Contents
Introduction
Recent Achievements - British Seniors Record for Lawrence Palmer
Masters Programme for 2014
County Masters Records
Awards for the Beds Masters Decathlon Winners 2013
Bedfordshire at the GB Masters at Swansea 13^th-15^th June 2014
Beds Masters Decathlon Challenge 2014
Team Luton Masters
Putteridge Piranhas - a new force in Masters and Seniors Swimming
Want a Relay Swim?
ASA Masters Officer / National Masters Conference

Introduction
This is the "half year" issue of the newsletter - a bit late to arrive. My excuses are that I've been busy in the water, we had delays presenting last years decathlon winners and every time I extract a set of Decathlon Results, new ones appear on the net the next day - it’s a moving target. So I froze at the end of June. If you want the latest results check the ASA website.

Recent Achievements
Congratulations to Lawrence Palmer (Putteridge). At the long course GB Masters Championships at Swansea, he broke the British Seniors 50M Breaststroke record in a time of 29.22. A photo of him in action appears in the August Swimming Times.

Masters Programme for 2014
The following meets are coming up:-
East Region Master & Seniors Championships, Newmarket (25M)
- Saturday 4^th October 2014
British Gas ASA National Masters and Senior Age Group Championships (25M)
- Friday 24^th- Sunday 26^th Oct 2014
East Region Round, Masters Inter-County Competition, Newmarket (25M)
- Sunday 16^th November 2014

County Masters Records
Just to remind you, to send Beds ASA record claims to John Bellis: email john.bellis123@btinternet.com . His postal address is on the claim form which is on the Beds ASA website. New short course records have been added after the Barnet Distance Meet and Long Course records after the GBs.
All the latest Beds Masters records and claim forms are at the bottom of the page:- www.bedscountyasa.com/swim_records.html

Awards for the Beds Masters Decathlon Winners 2013
Congratulations again to last years winners. The women's cup was presented to Christine Ayres (South Beds Masters) by the Beds ASA Masters Secretary (yours truly) who was greatly honoured to make the presentation at a South Beds Masters Training session at Tiddenfoot.

The men's cup was presented to Marcel Scholten by Joan Wheeler MSC Honorary President & ASA East Chairman at a Modernians training session.

Bedfordshire at the GB Masters at Swansea 13^th-15^th June 2014
Ten swimmers from four Bedfordshire clubs travelled to Swansea in Wales for the 2014 GB Masters.

From Biggleswade, Nick Titchener finished fourth in the 35 to 39 years 50m Breaststroke with a time of 0:32.82. breaking his own County record.

There were two swimmers from Team Luton. Alastair Gibb, swimming in the 50 to 54 age group, his best performance came in 400m Individual Medley, finishing in fourth place, just over a second outside the seven year old County record. Also from Team Luton was John O'Rourke who swam a Long course PB when finishing in 11th place in the 45 to 49 year 400m Freestyle. John improved his position to finish in 6th place in the 200m Backstroke.

From Putteridge, three swimmers entered, all in the 18 to 24 years senior age group. Lawrence Palmer won the 50m Breaststroke in a new County, East Region and British time of 29.22, closely followed home into second place by team-mate Jordan Batson. In the 50m Freestyle Lawrence won the Bronze medal, with Jordan finishing in 5th place.

Lewis King from Putteridge had a busy meet, gaining the silver medal in the 200m Butterfly, and the Bronze in the 400m Individual Medley. Lewis also came 5th in the 400m Freestyle and 6th in the 200m Freestyle, with all four swims setting new County records.

The four swimmers from South Beds Masters picked up fourteen medals between them. Breaststroke specialist Sarah Pearse swimming ion the 30 to 34 years age group, won the 50m Breaststroke with a time of 36.46 seconds, Sarah then went on to gain the silver medal in the 100m Breaststroke.

