RADCLIFFE has a proud history of swimming and 50 years ago said farewell to one of its greatest champions.

It was in February 1955 that David Billington, who had broken many records in the sport,died.

Right until the last, he had been a swimming instructor at local schools and himself began swimming at the age of 13.

The Radcliffe Times reported on his death that at the height of his career, Billington held every world professional swimming championship from 10 yards to 13-and-a-half miles.

Although his times were beaten by exponents of the "American Crawl", no swimmer before or since had held such a range of records at the same time.

Just before he turned professional at the age of 21, he had held every English amateur championship from 300 yards to five miles.

Billington was given no choice in whether he was to become a professional.

He was declared to be one by the Amateur Swimming Association after taking part in a race on the Seine, in which a mixture of amateurs and professionals took part.

He had almost immediately embarked on a tour of the world, and outswam competitors as far afield as France, South Africa, Australia and America.

Year after year, he won the gruelling Seine race and again and again, contenders for his titles were left toiling in the wake of his powerful leg stroke.

However, Billington believed that the greatest moment of his career had been closer to home.

This was in 1914 at Clarence Reservoir in Bury, when he retained his mile world championship against an Australian competitor.

In 1930 he became a coach in Canada and returned to Radcliffe after holding various coaching posts in England.

Despite the brilliance of his past, Billington always remained more interested in the present and future of swimming.

The Radcliffe Times report noted: "Although he had retired from the limelight, David Billington, a champion and a maker of champions, was perfectly content to spread interest and develop skill in the sport which he did so much to make great."