The Austerity Olympics : When the Games Came to London in 1948

A fascinating look at the extraordinary event which was for and by the people, this book is full of first hand interviews, hilarious anecdotes and great spirited feats. Here we meet not only the famous names but also hear the experiences of all who were involved from tea ladies to locals and spectators. Div ‘an Enthralling Account’ Independent ‘a Fascinating Book... Researched With An Awesome Thoroughness’ Daily Telegraph ‘hampton’s Excellent Book Should Be Compulsory Reading For Everyone Involved In The 2012 London Olympics’ Daily Mail Critic’s Choice The Budget For The 2012 Olympic Village Alone Is Already A Billion Pounds Short. The Likelihood Of Corporate Sponsorship Recedes With Every Day Of The Credit Crunch. How On Earth Are We Going To Match The Opening And Closing Ceremonies Of Beijing, Let Along Top Them? Fortunately, London Has Been Through Just Such Hard Times Before In The Run-up To An Olympics, And In 1948 It Showed Just How To Run A Fantastic Games On A Tiny Budget – Indeed, Make Them All The Better For It. Janie Hampton’s Book About The Last Time The Olympics Came To London Is A Tale Of Female Competitors Sewing Their Own Kit, Teams Ferried To The Games On Red London Buses And Billeted In Spartan Hostels Or Even Army Camps, And The Main Stadium Being Hastily Cleared Of Greyhound Racing To Allow The Athletics To Take Place. The Total Budget Was £760,000, Great Athletes Like Emil Zatopek And Fanny Blankers-koen Thrilled The Crowds, And At The End A Profit Was Turned! This Is A Book That Becomes More Relevant And Ironically Entertaining Every Day Nearer To 2012. Janie Hampton Is Also The Author Of A Bestselling Biography Of Joyce Grenfell. She Lives In Oxford /div London 2012 Olympics is fast approaching, with new developments and plans causing huge excitement the world over. Yet, this multi-million pound corporate extravaganza could not be further from the realities of the 1948 'Ration Book Olympics' which took place with London a bombed out ruin and Britain in deep economic crisis. The resulting games were not only an amazing achievement in terms of organisation, thrift and invention - being the most successful, inexpensive and unpretentious games of the 20th century - but also something for the world to celebrate following the long years of war and strain The 1948 Olympics took place in war-weary London during an economic crisis. Competitors brought their own towels, travelled to venues by bus and shared rationed food. Hampton tells the story of the "Make-do and Mend" Games, the most successful and inexpensive Olympics of the 20th century