History of Arfon Masters Gala and Club, 1987 – 2006
1987 – 1st Arfon Masters Gala: Sat/Sun 5th and 6th Sep. 1987. Organised by the City of Bangor Swimming Club to celebrate the 21st birthday of the club.
The gala was held over 3 sessions, with 1, 2, 3, Length races in 36 2/3 yards pool.
75 club swimmers entered from Bangor, Cardiff, ChesterLiverpool, and Macclesfield with a total of 300 individual entries.
Some of the Arfon ‘founder-swimmers’ still competing today include: Stel Farrar, Helen Hughes and Colette Price.
Other Arfon memberscompeting in the first gala include Walter and Darren Brame, Arthur and Edna Dilworth, Pat Irons, Julian Morewood, Stan Price, Norman Runham (as part of the Animal Biologist relay team) and David Williams.
Relays were 120 and 160 years freestyle for men and women, and 210 years 6 x 1 mixed freestyle teams.
The relays, which included heats and finals,featured local teams including:
Animal biologists (UCNW)
Arfon Architects
Bangor Ambulance,
Bangor Bathers,
Bangor Swallows,
City of Bangor Buttercups / Buntings /
--Bombers / Barracudas / Bluebells /
--Belugas / Buffaloes / Blackbirds
Merched y Wawr,
1960’s Bangor Swimming Club,
Plas Menai Blues / Greens / Reds.
Pysgod Pencadlys
1987 Club points
Macclesfield Masters 237
City of Bangor 88
City of Chester 81
Cardiff Masters 54
City of Liverpool 11
Macclesfield Masters came to the gala through contact with (and sponsorship from) Colin Briggs of Britannia Carpets, the son-in-law of Fred Bramhall of Macclesfield. Macclesfield won the ‘top club’ trophy for several years. This trophy was designed and made by a much-loved coach of Arfon Masters: Iori Ellis Williams.
(Sponsored by Brittania Carpets and Arfon Borough Council)
The first gala buffet was held in the café area of the pool, and supplied by ‘Herbs’
1988 – City of Bangor ran the 2nd Arfon Masters Gala on 3rd 4th Sep. with mostly club swimmers. ‘New’ Arfon swimmers still competing include Gary Jones (Garibaldi)
(Sponsored by Brittania Carpets and Arfon Borough Council)
Edna, Jan. Mike and Lynn at Leeds.
1989– Arfon Masters Swimming Club was granted WASA membership on 2nd February and the first AGM was held on Sunday, 26th February.
There were 40 members training regularly.
Club affiliation to WASA was £17.50. In 2006 it is £50.
WASA membership fee was £4. In 2006 it is £25.
Our club membership fee was £10. In 2006 it is £37.
Training session fees were 80p. In 2006 they are £3.
.
Chairman - Arthur Dilworth
Secretary - Helen Hughes.
Coach - Darren Brame.
Arfon Masters Swimming Club incorporated and ran the 3rdArfon Masters Gala on 30th Sep. Medley relays introduced, and all relays became HDW.
New Arfon swimmers still competing include Dafydd Jones, Keith Rothwell, Trevor Stewart and Gill Windle.
Mark Jones of Everton, a faithful competitor, came for the first time.
(Sponsored by Brittania Carpets and Arfon Borough Council)
Lynn’s, Mair’s, Edna’s and Colette’s luxurious accommodation in Dublin for an Aer Lingus Gala.
1990 – The 4th Arfon Masters Gala held on 29 Sep. with 1L, 2L, and 3L races in the 36 2/3 yard pool. This was the first year that a computer program written by Norman Runham was used to run the gala: to arrange the heats, enter the results, and to calculate the individual and team points. This system was used until the club adopted the Hy-tek system in 2003.
150 swimmers from 17 clubs competed in a total of 987 individual entries. Macclesfield won the gala with 966 points, Arfon second with 736 points.
Arfon Masters ran a masters swim clinic on 5/6/7 Oct. 1990 in the Leisure centre in Caernarfon, run by a team from Hull Masters SC. Swimmers paid £25, coach observers £23, and non-swimmers £10.
(Sponsored by Brittania Carpets and Arfon Borough Council)
1991–The 5thgala held on 5 Oct. was swum in the ‘new’ 25m pool, when the fixed boom was fitted and electronic timing first used. The small pool at the shallow end could be used for warm-up and swim-down during the competition.
