John Bullet - local lad

Stuart_the_Red

Sorry that this story is from the Daily Mail, but I hadn’t heard of John Bullet before. Does anyone on here rememer him?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6076663/Man-youngest-swim-Channel-age-11-tells-endured-hallucinations.html

Clem_Snide

Yes, Eltham Swimming club was his thing. He trained quite a few channel swimmers and there were lots of pictures of his success stories at the old Eltham Pool.

He had a reputation as a bit of a nutter. The couple of times I met him, he aeemed ok.

Stig

http://forum.charltonlife.com/discussion/71405/never-to-be-broken-record-for-swimming-the-english-channel-by-plucky-se-londoner

Lincsaddick

Bullet ? .. sound like he's more of a torpedo

Oggy Red

I don't normally read anything by the Daily Mail, bigotted propaganda rag ...... but this time I clicked on the link.

Truly heart warming story.

Riviera

He was known as Johny Bullet. I used to swim for Woolwich Training & Swimming Club from1970-80. We were a competitive swimming club competing in galas against other local teams like Beckenham and Bexley. Eltham swimming club were an endurance club and didn't compete in normal galas but we shared Eltham baths for training in the 70's. Johnny was an uncompromising character with a reputation of being a hard task master.

se9addick

The book sounds good, had no idea about this story.

Scoham

Came here to read bullet/gun/shooting puns. Very disappointed.

Beardface

Scoham said:

Came here to read bullet/gun/shooting puns. Very disappointed.

Me too but seems like this thread has dodged them.

SporadicAddick

Images on here from when Eltham Baths were first built. I think the water polo goals were still hanging from the ceiling when it closed down - were they ever used??

https://www.architecture.com/image-library/ribapix/image-information/poster/public-baths-eltham-london/posterid/RIBA73556.html

Riviera

SporadicAddick said:

Images on here from when Eltham Baths were first built. I think the water polo goals were still hanging from the ceiling when it closed down - were they ever used??

https://www.architecture.com/image-library/ribapix/image-information/poster/public-baths-eltham-london/posterid/RIBA73556.html

Yes.

man_at_milletts

Stuart the Red said:

Sorry that this story is from the Daily Mail, but I hadn’t heard of John Bullet before. Does anyone on here rememer him?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6076663/Man-youngest-swim-Channel-age-11-tells-endured-hallucinations.html

Yes, I remember him well. Spent a lot of time at Eltham Baths as I lived a few doors away. John was a character there and as somebody else mentioned a hard task master. He seemed to spend all his time doing something or other at the baths such was his dedication.

I do recall seeing the water polo goals used on one occasion, but can't recall if it was a training session or a match.

Long before Health and Safety took over you would have people diving off the 5 metre board while others were swimming up and down the pool. Happy days.


Edit. There was a plaque in reception at the baths bearing his name, as I recall he died fairly young.

Solidgone

This book is being read on book of the week BBC Radio 4 at 9:30 to 10:00am this week.