In the golden age of Queen Victoria’s reign, numerous London swimming clubs were established, including the London Swimming Club (LSC), founded in1859 to promote the “noble, healthful and pleasant pastime” of swimming. Having all but disappeard by the early twentieth century, in 2017, three swimmers are on a mission to bring it back.
Former professional triathlete Rick Kiddle runs the National Open Water Coaching Association (NOWCA) and London Royal Docks Open Water Swimming (LRDOWS); Emma Hardy and Alice Tomlinson were working as graphic designers in the same publishing house when Alice, an experienced outdoor swimmer, got Emma hooked on the sport. Emma and Alice both left their jobs to pursue life away from a desk, and ended up working at LRDOWS together. Wanting to know more about the history of swimming at the docks, they came across a poster for The London Swimming Club in the London Docklands Museum, and from there the idea to revive the club was born.