Blitz spirit at 1948 Olympics

As the government decides whether or not to back a London bid to host the Olympics, BBC News Online speaks to Sandy Duncan, the last man to bring the Olympic torch to Britain in 1948. After six years of war, food and clothing was still rationed in Britain but this did not deter the British Olympic Association (BOA).

Sandy Duncan, now 90 years old, was an honorary senior coach in athletics at the time, training a team of about five sprinters for the Games.

In 1948 he was asked if he would collect the Olympic torch and escort it on its journey to Dover.

" The games were suddenly a real bonus - something interesting to raise spirits which indeed they did "
Sandy Duncan

He told BBC News Online: "They said to me, 'We will give you the use of a Rolls Royce and a continental chauffeur to drive all way to southern Italy where the torch was arriving from Greece'.

"So I set off and over came the torch and off we set."

It took Mr Duncan about 10 days to travel across Italy, Switzerland and France before reaching Calais where a naval destroyer waited to take him to Dover to hand over the torch.

Britain was chosen to host the event in 1946, so it only had two years to prepare.

'Real triumph'

"Fortunately we had the facilities - Wembley, Earl's Court and others in London," explained Mr Duncan.

"But there was no Olympic village. So all the empty barracks of the RAF, Army and schools were taken over and converted into lodgings for the teams."

During the games Mr Duncan, a former long-jumper and sprinter, judged the long-jump event as well as training one of the country's silver medallists.

He described the games as a "real triumph" with a "wonderful" atmosphere.

1948 Olympics

"After all there had been a war. The women who had been making ammunition were back home. Boyfriends and husbands were back.

"It was an enormous period of adjustment. The games were suddenly a real bonus - something interesting to raise spirits which indeed they did.

"There was a huge crowd and they loved them."

The government is expected to announce in the next few weeks whether it will back a London bid for the 2012 Olympics.

'Worse time'

Mr Duncan's thoughts are that "it couldn't be a worse time" to apply.

"I think that it is the worst possible time financially to put in a bid. I have no doubt that London could do it, but financially and, as far as the country is concerned, I could think of no worse time.

"They've got to build a [Olympic] village which has got to be able to be used afterwards for ordinary people."

He suggested that the village could later become much-needed housing in London for people on a low income.

"People with low incomes can purchase one of the flats. This would put the building to good account."