HARSH Dartmoor weather last Saturday heralded the start of one of the most successful days in the history of Okehampton Swimming Club.
Several members of the Otters Committee, teachers and swimmers donned hard hats and fluorescent bibs to clamber onto the structure of the new sports centre in Simmons Park.
Nick Gillingham MBE performed the task of tightening the last bolt on the highest point of the building in the ?Topping Out ceremony? observed by the swimming club members, local dignitaries and design and construction team members.
Remaining in the company of the swimming club Nick Gillingham visited the pool in the early afternoon where around 50 swimmers had been invited to attend two sessions on swimming stroke technique.
Using poolside coaching and an impressive display of ?in-pool? demonstrations - while still managing to converse - Nick Gillingham guided the swimmers through a whole range of swimming drills aimed at stroke improvement.
Inspired by such a superb advocate of the sport the swimmers and those observing will take this experience away with them, applying it in future training sessions.
RIGHT: Nick Gilllingham with some of the Okehampton Otters swimmers to whom he gave some top tips. Picture by Ian Snell