Multi title-winning distance swimmer Billy Dutton has died

The lifelong Great Sankey resident died a few months short of his 80th birthday, leaving the masters and open-water swimming communities in mourning.

Bachelor Billy, whose funeral took place at Walton Lea Crematorium in July, was a long-time member of Warrington Long Distance Swimming Club, for whom at one stage he was a coach and newsletter writer as well as a participant.

In his younger days, available records show he won numerous British Long Distance Swimming Association titles over a 23-year period, the first being the Swansea-Mumbles Championship in 1970 and the last being Lynn Regis (King’s Lynn) in 1993 when he was first men’s veteran home.

Billy Dutton (Image: Contributed)

He won the 10.5-mile Windermere Championship three times and the Morecambe Cross Bay Championship five times.

He was still swimming in masters competitions until recently, and attended his last Dolphins training session in May.

Billy loved to train, and over the years he did so with Warrington Dolphins, Warrington Swimming and Water Polo Club, Warrington Masters and Warriors of Warrington, but he contested international events as well as national ones across the country.

He represented the British Long Distance Swimming Association (BLDSA) in Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary and Israel.

And in masters events he swam the World Masters in Canada and USA.

He is recorded as swimming 634 miles in open water events as a Warrington Dolphins member.

This includes twice attempting the Channel Swim in relay, the first of which was successful in 1975 and the second one cut short due to a storm.

Billy Dutton on his knees at the end of a race (Image: Contributed)

But he was known for his antics out of the water as much as his competitive streak in it.

Dolphins members will tell you he was one of the most well-loved characters of the swimming world and kept everyone entertained with his many humorous stories.

A story is told that Billy once took a square of carpet with him to get changed on next to Budworth Mere so that he did not stand on the stones, only to realise that he was three metres from the water’s edge and still had to tread the tricky terrain.

Extracts from the Warrington Dolphins history booklet produced to celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2004, highlighted some more of his comical moments.

In 1971 he finished sixth in the Ebro swim in Spain, which was surprising having broken his arm shortly after winning the Morecambe Inshore Championship because he was unable to stay on his motorcycle.

Nevertheless, the accident did not deter him and the club members were not surprised to see him training in the pool with his arm in plaster.

The first time he did this the plaster got wet and fell off. The hospital’s casualty department was not amused.

In the annual report of 1972 it was noted that Billy was disqualified for alleged walking in a race.

Billy had cadged a sandwich from some picnickers on the shore and then proceeded to ‘take a few steps’ while eating it. He was noted for stopping when he felt hungry!

Although Billy has left us, the memories will live on forever.