So long, and thanks to all the fish

Dear friends, fellow swimmers and people meticulously trawling the internet for adult websites,

It is with great sadness that I announce the end of UptheBeavers. Over many months I have been involved in lengthy discussions with officials from both Barnet Copthall and British Swimming, but the end result is not good news.

Unfortunately, Janna Callan and Jemma Konuralp at British Swimming have informed Barnet Copthall that all links to UptheBeavers, and even mentions of its name, must be removed from the main club’s website. It was made clear, in writing, that failure to comply with this edict would mean Barnet Copthall Swimming Club would not be awarded Swim21 accreditation.

UptheBeavers is viewed as damaging to Barnet Copthall and, given the current situation, I am not willing to continue and so the site is being taken offline. The main aim of the site was always to boost the profile of masters swimming at the club. Without the club links there is no site, and I am tired of fighting an endlessly losing battle.

I would like to thank Mark Reynolds, Ian Woollard and Verity Dobbie for their support in discussions with British Swimming. I would also like to say a big thank you to all of the people across the world that I have been lucky enough to meet as a result of the site, some of whom I have got to know very well.

That’s all folks.

Joe
joe@upthebeavers.com

UPDATE: Over the last few weeks I have been in a protracted email exchange with the Director of London Swimming, Colin Brown.

Previously Mr Brown has accused UptheBeavers of being ‘very adult’ and ‘bordering on prejudice’. He has also told me that the London Swim21 panel ‘as a whole’ were ‘unimpressed and not even vaguely amused by the content’ of the site.

I have frequently, and may I say politely, asked him to provide substantive evidence to justify his claims, but so far what I have received from him would at best be described as tenuous, but more likely described as ridiculous.

On the plus side Mr Brown has made some ham-fisted attempts to avoid answering the question by repeatedly sending me information on the nature of Swim 21 Accreditation.