ST IVES TOWN CUP

[damo]

I HAVE IN MY POSSESSION THE 1927 STIVES TOWN CUP
IT WAS WON BY GRANDFATHER IN THE ANUAL SWIMMING RACE ACCROSS THE BAY

THIS IS PRETTY MUCH ALL I KNOW ABOUT IT
WHEN I SEARCH ST IVES TOWN CUP ONLINE I GET INFORMATION ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ST IVES TOWN CUP AND NOT THE ONE I HAVE.
I EVEN ENQUIRED IN ST IVES MUSEUM WHEN I WAS DOWN LAST, THEY SEEMED INTERESTED BUT KNEW NOTHING OF WHAT I WAS ON ABOUT
CAN ANYONE OUT THERE PLEASE HELP ME WITH ANY INFO ON THE ANUAL SWIMMING CONTEST??

[cornishmaid]

Hi Damo

How lucky you are to have that cup in your possession

My great grandfather also won that cup. I finally found his obituary the other day, part of which reads as follows:

"Mr William Rowe, of 4 North Place, St Ives, who died in the West Cornwall Hospital, Penzance, on Thursday last week, at the age of 77, was one of St Ives' best swimmers as a young man and in 1907 he won the St Ives Town Cup, a feat of which he was always very proud."

I am visiting St Ives tomorrow so I will see if I can find out any more about the cup for you then

By the way, is there any chance you could send me a picture of the cup for my records, if you don't mind?

[cornishmaid]

Thank you Damo for the photograph . As a follow-up, I thought there may be interest in the following article in the St Ives Times & Echo and Hayle Times, issue dated June 12th 2009:

"The newly formed St Ives Harbour Swimming Association will be holding a 'Harbour Swimming Gala' in the harbour on August 21st this year, and if successful annually thereafter. It is open to all residents in the TR26 area.

The main purpose is to introduce the Town Cup which will be called the St Ives Trinity Town Cup. This original cup will be awarded to the winner of the over 16s male race. Likewise a similar cup will be awarded to the winner of the over 16 female race. Cups will also be awarded for the four junior classes of boys and girls to the winner of each class. Each entrant will also be given a T-shirt. The perpetual cups will be engraved and held for 11 months.

(Details are then listed as to how to enter the race if anyone is interested in participating. I, however, am too slow and too old, so may just go and watch the proceedings .

The Town Swimming Cup was one of the town's strongly supported events in the calendar before television. It first began in the late 1870s and was held for over 70 years. The last event, according to records was held in the mid 1950s."

Lovely to see a revival of an old tradition .