A year ago I found out that Channel Swimmers are allowed to sign their names on the ceiling of a grand old pub in Dover called the White Horse.
A year ago I sank a very nice pint and took in all the names around me. It was then that I thought how cool it would be if I was allowed to sign my name up there too, amongst the lates and the greats.
So, following my successful channel swim on Saturday 24th September, I was looking forward to finding a space on the ceiling for my name!
On Monday 26th Sept 2011 saw me and (Uncle) Chris Keegan nipping to the White Horse to place the order I had dreamed of:
” Hello there! I’d like two pints of beer and a big marker pen please!!”
The bar lady chatted whilst she pulled the pints and double-checked that I was in fact a legitimate Channel Swimmer. Once satisfied, she handed the pen over with a big grin. Despite my arms being sore as hell, I certainly wasn’t going to let that stop me reach up and write my name on the ceiling!! I found a spot to write on next to the current female world record holder Becky Lewis!
Me signing my name
Not that I make a habit of graffiti, but that was a special moment…….
My name on the ceiling at the White Horse, Dover
The video says it all………..
Never did a pint taste as good to a man with a very sore mouth. What a lovely place to get rid of the taste of the channel water!
Job Done. Time for a Pint!
And on that note, Chris and I left Dover, driving our separate ways back home.
I grinned as wide as an over-excited tree frog all the way home.
Hi Pete,
I came across your blog when researching the Dover channel swim and thought that you might be interested in my work as an artist which is very unusual but has been commissioned by entheusastic swimmers in Ireland. I make 3D nautical charts for any chart anywhere in the world . So , as recently as 2 months ago I did the second “Channel Swim” 3D chart as a gift from the wife of the swimmer. The chart shows the english channel with the various banks between Dover and Calais, what is really cool is that we mark out the path of the swim. If yo used me your email address I can send you some photos.
Bobby Nash
Latitude Kinsale