Down memory lane

Please allow me to congratulate the Birkirkara Sports Club who teamed up with the Razzett tal-Ħbiberija in Marsascala to organise the annual Gozo-Malta open water swim in August to raise funds for the Razzett, which has done so much good for the less privileged and which deserves support and encouragement. The 5.5 km swim took place from Ras il-Qala, Gozo to Marfa.

This swim entails stamina and initiative and is a credit to all participants.

The event reminded me of my late father Alfred because in 1952 he took part in a similar swim also with a view to collecting funds for charity. As in the present case, a launch , but at that time from the British Navy, accompanied the swimmers in case anyone needed help or medical aid.

However, the swim was of a shorter distance - from Comino to Marfa. At that time 12 swimmers, 10 Maltese and two Englishmen, participated. Not all of them completed the swim which was not easy as the sea was slightly choppy, but all the participants were given a memento. The participant who came first was Francis Chetcuti who in later years was appointed Director of Education, while Lieut. Alan Caldwell came second.

The Maltese participants besides these were Joe Galea, Maurice Grech, Tony Wood, S. Sammut, Joe Sammut, Alfred Abela, Charles Borg, George Bonett, and my father Alfred Mifsud.