Channel Swimmers on Dover Beach

Sunny Lowry. Peter Frayne. Bill Bristow. Mike Jennings. Victor Birkett. Arthur Ayres. Peter Fergus taking temperature. In Dover Harbour

Ethel (Sunny) Lowry was trained by Jabez Wolffe, She successfully swam the Channel on Aug 28 1933, time 15 hours 41 mins from Cap Gris-Nez to St Margaret’s Bay. In 1933 there were 18 attempts and only Sunny was successful. Sunny swam in a two piece swimming costume, now at Dover Museum. 

She had two unsuccessful attempts: Aug 10 1932 (Time 14 hours 00 mins) and July 27 1933 (Time 6 hours 00 mins).

She became the President of the Channel Swimming Association in 2000. In 2003 Sunny was inducted into the Swimming Hall of Fame. In 2005 she was awarded the MBE, for services to swimming. In 2014 “The Sunny Lowry Road” was opened in Beswick. The swim of 1933 was finally recognised by the CSA in March 1958 through the perseverance of her husband.