August 11, 2022 9.19 am
This story is over 14 months old
Mayor pays tribute to record breaking Grimsby swimmer
She broke the women’s world record for swimming the English Channel
Tributes are being paid to Grimsby-born Brenda Fisher, the world-record breaking swimmer, who has passed away at the age of 95.
The Mayor of North East Lincolnshire, Cllr Steve Beasant, has led the civic tribute: “My sympathies go out to Brenda’s family and friends at this terribly sad time.
“As well as being able to award Brenda the Freedom of the Borough, we had the honour of being part of marking her significant achievements and backing the Grimsby, Cleethorpes and District Civic Society’s bid to get a Blue Plaque erected in Brenda’s honour and give the wonderful lady the recognition she so very much deserved.”
Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Philip Jackson, paid tribute to Brenda, saying she was an inspiration to many people. “Brenda not only had some incredible achievements in her lifetime, but also helped to raise the profile of her home town across the world. My thoughts and sympathies are with Brenda’s family and friends at this time.”
In 2017, Brenda Fisher was honoured with the unveiling of a Grimsby, Cleethorpes and District Civic Society blue plaque at the Fishing Heritage Centre to mark her amazing swimming achievements over the years.
Born in 1927 in Scartho, Brenda is the daughter of a Grimsby trawler skipper and learned to swim at the age of nine including using the open waters of Alexandra Dock to practice in.
In August 1951, she broke the women’s world record for swimming the English Channel. Sponsored by the Daily Mail, the swim took 12hrs 42 minutes, breaking the previous record of 13hrs 20mins set the year before. Her homecoming reputedly saw crowds of more than 20,000 people welcome her back to the town. For her channel swim, Brenda received £1000 and a silver cup offered by Eva Peron – wife of the then Argentine Republic’s President.
In later years, Brenda went on to swim the channel again, and later won the 29-mile River Nile Swim and became only the third person in history to complete the 32-mile Lake Ontario swim.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
Villagers in Fiskerton remain cautious yet optimistic in the face of potential flooding, a month after they were advised to evacuate following a considerable amount of rainfall.
Several residents have continued to vigilantly monitor the River Witham’s water levels, prepared with sandbags outside their homes as a precaution after Storm Babet damaged two sections of the riverbank. But, despite the looming threat, there is a prevailing sense of confidence among the community, suggesting that further flooding is unlikely.
News that a £165,000 improvement project on the Handley Monument in Sleaford will commence early next year has been supported by local residents, who feel it is a much needed addition to the town centre, but it hasn’t come without its fair share of criticism.
North Kesteven District Council unveiled its plans for the historic Handley Monument in Sleaford, with a view to improving the surrounding area and also lighting up the monument to attract more attention to its role in the town’s history.
Whatsapp
