Downstream

Tower’s Aquatic and Variety
Circus. ‘A programme for
1895 revealed an astonishing
scene of swimmers
conducting acrobatics in the
water!’ he says. ‘I was
hooked. Agnes Beckwith was
a true pioneer of swimming
for females. She alone was
responsible for making
swimming in public a
respectable activity. Her
amazing feats were the equal
of most male swimmers,