1908 Olympics remembered as Westfield opens on former Olympic site
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
31/10/2008
Olympic heroes from the past, present and future congregated at Hammersmith Town Hall last night (Thursday, October 30) for a special centenary celebration of the 1908 Olympic Games held at White City.
The event was held on the same day that the giant £1.7 billion Westfield Shopping Centre opened on the site the 1908 Olympics.
As Europe's biggest inner city shopping centre opened its doors at White City, residents, dignitaries and local sportsmen and women had the chance to look back nostalgically at the 1908 Olympic Games and the Franco-British exhibition.
Guests of honour included local resident Dame Mary Glen-Haig, who competed as a fencer in the Olympic Games between 1948 and 1960. She was joined by rower Steve Rowbotham from Shepherd Bush and Hammersmith born boxer James de Gale, who both hit the headlines with their bronze and gold medal performances in the recent Beijing games.
And the borough’s future Olympic hopes were represented by Jo Hutchinson, from W14, who has an excellent chance of representing Great Britain in fencing when the Games come to these shores in 2012 as well as competitors from the Borough's Youth Teams.
Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, Hammersmith & Fulham Council Leader, said: “White City has a glorious Olympic past and it also has a bright future. The opening of Westfield shopping centre today is a new dawn for White City. The face of W12 will never be the same again. We will use this fantastic development as a catalyst to regenerate the wider area and improve the lives of local people."
One of the highlights of the evening was a special tug-of-war contest that took place between members of the Hammersmith & Fulham Rugby Club and the Met Police. This was particularly poignant as the Met Police team actually won the gold medal for Great Britain in 1908. Those who attended were also treated to a fencing demonstration and 1908-themed hospitality courtesy of Fulham Football Club and Harrods.
Mayor of the borough, Cllr Andrew Johnson, attended the event and said: “It is a real pleasure to be here tonight amongst so many of the borough’s finest sports stars. Hammersmith & Fulham is lucky to be home to so many Olympians and we are here to honour their dedication and achievements.
“We are also here to remember the 1908 Games and the Franco-British exhibition, which had such a startling impact on the borough. The countdown to London 2012 has well and truly started and we all look forward to the Games with real excitement.
“I am especially pleased that we have such a cross section of Olympians here with us tonight. Dame Mary Glen-Haig, Steve Rowbotham and James de Gale all have some mesmerising stories to tell and I am sure they will act as an inspiration to potential Olympians of the future like Jo Hutchinson.”
Also speaking, was Cllr Antony Lillis, Cabinet Member for Community and Children's Services and H&F Lead Member for 2012 . He said: “London 2012 will have an enormously positive impact on this borough and all of London. Being here tonight really brings home the reality that our city will be at the centre of the world in 2012. It is wonderful to see so many local sporting heroes here tonight and lots hope that London 2012 sees many more local athletes pick up medals.”
The event also featured The Great White City exhibition on the Franco-British Exhibition and the 1908 Olympics, and a specially commissioned film about the history of the 1908 Games and the Franco-British exhibition which took place at White City at the same time.
» Watch the Flame of the Past, Flame of the Future video on H&F:TV (opens new window)
