Charles Ambler’s 90th birthday

Charles Ambler’s 90th. Birthday was celebrated at the home of his daughter Lynn, on a crisp day in December just after our second snowfall of the year.

Several club members who have known and swum in the pool and the sea, with Charles for many years, enjoyed a lovely buffet lunch with Charles and his family.

The party was a complete surprise to Charles, his family having kept the secret very well! Charles seemed to enjoy the fun, the wonderful refreshments and of course a birthday cake with 90 candles!

His swimming career started when he served in the Royal Navy and is not finished yet!. Charles loves the sea and swims near his home at Ryde whenever he can.

He is the oldest to swim the Solent at 84 years, and held the trophy for the oldest swimmer in the “Pier to Pier” (Sandown to Shanklin) race for many years. He has won the ASA Half Hour Postal swim may times, and holds records for the 80+ years age group in the BLDSA Hour Postal Swim and the 5K Swimathon.

We miss Charles at the Heights’ Masters training sessions now he no longer drives and buses are not convenient in the early mornings, so he swims at the Ryde pool.

Our love and best wishes to Charles and his wife Doreen.