In the 60 to 64 age group, Christine Ayers set new East Region records in the 400m Freestyle, and in the 1500m Freestyle, gaining silver medals in both events. Chris won the 400m Individual Medley, and followed this up with silver in the 100m Breaststroke and a bronze in the 200m Breaststroke. Chris also broke her own County record in the 50m Butterfly event when finishing in fourth place.

In the 65 to 69 years age group, Andrea Minor gained a bronze in the 100m freestyle in a new County record, and a silver in the 1500m Freestyle also in a new County record, and Andreas splits at 200m, 400m, and at 800m also broke her own County records. Andrea also won silvers in both the 50m and in the 100m Breaststroke events, and a bronze in the 50m Freestyle.

In the 70 to 74 age group, Iris Bellis set new East region and County records when gaining Bronze medals in both the 1500m Freestyle and in the 100m Breaststroke events.
(Report by John Bellis)

Beds Masters Decathlon Challenge 2014
After the first six months of 2014, the standing of the Beds ASA Masters Decathlon 2014 is as below. The Beds results were extracted from the National results (with national position in brackets)

In the club team results, for the ladies, South Beds Masters have slipped back to 11^th place in the National rankings from their chart topping position, Biggleswade ladies are in 88^th place and Flitwick are in 108^th place.

The men's top five has had a good shake up. Lewis King a "senior" age grouper (18-24) has now moved up the rankings. Some of last year's top men, such as Marcel Scholten, Ian Murray and David Cartledge have yet to make a mark so the race is by no means over.

For the men's teams, Team Luton with 11388 points, are in 12^th place ahead of South Beds who have slipped back to 20^th place with 10435 points without Keith Spence who is now at Basingstoke. The new Putteridge team have put in an appearance at 199^th Place.

Team Luton Masters
Pauline Harrington is now the Team Luton Masters Coach and has sessions at Lewsey Park Pool on Saturdays and Sundays.

Putteridge Piranhas
There's a new force in Masters and Seniors Swimming in Bedfordshire. Starting with two Masters, a team of over twenty seniors and masters has appeared. And you won't be able to miss them on poolside either - they wear luminous orange shirts - the colour of piranhas bellies! Led by coach Lesley Batson, the team are Jordan Batson, Josh Batson, Lawrence Palmer, Lewis King, Claire Warne, Jay Wilson, Hannah Bennett, Paul Blessing, Leo Allen, Harriet Szanto, Mark Wareham, Graeme Crowston, Clare Grundy, Miriama Owens, Natalie Renfrew, Paul Constantine, Carrie Page, Emma Cole, Mark Seaman-Hill, Luigi Pallindini, Paul Brignell and Andy Harstier and maybe a few more by now.
(Report based on email from Lesley Batson)

Want a Relay Swim?
A new club is being formed specially to enable East Region Masters swimmers who belong to small clubs that cannot put together relay teams, to have the opportunity to do relay swims. Team Anglia Masters Swimming Club is still in formation. The club is not primarily intended to be a "super-club" aimed solely at national and international record breaking, although this has not been ruled out. It is mainly aimed at ordinary club swimmers.
The membership fee will be £10. The club also plans to hold events of interest such as land training sessions, talks etc. for its members. A contact is Martyn Fresher (Cambridgeshire), email: martinjon92@gmail.com who can provide further information.

ASA Masters Officer / National Masters Conference
The new ASA Masters Officer, Sharon Lock, is organising the first National Masters Conference which will be held on 1st November at SportPark in Loughborough. The main aim of the day is to discuss how masters can take ownership of our community and Build a dynamic and vibrant Masters infrastructure.
The County Masters Representatives have been invited, so I plan to attend and represent Beds Masters views, so if you have any ideas or opinions that you think are important for Masters Swimming in Britain, let me know and I will do my best to get them heard. The Conference is open to all Masters and you are welcome to attend - but first contact Sharon (Email: sharon.lock@swimming.org).
There will be more about this in the next newsletter.