TWO long-serving members of Weston Swimming Club were honoured at the recently held annual general meeting, Mike Coles and Julian Davies.

TWO long-serving members of Weston-super-Mare Swimming Club were honoured at the recently held annual general meeting, Mike Coles and Julian Davies.

Mike Coles was given a life membership of the club for his services to them in Water Polo.

He is presently the club's Chief Water Polo Coach. A former competitive swimmer for the club, which he joined in 1960; playing water polo at most levels since taking up the sport with Weston in 1968. He has coached water polo for the club since 1983, as well as being a former swimming teacher for them. He is also the present secretary of water polo for Weston, a post he took up in 1980.

He is a former chairman of the club (2002-2005) and also has done a stint as the club secretary (2006). Apart from his roles with Weston, he is also present secretary of Somerset ASA Water Polo, ASA South West Region's Water Polo Development Co-ordinator; a former elite water polo coach with the ASA and Western Counties water polo coach. For a number of years he was the ASA's National Competition Administrator, controlling water polo competitions across the country, and sat on the ASA's Technical Water Polo Committee.

He is presently the Bristol & West Water Polo League's Match Secretary and website administrator; as well as being a National Water Polo League referee and international table official, attending the Len European Nationals Trophy for Men, held in Manchester in 2007.

He is one of first water polo personnel to be given the honour of a life membership, and follows in the footsteps of his father, Doug Coles, who is also a former club captain and life member. Mike also presently has two sons in the club, and also his wife, Joy, is an international water polo table official and National Water Polo League table official.

Julian Davies, also a former water polo player, joined the club in 1966, and also swam competitively with Mike. He also represented both club, county and region at water polo, and was also an international trialit in water polo. He is the club's assistant chief swimming coach, was presented with the honour of Clubman of the Year for his hard work on both poolside and with helping the swim squads at competitions. He presently has three daughters who swim for the club.

Mike and Julian were introduced to the sport of water polo by the present National Water Polo League Secretary, Chris Ducker, a former Weston-super-Mare Water Polo member.

Both were presented their awards by Neil Harper, who was re-elected for a second term as the club's chairman.