Sunny Lowry's Story

Sunny Lowry, born in Longsight in 1911 was one of the first English women to swim the Channel. Sunny has fond memories of the Victoria Baths which is where she started her swimming career as a young child. This is where she broke all the rules about the length of time she should stay in the pool, and she became very successful in swimming competitions and diving skills.

Sunny was one of the most successful members of the Victoria Ladies Swimming Club and admired the achievements of the Longsight Men's Swimming Club who also excelled in competitions and water polo matches. This was before the days of mixed bathing which didn't operate in Victoria Baths until the 1920's, although it had been introduced at Withington, "...with great caution" (!) in 1914 and had proved a great success. Sunny has a giggle as she recalls having to walk in file with the other girls to their places to compete in the galas - the Males 1st Class cubicles had no curtains and the men and boys were in various states of undress, so the girls' trainer would tell them to turn their heads the other way!

Greater and Greater Lengths

Soon Sunny realised that she wanted to swim greater lengths. She and her sister went to Levenshulme Baths where they trained to enter swimming competitions on Lake Windermere. Thanks to their initial training at Victoria Baths they were soon winning all the prizes at Lake Windermere.

Sunny also swam long distances in the sea at the family holiday home at Rhos-on-Sea, on one occasion from there to Colwyn Bay and back.

Her father decided that she had the potential to achieve her ambition, which had always been to swim the Channel, so he allowed her to go on even more demanding training at Westgate-on-Sea, near Margate in Kent.

The First Attempt

Throughout the winter Sunny was up to a hearty breakfast of an 8 egg omelette, then 3-4 hours training in the sea. Eventually her trainer, Jed Woolfe, considered she was ready to make her first attempt at swimming the channel. She started from St. Margaret's Bay near Dover. Her 40 eggs a week diet had certainly given her stamina, but the currents were against her as she approached the French coast. Her trainer and the captain of the support boat called off the attempt.

The trainer spotted her red cap by lightening flashes. It took them 3/4 hour to catch up with her and get her on board. She was so disappointed as she had been able to France for ages and was almost there. Her father was so proud of her brave attempt that he said that she must try again.

Third Time Lucky Sunny's third Channel attempt was made in August 1933 from Cap Gris Nez to St Margaret's near Folkestone. She set off on the 28th August and swam all night, contending with the currents and a shoal of jellyfish. After 15 hours 41 minutes she reached St Margaret's Bay, only the fifth British woman ever to swim the Channel. Her two piece swimming costume, which she wore for practical reasons as the full heavy woollen costume chaffed her neck and shoulders, was considered very daring. It is now on show at the Cross Channel Museum in Dover with the flag Sunny had embroidered herself with the Manchester Bees Emblem.