Sadly we had no luck in our house with two seperate applications in the first round  of Olympic ticket distribution - nor were we amongst the "first come first served" in round two.

How did you get on? Any lucky locals with opening ceremony tickets?

There are a few local connections with former Olympics - in this archive newspaper article from June 1952 two Australian Divers were reported as practicing for the Summer Games in Helsinki at Bounds Green Pool (now the Sunshine Garden Centre). But the unseasonably cold weather made it difficult to continue their practice.

Faulds and Murphy didn't fare well in the Helsinki Olympic Diving competition finishing 24th and 34th respectively.

 

Interestingly the article suggests that there were no indoor pools in London with a 10 Metre diving board... just four years after London had hosted the post-war games in 1948. What happened to the facilities that had been used for the earlier games?

 

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More information has come to light about the old Bounds Green Lido in Durnsford Road, featured in the newspaper story above.

It was opened in August 1934, measured 165 by 92 ft, and had a double shallow end, 3ft 6ins dropping to 8ft 6ins deep in the centre. It remained in use until 1980, when the poor condition of the men's changing rooms needed some refurbishment.  The Lido reopened in 1981 but finally closed after the 1988 season.

It found a new lease of life as the Sunshine Garden Centre from 1990 and much of the swimming pool architecture and layout can still be identified in its current set up as the local much loved and award winning garden centre.

A British Pathe archive newsreel exists showing the Lido as the setting for a diving display in 1939.
The short video can be seen by clicking this link

 

 

It was filmed almost 72 years ago this week- here are a couple of stills from the video:

Click on the stills to view the video.

This delightful short film tells the story of the day that "Tarzan" came to Bounds Green -  a personal appearance by Johnny Weissmuller the famous swimmer and Tarzan Actor at the Durnsford Road Pool

Tarzan of Bounds Green from Tom Tagholm on Vimeo.

Eric Bromberger remembers the day he watched Johnny Weissmuller dive at his local pool, in a special one-off performance.

Today, the pool is a garden centre.

Who, among those buying their pot plants and compost, would imagine that Tarzan had been here?

I got two tickets for athletics! Was a bit disappointed not to get gymnastics, trampolining (an activity of my great niece), other athletics and canoe slalom, but now realise I have been really lucky!

I missed out on Olympic tickets too but then went Paralympics crazy, applying for loads... and I got all of them! They arrived this week in a very smart folder. The tickets are rather special and I'd forgotten that you get a Games travelcard with each, covering 9 zones. 

I've got 2 tickets to the Paralympic opening ceremony which cost £50 each but all the other tickets were either £10 (including full day passes for the Olympic Park) or £5. I'd recommend having a go for Paralympic tickets. I have a feeling the atmosphere's going to be really great and not as hectic as Olympic fortnight.

But there are still Olympic tickets on sale too http://www.tickets.london2012.com/ 

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