Violet Cliff

Violet Cliff skated pairs alongside her husband, Leslie Cliff. Together they won bronze medals at the World Championships in 1936-37 and a silver medal at the 1936 European Championships. They also placed fourth at the 1938 Worlds and 1933 and 1937 Europeans. The pair also won the British Championship every year from 1934-38. When they sought to regain their title after the war, in May 1946, they were beaten by Dennis and Winnie Silverthorne.

Both Cliff and his wife obtained pilot’s licences and were excellent aviators and finished third in the 1938 King’s Cup Air Race. In 1939 they were due to compete in a Miles Hawk owned by fellow figure skater Cecilia Colledge, on 2 September 1939, but World War II broke out the day before and the race was cancelled..