EX-MAYOR Jack Sumner is Atherton's newest water babe.

At 77 Councillor Sumner has taken on a new lease of life by taking up swimming lessons at Howe Bridge Pool.

After a lifetime splashing about without getting far Jack made rapid progress after just a handful of lessons with instructor Rebecca Fleming.

Howe Bridge instructor Rebecca - more than half a century his junior - praised his determination:"He's doing very well after so few lessons. On his third lesson he swam five metres and the next goal is the width of the pool."

Jack recalled how as a youngster tutors simply gave-up on teaching him the rudiments of swimming.

He said:"I was always at Atherton Baths but I was the only one in the family who never learned how to swim."

Resigned to the fact that the deep end was out of bounds he nevertheless accepted a challenge from Wigan's Aquatics Development Officer Yvonne France. She assured him Metro swim scheme instructors could teach him.

Yvonne said:"A lot of elderly people take lessons and, like Cllr Sumner, enjoy themselves in the process. Lessons are held daily from Monday to Saturday.

"We were delighted to be able to help."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.