Black Country n Potteries Masters swimmers were part of the record breaking Northern Wave Manchester Masters meet held at the Manchester Aquatics Centre on Saturday 8 August 2026. The BCPM ladies 70-74 team are in excellent form ahead of the European Aquatics Masters Championships in Samorin, Slovakia in August 2026.
Record breaking Fordham
Alyson Fordham set two long-course freestyle records in the female 70-74 age group:
1st place + European record in 100 LC Freestyle (01:12:68)
1st place + British record in 200 Freestyle (02:50:12)
Gold, silver + bronze for BCPM!
Alyson Fordham also topped the podium in the female 50 freestyle, joined by team mates Kath Tunnicliffe (2nd place) and Barbara Boxall (3rd place), for a BCPM clean sweep. The ladies 70-74 relay team is in excellent shape ahead of their record attempts at the Europeans later this month.
Meet results
Congratulations to all BCPM members on their excellent swimming. Our team reports an excellent event, in an excellent pool, with a great disco atmosphere.
Rother Valley Country Park (Sheffield) hosted the Swim England Open Water National Masters Championships on Sunday 26 July 2026. A small team of Black Country n Potteries Masters open water swimmers braved the forecast storms to compete in events over the 1km, 3km and 5km individual courses and the 4 x 500m mixed team relay event.
Congratulations to Athene, Chloe, Lionel and Stuart who were 3rd in the mixed team relay event (O200-239), and to Diane who swam an impressive 8km in the lake. BCPM swimmers bought home 5 medals including gold for Stuart in the 3km event.
Twelve club members competed for Black Country and Potteries
Here’s the headlines….
Alyson, Lindsey and Lionel all gained 4 first places a piece.
Roger and John = 3 each
Kath – 2
Clive, Jenny and Richard one apiece
Looking like Staffs records have been swept up by Alyson*, Roger who has to be congratulated for improving his own 50m freestyle time between his 85 and 86 birthdays! And Lindsey who improved her own 25m fly time from last year’s and took another county record in the 25m free.
*Now to Alyson, her four swims in the freestyle events would all be county and West Mids. marks with two breaking legendary Jane Asher records set 22 years ago! However, as the timing system was haywire, these cannot be verified….but fear not…. Alyson will have them in a few weeks’ time!
Congratulations Athene and Richard, you will enter the Best Staffs Masters chart once April’s is completed, Athene 50 bk, Richard fly
Finally, 5 relays all winners Many thanks Lindsey for organising and to Alyson and Barbara for coming a long way to ‘be presented’ and meet their BCPM teammates. Nice atmosphere poolside
My personal swim of the day was Clive Keay in his 800m freestyle. I was the timekeeper on his lane, so watched him relentlessly putting in a fabulous effort for 32 lengths! He’s a man we haven’t seen compete for years! When he emerges, he’s absolutely stunning!
At 85 years young, Roger Crannage continues to raise the bar for Staffordshire Masters, setting an incredible five new Open category records — a truly inspirational performance.
58 years his junior Sadie Turner made history by becoming the first woman in Staffordshire, aged 18 or over, to break the one-minute barrier for the 100m freestyle. This is a remarkable milestone. Sadie finished the year with an outstanding five county records.
Ian Hicks hadfour record-breaking swims
Lindsey GowlandandKath Tunnicliffe – three county records each
Jennifer Powell and Athene Schur both claimed two county records,
Lynn Dawson, Sean Wilding, John Done, Tony Ward, and Richard Woodall bagged a record apiece
These performances highlight the depth, longevity and quality of the BCPM’s swim club.
Thanks to Staffordshire Records Secretary Catherine Roe for her continued work in maintaining the county records.
Black Country n Potteries own Sadie Turner at 27 years old, has burst onto the international Masters scene with three fantastic swims at the European Masters Short Course Championships in Lublin, Poland.
Racing against the very best in Europe, Sadie delivered a superb set of results – 4th, 6th and 8th place finishes, top Brit in every race, and an incredible two lifetime PBs. As if that wasn’t enough, she also smashed three Staffordshire records and one West Midlands record along the way!
What makes this even more impressive is that Sadie achieves all this on just two high-quality pool sessions a week with Walsall Swim Squad, combined with regular weight training to build strength and power.
Sadie – everyone at Black Country n Potteries Masters salutes you Outstanding sprint speed, huge progress over the past year, and performances you can be incredibly proud of. We can’t wait to see what comes next!
Earlier this year, the ladies from Black Country n Potteries set new relay records at the British Masters Championships in Sheffield in an impressive showing at the three-day event. The ladies set new records in the 280+ age group in the 200m Freestyle and Medley, as well as the 400m freestyle.
200
Womens
Medley
280+
2:34:03
Kath, Alyson, Lindsey, Barbara
25.10.25
British Masters Championships (SC)
Sheffield
1st
400
Womens
Freestyle
280+
4:59:59
Barbara, Kath, Alyson, Lyndsey
25.10.25
British Masters Championships (SC)
Sheffield
1st
200
Womens
Freestyle
280+
2:12:37
Lindsey, Barbara, Kath, Alyson
26.10.25
British Masters Championships (SC)
Sheffield
1st
The ladies also improved a previous record in the 160+ age group in the 200m freestyle
200
Womens
Freestyle
160+
2:10:18
Sadie, Laura, Jacky, Sharon
26.10.25
British Masters Championships (SC)
Sheffield
8th
Congratulations on the new records. Here’s looking forward to setting new records next year.
