Olympic memories of 1948

Sprint cyclists at Hearn Hill

1948 marathon runner

In 1948 Paul Gulson was an 18 year old young man living in London with his parents not far from Wembley where the Olympic Games were being hosted. He remembers:

“There was a certain amount of excitement because we were the host nation, putting on an event so soon after the war had just ended was an incredible task. Dad and I went to couple of times to Wembley, an easy train journey and then on foot. We took sandwiches with us and were able to see a number of events. I remember as well going to Hearn Hill Dulwich to the cycling track. It was there that I saw Reg Harris the 1947 sprint cyclist world champion who despite various injuries went on to gain silver in the 1948 Olympic sprint. Unlike today’s wide media coverage if we wanted to know what was happening we either listened to the radio or waited to read about the results in the newspaper.”

Paul is reading…

Paul is an avid reader who uses the Hertford Mobile Library and particularly likes to read historical and war books. Currently he is reading: Sold to the Man with the Tin Leg by antiques auctioneer Philip Serrell and The Austerity Olympics by Janie Hampton, an account of the 1948 Olympics.

This page was added on 18/07/2012.

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