Torpedo Tom Blower

In a continuing thread on Area 4 connections with fame and the famous Rachel from Radford Road sent in a great potted history of Torpedo Tom Blower, the Hyson Green lad who broke the world record in 1937 for the fastest time in which the English Channel was swum. His record breaking time was 13 hours and 29 minutes.

Tom was born in 1914 in Hyson Green. Aster attending Berridge Road School he worked as a factory hand for Players. Whilst at school he earned the nickname “Carthorse” for being such a slow swim sprinter. Tom’s training for his long distance swimming was the stretch of the Trent River by the Meadows area of the city.

Ten years after his Channel record Tom becomes the first man to swim the northern Irish Sea in a time of 15 hours, 26 minutes.  1948 and a year later, Tom becomes a member of that select club of swimmers who have sum the English Cannel in both directions.

As part of his preparation for this endurance swims Tom undertook a marathon 30 hour session at Victoria Baths in Sneinton where he swam 2,664 lengths.

In the 1930’s and 1940’s Torpedo Tom Blower was a well recognised sportsperson, as famous as Torvill and Dean. There are even articles about him in the American Time magazine. Today however he seems to be a forgotten Nottingham figure, there is a plaque at the John Carroll Leisure Centre in Radford but it’s in need of some renovation.

All of this exercise can’t have been good for Tom, he died as a result of a heart attack in 1955 aged just 41.

References:
Time Magazine Article
BBC Online Article
Spectator Article