Every morning for over 40 years, rain, hail and sunshine, members of the Brass Monkey swimming club turn up at the Shelly Beach Pool and have a chat and a swim.
Some days are bigger than others, as was last Saturday when club Matriarch Elsie McNaughton celebrated her 100th birthday.
Elsie was born in 1917 at the end of WW1 coincidentally the same time as American actress June Allyson, and the same week that the infamous Dutch dancer and spy Mata Hari, was executed.
The Shelly Beach Brass Monkeys swim club rules are simple-all you have to do is swim through a single winter-a task which many have failed and Elsie had done since the 1960’s.
The celebration’s ran between 7.00am and 9.00am and Elsie who has been has been swimming at Shelly pool for over 50 years turned up to cut the cake-and help eat it.
“Ive met some wonderful people in my time at Shelly Pool” Elsie said
“I'm flattered by all the attention and I believe that Dr Shelly has kept me going in such good health”
Club President Bruce Heyward said Matriarch Elsie, “had always mixed it with the best males and she was the Queen of our hearts”
Elsie now resides in the Woolooware Shores Retirement Village and still swims at 6.00am daily in the complex pool.
