
Jon Baddeley
Specialist Consultant Collectors, Science & Marine
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Sold for £3,125 inc. premium
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Specialist Consultant Collectors, Science & Marine
Pat Besford (1919 - 1988), freelance swimming correspondent of the Daily Telegraph (for many years), the Daily Mail (who described her as "Britain's best-known and most outspoken swimming reporter") and others, was one of the most respected sports journalists of the post-war era. She covered ten Olympic Games from London 1948, and all World and European Championships, Commonwealth Games and British National Championships for the next forty years, reporting on swimming, diving, synchronised swimming, water polo and, latterly, archery. A formidable administrator, for many years she single-handedly organised the accreditation, communication facilities and other arrangements for all the British sports journalists and photographers attending the Olympics Games. She was President of the swimming commission of the International Sports Writers' Association, first female Chairman of the Sports Writers' Association of Great Britain, and author of Swim Better (1957), The Fina Book of Belgrade (1973), The Encyclopaedia of Swimming (1976) and Wilkie (with Tommy Long, 1976).
Since 1979 The Pat Besford Award for Outstanding Sporting Achievement has been awarded in her honour by the Sports Journalists Association; its past winners include Lester Piggott, Mike Brearley, Kenny Dalglish, Steve Redgrave, Chris Boardman, Gary Lineker, Matthew Pinsent, Bobby Robson, Bradley Wiggins and Christine Ohuruogu.
Please note that this is a 'W' lot, ie. an outsized lot that will only be available for collection from the Bonhams warehouse. Please contact the Book department (contact details in front of catalogue) for further details.