SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Diving back into the parish register from more than 100 years ago, DAVID MORGAN has found the story of a medal-winner from Croydon who raced at the Chariots of Fire Games
Making a splash: Harold Annison was the first manager of the Brighton ‘swimming stadium’ in the 1930s
The 2024 Olympics are fast approaching.
The excitement is building but so, too, are the nerves. There are concerns and worries about how the Games will go, both for individual competitors and for the organising committee.
It was much the same 100 years ago, the last time that Paris staged the Olympics – remembered now as the Chariots of Fire Games, for the exploits of track sprinters Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, as portrayed in the 1981 Oscar-winning movie.
Among those preparing for the Paris Games 100 years ago was Harold Annison, a swimmer from Croydon. Aged 29, he was something of a veteran in an amateur sport, having already competed in the previous Olympics in Antwerp in 1920.
His name first appeared in the baptism registers of Croydon Parish Church, Harold Edward Annison, born December 27, 1895. His parents Frederick and Minnie had enough income to employ a governess for their children. Frederick was a keen swimmer and cyclist and encouraged his children to take up similar pursuits. Continue reading
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