William Henry Grenfell

Transcript

Lord’s sporting legacy

Views of the past by Elias Kupfermann

WILLIAM Henry Grenfell, Lord Desborough of Taplow Court is a name which is indelibly associated with Maidenhead.

This month, a new exhibition, mounted by lay Buddhist organisation SGI-UK, opens at Taplow Court, Lord Desborough’s family seat and chronicles his sporting achievements and instigation in bringing the Olympic Games to London in 1908.

Exhibition Curator Angela Bolger explained that ‘Lord Desborough is remembered as a man of vision and determination who kicked off British Olympic History by bringing the Games to London for the first time in 1908. William Henry Grenfell was a keen sportsman and was involved with many sporting organisations until his death in 1945. His interests ranged from fencing to boxing, from rowing to punting and from swimming to mountain climbing.

In the 1896 Athens Olympic Games he represented England in the fencing team and won a silver medal. The Games were then held in Paris in 1900 and St Louis in 1904. The 1908 Games were originally destined to be held in Rome.

In 1906, disaster struck when Mount Vesuvius erupted, and the ensuing devastation meant that funding earmarked for the Games had to be directed to the reconstruction of the areas hit by the eruption.

The hosting of the 1908 Games was offered to England, and with the assistance of Lord Desborough and his connections with royalty, the honour was graciously accepted.

The exhibition at Taplow Court tells the story of how Lord Desborough found money and a stadium where the Olympic Games could take place. This was to take the form of the White City Stadium, where the previous year the grand Franco-British Exhibition was held.

The highlight of the 1908 Olympic Games, organised once again by Desborough, was the marathon run from Windsor Castle to White City. The Games were thought to be a great success, but it was all down to one man – Lord Desborough.

As visitors enter the main entrance of Taplow Court to view the exhibition, they will be welcomed by Lord Desborough himself, featured in a video installation, including illustrated extracts from Lady Desborough’s diary written during the 1908 Games.

The exhibition features Olympic medals and memorabilia, sporting trophies and period sports equipment.

The free exhibition opens on Sundays, April 15, May 6 and 20, June 3 and 17, July 1 and 15, August 5 and 19, September 2, 9 and 16, at 2.30-5.30 pm. [PLEASE NOTE: NOW CLOSED]

Images

Curator's References

“Key Moments in Windsor’s History” in Slough Observer; 17 February 2012.

“The 1908 Marathon” in Windlesora 28 (2012).

---