Club History

The Clubs Founder:

Anthony Frank Saddington, known as Tony, was born in 1928 in the district of Worksop. It is believed Tony started life in the Grenadier Guards and was mentioned in dispatches while serving in Palestine. In 1952, at the age of 24, he joined Nottinghamshire County Police Service and was stationed at Newark for 11 years before moving to Gamston in March 1964. He made an immediate impact in his Policing career, for in 1952, he was awarded the Albert Medal for rescuing a woman from a burning house in Harworth.

While in the Guards it is reported that he was a bandsman. His passion for music continued while he was in the Police service. It was reported in the Newark Advertiser on the 1st of January 1964 that Tony and several colleagues had formed a band called the “Hearwigs”. Anthony as he was referred to in the article, played the drums. The group played at the children’s Christmas party at Newark College.

Later that year, in July, Tony, who was celebrating 12 years with the Police, received his second bravery award for rescuing a young girl from a burning house on Devon Road in Newark.

As with many Police officers, lifesaving was truly embedded in Tony’s values. We know that Tony went on to run first aid courses and subsequently became the area organiser for the RLSS UK in the North Nottinghamshire area. He attended many of the Nottinghamshire Branch meetings and was instrumental in increasing the Society’s impact in his area.

We know from his late Daughter, Julie Childs, that Tony set up the first club in the Retford area and have traced this to 1968. It is thought that the club (Tuxford Lifesaving Club) first operated out of the pool at Rampton Hospital and then subsequently moved to the Retford pool, which at that time was on Albert Road from 1895 to 1976.

See some photos below. and also, see a link to the YouTube video of the old and new pool. It is most likely the change of name would coincide with the club moving into the new Retford Leisure Centre, which opened in July 1976. The only acknowledgement of this is an article celebrating 25 years of the club’s existence when the change of name was quoted as being 1978.

We know that during these early years, Tony was supported by many others, including Geoff Paylor, Ken Sturgess, Kath-Scott Surtees and others who we would like to know more about. Tony eventually handed the reins over to his Daughter Julie, who, together with close friends Julie Lane and Pauline Shaw ensured the club continued its great work in the community. Certainly, in 1990 Pauline Shaw was described as the club organiser. To my knowledge Mick Childs, Julie’s husband, was Chairman of the Club in 1987-8. Julie’s children, Helen and Andrew, were part of Peter Moyes’ first competition squad. Andrew was 10 at the time so that would be 1988.

Listed below are all the people who we know have volunteered at the club such as

Tony Saddington

Hazel Newstead

Ann Marsh

Geoff Marsh

Craig Mercer

Caroline Kercel

Karen and Mark Greenwood

Karen Atkins-Moore

Sue Evans

Adam Morton

Craig Spears

Julie Lane

Pauline Shaw

Geoff Paylor

Ken Sturgess

Kath Scott-Surtees

Mick Childs

and all the current crew….

We are sure there are many more people out there that were instructors or helpers in the club and we would like to know more. If your name is missing it is because we have no knowledge of you and we apologise but please let us know so we can fully record the club’s long history and the great people who have made it what it is today.

We have been searching the local archives for cuttings of our history.