Follow us
An Island woman who witnessed the 1948 Olympics has been telling Isle of Wight Radio her story.
Muriel Bridgeman from Shanklin was 13 years old when she sat in London's Wembley Stadium with her father, and watched King George VI declare the Games open.
'I don't think I realised the importance of it at that stage', she told Isle of Wight Radio's Chris Browning.
'Our seats were alongside a gangway that the torchbearer actually ran up to light the flame.
'I supposed if I'd reached out I could have actually touched him - he was that close.'
Muriel and her father got tickets for the Games from a family friend, who had them for the whole of the two week event.
'That's out of the question now', she said.
The 1948 Olympics were the first to be held after World War Two, and were known as the 'Austerity Games'.
Muriel remembers, 'things were still very tight with rationing and transport'.
'I think the most exciting thing for me was having two new dresses, and staying in a hotel where I actually had a cooked breakfast every morning!
'That was quite unknown, especially at home!'.
The Opening Ceremony, which took place at Wembley in front of a crowd of 85,000 people, was also far from extravagant.
'The teams all marched in behind a banner with their country painted on it.
'King George VI opened it, there was a twenty-one gun salute and a few pidgeons. That was about it'.
The Isle of Wight is preparing to welcome the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay this Saturday (14th July).
Fifteen Islanders have been selected to carry the flame, which will visit The Needles Park and Osborne House, and be paraded through the streets of Yarmouth, Totland, Carisbrooke, Newport and East Cowes.
Click above to listen to Muriel's story in full, including her memory of the athletes.
Why not contact me with your views on this story? Do you remember the 1948 Olympics?
Phone 01983 821777 or email chris.browning@iwradio.co.uk
Leave a comment!