Tributes have been paid to a long-standing swimming teacher who is retiring after decades of service.
Valerie Graham-Clare taught hundreds of children and adults in St Albans over more than 30 years, first at SwimGym and then at Strokes Ahead Sandringham, both held at Sandringham School in Marshalswick.
Many of her pupils have become qualified swimming teachers or lifeguards themselves, inspired by her lessons.
Valerie’s business partner, Jan Morse, is taking over Strokes Ahead for the future.
Jan said: “She is absolutely brilliant, she’s inspiring and motivational and she always did the same thing so you knew what to expect - which is what you need teaching swimming.
“She is very fair, one of the fairest people I have ever met. Rather than run a business with high profits everyone got a fair share and it was more of a cooperative and it made people want to work with her.
“She will be missed.”
Jan explained that she became involved in the swim school when Valerie was teaching Jan’s children and asked the mums to help out.
Ex-pupils, teachers and parents clubbed together to give Valerie a leaving card, gardening vouchers, and two planters of magnolias to thank her for the years she dedicated to teaching.
SwimGym is for both children and adults and Strokes Ahead is for adults.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here