Louise Jones,Sue Sullivan and Mike Dilworth were new swimmers for Arfon.
Kathy Clapp of Connahs Quay, Phil Kitts of Liverpool, and Maurice McDonald of Ellesmere Port joined us for the first time.(Sponsored by Arfon Borough Council)
1992–First year with Jenny as coach. According to Colette, Jenny brought a "sense of purpose" to the training sessions.
There was a problem with overcrowding in some sessions.
The club attracted too many fast under 25's and not enough over 45's!!
The post of Publicity Officer was created to attract more older swimmers.
Chairman - Colette Price.
Vice-Chair - Helen Hughes.
Treasurer - Stan Pugh.
Coach - Jenny Shaw.
The 6th galawas held on 3 Oct. This year the programme was printed to show the heats and lane of swimmers in each event. There was no longer any need for swimmers to arrive early to post entry cards! Jan Albin, Mair Martin, Jim Robinson and Jenny Shaw were new swimmers for Arfon. Remember Helen O’Leary from Eastern Bay?(Sponsored by Arfon Borough Council)
Jan, Mike, Colette and Edna staying in Gateshead for a gala.
1993 – The 7th Gala held on 2 Oct. Barbara Hale, Ann Whatham, Nia Wyn, Gordon Chapman, Baz Owen, Bill Owen, Toby Sherwin competed for the first time.
1994 – 8th Gala held on 1 Oct. Mike Hale, Helen Lopez, Mike and Charlotte Pepper (previously as Plas Menai) swam for Arfon for the first time.
1995 – 9th Gala held on 7 Oct. Christine Slater competed for the first time.
1996 – 10th Anniversary Gala held on 5 Oct. Buffet by Gannets at the BangorRugby Club. Anniversary cake made and decorated with diving dragons by Colette Price.
Jenny, Andy, Lynn, Anthony, Toby, Baz, Edna and Mike enjoying a much-needed drink at Penarth.
1997– 11th Gala held on 4 Oct. Aquabears, Trafford, Chester, Everton, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Rhyl, Fflint, Ellesmere Port, Liverpool, Warrington, Darwen, Welshpool, Southport were the visiting teams. Arfon (940) beat Trafford (428), and Macclesfield 3rd, with (265) points.
Toby, Kath, Edna, Barbara, Mike, Lynn, Ann and Keith recovering at Sunderland
1998 – 12th Gala held on 3 Oct. Mavis Roberts and John Holmes joined the Arfon team. Arfon team beat Macclesfield, 663 points to 505.
The medallists at Sunderland.
1999 – 13th Gala held on 2 Oct. Lynn Yule, Kerry Caldock and Anthony Howland joined the Arfon team.
2000 – 14th Gala held on 7 Oct.
2001 – 15th Gala held on 6 Oct. Arfon lead the field with 752 points, Macclesfield 2nd with 446, Liverpool 3rd with 241.
2002 – 16th Gala held on 5 Oct. Anne Hughes, Charles Bishop, Nefyn Williams, competed for the first time. This year Jan Albin, Helen, Anne and Ruth Hughes, Helen Lopez, Mavis Roberts and Baz Owen, competed in the World Masters in Christchurch, NZ.
2003- -17th Gala held on 4 Oct. The cover of the gala programme showed a colour photo of Mike Dilworth, Anthony Howland, Dafydd Jones, Mike Pepper and Keith Rothwell who swam the English Channel as a relay team. The gala was run using the Hy-Tek system for the first time. Lucy Rothwell and Claire Wilson competed for the first time in a Masters gala.
2004 –
2005 – 19th Gala held on 30 Sep. a photo of the 50thMenaiStrait race on the cover of the programme. Oggy East, Catherine Sutton, Lizzie Yule, joined the team.
2006 – 20th Gala held on 29 Sep. Bridgend, Cardiff Masters, and Llanelli were represented this year. Buffet held at Hendre Hall, with special anniversary cake, and a ceilidh band. Halton, Shrewsbury, Etwall Eagles all enthusiastically joined in the fun. Arfon won the cannon and the gala by 53 points from Halton in 2nd place. Keith Rothwell and Anthony Howland swam in the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim as a relay team.