https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Leivers
Bob Leivers was born Robert Hanford Leivers on 27th December 1914 at Bulwell, Nottinghamshire, to Hanford Leivers and his wife Hannah nee Carlin. Hanford was from Hill Top, Eastwood and Hannah from Eastwood also.
He had an elder brother Christopher Thomas Hanford Leivers and another brother who died as a baby.
The family left Nottinghamshire and set up home and their butcher’s business at Longton near Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire.
On the 1921 census the family was living at Stafford Street, Longton. (image from National Archives on findmypast)
As a 17 year old Bob represented England at the Los Angeles Olympics then in 1936 he swam for England at the Berlin Olympics, narrowly missing out on a medal.
At the 1934 Empire Games held in London Bob won two silver medals then at the 1938 Empire Games in Sydney he won two gold medals.
Whilst Bob was in Australia swimming for England in the Empire Games, his father, Hanford Leivers, who had been seriously ill when Bob had left for Australia, sadly died. His father had made it known that he did not want news of his death to reach his son until after the Games were over. In deference to his wishes the newspapers in Australia did not mention the death of Hanford until Bob had swum his last race, which he won.
The Staffordshire Sentinel 04 April 1938 detailed Bob’s adventures on his journey to and from Australia, spending Christmas at Columbo, leaving the ship at Suez and visiting Cairo.
When he returned to Longton, Bob was given a civic welcome. Several hundred people gathered at Stoke Station to welcome him home and a speech was delivered, congratulating him on his success, by the deputy Lord Mayor. Afterwards Bob drove the car which had met him, away from the station accompanied by his mother. They drove past their home at Blythe Bridge and on to Forsbrook cemetery where Bob spent some time at his father’s grave before driving home.
A pathe film of Bob demonstrating swimming strokes can be seen at https://www.britishpathe.com/video/in-the-swim/query/Winsford
Bob Leivers had a friendly rivalry with another champion swimmer from the same area, Norman Wainwright. In 1947 Norman recounted an amusing incident that happened at the Magdeburg Games in 1934 (European Championships). As a prank, some of Bob’s team mates soaked his pyjamas in cheap scent. To try and get rid of the smell he hung his pyjamas on a flag pole outside his hotel window where they were in close proximity to the swastika. The next morning there was “uproar when the German police saw the spectacle and demanded the instant withdrawal of the offending pyjamas”. (4 Nov 1947 Staffordshire Sentinel)
According to a newspaper report, Bob had to give up competitive swimming due to health reasons. He continued as a butcher in the family firm of Leivers Brothers Butchers at Longton, Staffordshire. Bob married Winifred Degg and had two children. He died in the Brompton Hospital, London in 1964.
The website https://www.bathsandwashhouses.co.uk/archive/your-local-buildings/stoke-on-trent/stoke-on-trent-hanley-baths/ has photos of the swimming baths where Bob Leivers practised. Unfortunately the baths are no longer standing, but at least photographs have survived of the Victorian baths which saw the beginning of such important swimming careers of Norman Wainwright and Bob Leivers.
