Hampshire town remembers its own version of the olympics

Dennis Bryant, who is now 91, moved to North Baddesley with his wife, buying a bungalow in Ringwood Drive in 1964.

Since coming to the area, Dennis has been very involved in helping and supporting the local community, most notably by taking part in helping to establish community sporting and social events.

Dennis was a leading member in forming the Mini-League, a small football league for under 13's, set up after he noticed kids playing football in the street with nowhere in the local area to play.

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He lobbied the local council in getting a recreation ground before helping to line spray a pitch and build a number of goal posts and, after the league was set up, welcoming other teams to come and play. The Mini-League ran until the early 1970s.

In 1972, Dennis attended a variety show in which his wife was performing in, visiting backstage at the end of the show. The cast of the show had enjoyed it so much, that they wanted to do another, with one member of the cast saying they should try and do a pantomime.

The North Baddesley games (Image: Newsquest)

The group left the village hall, discussing putting on a pantomime at the pub. Everyone put £5 in the kitty and The Baddesley Barnstormers was formed. Dennis wrote, produced and directed pantomime for the next 30 years up to the early noughties.

But his proudest achievement is setting up a local Olympic games in 1980.

Dennis said: "In 1980 when the Moscow Olympic fames were on, I hit on the idea of putting on an Olympic games of our own.

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"I got permission from the local council to mark out an oval racetrack on the recreation ground and started organising things.

"At that time, Smith's Crisps were running a promotion. By saving 10 wrappers, it would send you a metal Olympic medal.

"I got all the parents and schools to start collecting wrappers, but as the time got nearer, I realised we were not going to have enough, so I got in touch with Smith's directly and they sent 50 extra medals across.

"I borrowed some high jump equipment from Mountbatten School and they were kind enough to let me have a discus and a starting pistol. I set up a kiosk in the shopping precinct and by paying 10p, boys and girls could enter for the games. When the games started, the athletes all marched into the arena, led by a girl carrying a flag which my wife had embroidered.

"When they were all lined up in the arena, a girl ran around the track with a lighted torch. After finishing the lap, she stood on the winner's rostrum, raised the torch as 'Land of Hope and Glory' was played. A host of balloons were released and te games began. Medals were presented by the current carnival queen.

"It was a wonderful day and many people in the village still remember and talk about it. My daughter suggested we have a reunion for the Barnstormers, the mini-league players and the Olympic competitors. Many of them have kids of their own and several of them are now pensioners, so it's probably a good time to do it."