SWIMMER Philip Kaye is a man who relishes a challenge.

It was 40 years ago next month that he joined an exclusive and respected club by swimming the Channel.

And now he is well on to repeat the feat - but in the far kinder waters of a Huddersfield swimming pool.

Philip, of Fixby, who celebrated his 69th birthday last Thursday, is halfway through a bid to swim 22 miles to raise money for charity.

The Huddersfield freemason hopes to raise more than £2,000, to boost the organisation's charity campaign.

It is a daunting mission.

Philip has calculated that he needs to make 22 visits to the Galpharm Stadium pool and to swim 64 lengths each time.

That will give him the equivalent of a Channel swim.

But the actual distance that he swam on August 17 and 18, 1966, was 67 miles, because of the strong tides he faced.

It was Philip's third attempt at the arduous swim, having twice been foiled the previous summer by bad weather.

Even his successful swim was not without problems. He travelled from Dover to Cap Gris Nez on the French coast to begin the swim.

But his return to Dover was foiled by strong tides and he eventually hit land at Folkestone - 16 hours and 16 minutes after setting off and despite a 6in gash on his leg and a severe bout of seasickness.

Memories of the swim were rekindled earlier this month when Little Britain comic star David Walliams completed the swim for Sport Relief.

Philip, a retired demonstrator at a machine tool firm, said: "His swim was very impressive, but he had good weather and a good tide.

"I had three attempts to do the Channel and when I look back now I realise how hard it was.

"The idea of swimming the distance again came as the freemasons in the West Yorkshire area were into this big fundraising project, which has so far seen us raise £3.6m.

"I had let the swimming lapse for several years and it was hard when got back into the water. But I am determined to see it through."

Philip learned to swim when he was 11, but did not take up the sport seriously until 1961, when he joined the Huddersfield Amateur Swimming Club, where he was coached by Wilf Toulcher.

His Channel achievement cost him £300 of his own money - and never earned him a penny.

But now he is determined to raise a considerable amount for others.

* The Channel Swimming Association has regulated swims since 1927

* The shortest distance is 21 miles (32 kilometres)

* It is considered the ultimate long-distance swim challenge

* It is the busiest shipping lane in the world

* Most swimmers coat themselves in grease to keep out the cold.