Ski Jump On Hampstead Heath

[Cloverjo]

On watching the W Olympics opening ceremony, my OH said he remembered a ski jump facility on Hampstead Heath when we held the WO in Britain. Now, I am sure we have not held the WO, but what could he be thinking of? He thinks it was in the 50s. Any ideas, anyone?

[jno]

no date on this that I've spotted but it sounds like the 50s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKZ3yzPZer0

[jeffa]

The Winter Olympics have definitely never been held in the UK.

However:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=hampstead+heath+ski+jump&oq=hampstead+heath+ski+jump&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i61j0.10713j0j7&sourceid=chrome&;espv=210&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8

[jno]

ah, this says 1950

http://www.flickr.com/photos/londonmetropolitanarchives/8589756056/

[Cloverjo]

Thanks, jno. He's not mad then!
Looking into it further, it was in 1950: the London Challenge Cup. Anyone could enter, which explains why they were such terrible jumpers compared to what we see nowadays from pros.

[Cloverjo]

Thanks, jeffa, too.

[emmie]

no Eddie the Eagle, or equivalent..

[emmie]

the only thing i remember was the annual fair, waltzers, dodgem cars and candy floss, a heady mix if you like that sort of thing.

[FredPuli43]

As a footnote :At the end of the Pathe clip there's a story of a soldier who got 10 years for shooting someone when on sentry duty. His senior commanding officer quashed the finding and sentence; in those days , military law allowed commanding officers to do that, whether or not the finding was correct. It was originally because the Army could be seriously inconvenienced by the loss of a key man in battle or wartime. Having him banged up somewhere, when he was essential ,was not a good idea.