We’ve been reading stories about the Olympic Games in the newspaper archive – and it’s fascinating!
From Pierre de Coubertin’s pioneering work on starting the modern Olympics in 1896 and Eric Liddell winning gold in 1924 right through to the ‘Austerity Games’ in London in 1948, we’re found 1,000s of great stories.
We especially like the stories about ordinary folk getting involved in the Games, so though we’d start off by posting some stories about the journey of the Olympic Flame in 1948. If anybody recognises any of the people mentioned in these stories, then we’d love to hear from you.
Headline: ‘Arrival of the Olympic Flame in the UK in 1948’
Hull Daily Mail – Thursday 29 July 1948
Image © Northcliffe Media Limited. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Headline: ‘The Olympic Flame in Exeter’ (carried by the ‘Plymouth Spartans AC)
Western Times – Friday 06 August 1948
Image © Northcliffe Media Limited. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Headline: ‘The Olympic Flame in Newton Abbot’
Western Times – Friday 06 August 1948
Image © Northcliffe Media Limited. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
2 comments On The Journey of the Olympic Torch in 1948
My dad carried the torch in 1948. I have picture of him “receiving the flame” from other torch bearer. I would really like to know where he actually carried the flame. He was a member of Bideford AAC.
I can tell you that A S Harman, of the Post Office, Northam, took the torch at 5.19am on 2nd August. He started his run from the Travellers Joy cafe on Monkton Road and carried it to Honiton Police Station, where at 5.33 he handed it to K G Holland.
My father John Lewington organised that part of the relay.