As we continue to revel in a super summer of sport, albeit results are not going the way many of us would have hoped, it is the perfect time to dip into Ian Hewitt’s beautifully presented journey across the capital in search of London s sporting heroes”.
Through the mapping of English Heritage blue plaques, plaques put up by others, such as local councils and inspired individuals, murals , statues and memorials Hewitt seeks to recall and celebrate the stories of remarkable people who achieved incredible sporting feats. Alongside stunning photographs Hewitt provides the right amount of information to bring to life the sporting exploits that are being commemorated but whets the appetite for further research.
The book divides London into six sub regions so wherever you live in London this book will, I m sure, delightfully reveal to you something about your area that you didn’t know before.
Naturally commemorations cluster around the many sporting venues we are so lucky to host; Wembley, Wimbledon, Twickenham, the Oval, Lords and Ascot . Hewitt guides you round their museums , unearthing foundation stories and explaining the significance of statues you might otherwise breeze past . Many of the top tiered London football clubs have their own pages and Hewitt finds space to cover off some of the most significant national associations or clubs. A central London guided walk takes you past many of them including the National Sporting Club and the Rugby
Football Union and into the lives of trailblazers such as Denis Johnson (c1760 1833) who made and sold the first bicycle s in Britain and pioneering aviator and aircraft manufacturer Sir Thomas Sopwith (1888 1989).
Football, athletics, cricket and boxing predominate but some sub regions see clusters of plaques for specific sports such as rowing in west London or tennis in the southwest. While most of the plaques commemorate men , increasing numbers of newer memorials celebrate women’s sporting achievements Olympic boxer Nicola Adams, Cricketer Baroness Rachel Heyhoe Flint and Paralympian equestrian Natasha Baker to name just a few. In Hampstead there’s a plaque for the inspirational Martina Bergman Österberg (1849 1915) who developed physical education training courses and colleges for women and was pivotal in the early development of netball as a sport.
Among the gorgeous wall murals that have started to become a popular way of celebrating sport stars (there is one round my way that cheered on the England football team) the one of Beryl Swain (1936 2007) in Wood Street, Walthamstow stands out. Beryl was the first woman to ride solo in the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race in 1962, but then had her license revoked by the International Motorcycling Federation on the grounds that they were not prepared to risk death or injury to a female rider. Beryl was furious writing “I have never been found guilty of bad or dangerous driving…it is a matter of female prejudice.” Her licence was never was reinstated.
There are so many gems in this authoritative and entertaining new addition to the burgeoning market for London guidebooks that I hesitate to show you more. But if I must pick one favourite it would be the blue plaque commemorating boxing champion and Wembley greengrocer Henry Cooper (1934 2011). Perhaps best known for knocking down Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali ) at Wembley in a famous night in June 1963, only for Clay to be saved by the bell ’. As his career was coming to an end ‘our Henry’ planned for his future by opening his “Henry Cooper – Fruiterer & Greengrocer ” which he ran on the Ealing Road from 1965 to 1968 . The plaque was erected on the site of the shop in 2019 following a campaign by local people whose family members remembered popping in for a chat with Henry as they bought their fruit and veg.
This is a book that will delight not only the avid sports fan but all those who love to explore London s rich histories.
Publisher: Vision Sports Publishing
