfect chance for London and Brighton swimmers to mingle. Last year it was a bit rainy, but this year will be glorious sunshine, so book the day out now!!!
SwimThing2 is snugly timed between the prides - Pride London on Saturday 5 July and Brighton Pride on Saturday 1 August - both of which will have lots of Out To Swim presence at the parades...
Just in case you were wondering what to do once Paris and Middlesex were done......
Last Updated on Thursday, 21 May 2009 10:13
April Social - Bloomsbury Bowling
Thanks once again to Alex Magliaro's efforts as social secretary about 20 swimmers and water polo players found themselves enjoying an evening of bowling in Bloomsbury. The swimmers were sensible and went to the burger bar first for dinner. The water polo players went to the pub!
The standard of the bowling was, admittedly, patchy; with some excellent scores and some equally dismal attempts (the gutter seemed a popular choice for some). Alex showed us all how to set up the proper approach to the lane - a particularly impressive sashay with one arm splayed out behind (for balance no doubt). (I think that was when the lad in the next lane dropped the ball on his foot.)
Stephen Lue showed us how to be cool and sexy on the dance floor, followed by Laurent and Chris giving the rest of the venue a demonstration of how two guys do a jive together. The rest of us drank beer and ate pizzas, though the side was not let down completely as I did see a cocktail or two. Oonagh was the nominated driver and Vicki wasn't - 'nuff said. (Let the record show, m'lud, that Oonagh and Vicki arrived an hour late for the Sunday morning session at London Fields.)
I was safely tucked up in bed by the time the rest of them went clubbing. A great evening was had by all.
For your enjoyment, a selection of pictures (thanks Duncan & Chris):
Last night, after another Michelle and Steve special in the pool, we all trooped over to the Marlborough to celebrate Lawrence Springall's 10 years in the club. Lawrence had very kindly hired a room at the Marlborough and provided food for us all. I
The London Orcas water polo team have been working hard at their fundraising, with a dinner held in Brighton on 17 June. 
" . . . tell Wind and Fire where to stop," returned madame; "but don't tell me."
The second Brighton swim thing will be on Saturday 11 July 2009 in Brighton. It's a great afternoon, very relaxed and the perfect chance for London and Brighton swimmers to mingle. Last year it was a bit rainy, but this year will be glorious sunshine, so book the day out now!!!