Lt to Rt: Alyson Fordham, Barbara Boxall, Kath Tunnicliffe, Lindsey Gowland
The Black Country & Potteries Masters 280+ women’s relay squad have completed all ten of their record attempts for 2025 – five short course and five long course – and what a year it has been!
Their story is as inspiring as their results. Of the four swimmers, only one (Alyson) represented her country in her youth. Two reached county level before taking 30-year breaks from the sport, while one didn’t start competing until her 40s.
Between them they manage hip replacements, diabetes monitoring, and busy family lives (a combined eight children and ten grandchildren!). Only one trains regularly in a coached group – the others fit their sessions into public swimming times, supplementing with weights, Pilates, and the occasional dog walk.
And yet… look what they achieved.
Every single European and British record in the 280+ category – broken.
Five brand new World Records – established.
It’s a story of determination, teamwork, and proof that age is no barrier to excellence.
Details of their records are listed below, but the headline is clear: 2025 will go down as a year of breathtaking achievements for this incredible team.
World Records
16.3.25 Derby LC 4 x 100 Medley 6.12.16
16.3.25 Derby LC 4 x 200 Freestyle 11.41.75
13.6.25 Stratford LC 4 x 100 Freestyle 5.04.66
25.10.25 Sheffield SC 4 x 100 Freestyle 5.59.59
26.10.25 Sheffield SC 4 x 50 Freestyle 2.12.37
European and British Records
22.2.25 Blackpool SC 4 x 100 Medley 5.57.65
22.2.25 Blackpool SC 4 x200 Freestyle 11.29.12
16.3.25 Derby LC 4 x 100 Medley 6.12.16
16.3.25 Derby LC 4 x 200 Freestyle 11.41.75
13.6.25 Stratford LC 4 x 100 Freestyle 5.04.6613.6.25 Stratford LC 4 x 50 Freestyle 2.15.57
14.6.25 Stratford LC 4 x 50 Medley 2.37.01
25.10.25 Sheffield SC 4 x 50 Medley 2.34.03
25.10.25 Sheffield SC 4 x 100 Freestyle 5.59.59
26.10.25 Sheffield SC 4 x 50 Freestyle 2.12.37Lt to Rt: Alyson Fordham, Barbara Boxall, Kath Tunnicliffe, Lindsey Gowland
The Black Country & Potteries Masters 280+ women’s relay squad have completed all ten of their record attempts for 2025 – five short course and five long course – and what a year it has been!
Their story is as inspiring as their results. Of the four swimmers, only one (Alyson) represented her country in her youth. Two reached county level before taking 30-year breaks from the sport, while one didn’t start competing until her 40s.
Between them they manage hip replacements, diabetes monitoring, and busy family lives (a combined eight children and ten grandchildren!). Only one trains regularly in a coached group – the others fit their sessions into public swimming times, supplementing with weights, Pilates, and the occasional dog walk.
And yet… look what they achieved.
Every single European and British record in the 280+ category – broken.
Five brand new World Records – established.
It’s a story of determination, teamwork, and proof that age is no barrier to excellence.
Details of their records are listed below, but the headline is clear: 2025 will go down as a year of breathtaking achievements for this incredible team.
World Records
16.3.25 Derby LC 4 x 100 Medley 6.12.16
16.3.25 Derby LC 4 x 200 Freestyle 11.41.75
13.6.25 Stratford LC 4 x 100 Freestyle 5.04.66
25.10.25 Sheffield SC 4 x 100 Freestyle 5.59.59
26.10.25 Sheffield SC 4 x 50 Freestyle 2.12.37
European and British Records
22.2.25 Blackpool SC 4 x 100 Medley 5.57.65
22.2.25 Blackpool SC 4 x200 Freestyle 11.29.12
16.3.25 Derby LC 4 x 100 Medley 6.12.16
16.3.25 Derby LC 4 x 200 Freestyle 11.41.75
13.6.25 Stratford LC 4 x 100 Freestyle 5.04.6613.6.25 Stratford LC 4 x 50 Freestyle 2.15.57
Never seen so many club swimmers (17) at a meet And Di was missing for the photo!
We were winners before we got wet!
Loved meeting newbies Lynne, Rachel and John plus a triumphant return for Sadie
Stat’s!….
Championships firsts….
Four = Lindsey
Three = Roger, Sadie, Lynne
Two = Lionel, Athene, and the 280+ Relay squad (RichW, John, Tony Kath and Lindsey)
One = Rich H and W, John, Di, Kath, Shaun
Places and relays Rachel, Craig, Ian, Justin and David
Photos below
Justine and David in the Breaststroke
Plus
Pretty certain county records will be added by Ian Hicks (3) Lindsey Gowland (1) and (drum roll) ….Roger Crannage who is laying down the gauntlet by setting three 85 years plus county records for all you gentlemen to chase in the decades which follow!!!
Please, please, please (sounds like a song title!) check out county records and if you better them CLAIM right away!
Black Country n Potteries record-breaking 280-plus women’s relay squad were in action again at the British Masters Long Course Championships at the iconic London Olympic pool
They began an onslaught of three European and British long course records by adding a World record for the 4 x 100 m Freestyle event with a time of 5:04.66. There were two other relay successes in the 4 x 50 Medley and Freestyle events. The squad of Barbara Boxall, Kath Tunnicliffe, Alyson Fordham and Lindsey Gowland are pictured with Olympian Ben Proud.
Black Country n Potteries Masters Swimming Club 