Occasionally people contact us out of the blue to share stories about the Club. We were thrilled to hear from Mary Woodward this week…
“My grandparents were Welsh and moved to live in Shepherd’s Bush in the 1920s. My granddad was a policeman and their two sons – Jim, my dad, and George – were both good swimmers in the Penguin club.
I think my grandmother knitted this scarf in club colours in 1934 or 5 when my dad was about 18. It is beautifully knitted and I do sometimes wear it.
Dad is in one of your pictures – the coach outing from Lime Grove one (9th along from the left, smoking!).
We lived in Lime Grove ’til 1953 and then moved out of London. I can remember going to galas at Lime Grove Baths though, and have photos of dad diving (very blurry). My nephew has all his medals.
Dad often talked about the club. He had a friend there who played water polo for GB in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
I’d guess there was a commercially produced club scarf but my nan, being a great needlewoman, could not resist knitting them for her boys herself.”
Thank you, Mary!
