Gymnastics History

On the eve of Paris 2024, we reflect on the first of the modern Olympic Artistic Gymnastics competitions. Roma 1960 was the first to include many modern innovations such as podiums. The Women’s competition format lost the group exercise and was now an individual floor routine. The men and women competed for Team, All-Around and Individual Apparatus medals much as we will see contested in Paris.

We have been donated the 16mm handheld films of the games taken by George Kunzle and these are now on our new YouTube page and some of the videos are in our report. Subscribe to our YouTube page to see more of our films as we work through them.

gymnasticshistory.co.uk/1960olympics

youtube.com/

Crystal Palace Sports Centre 60 years

In July 1964 a brand new sports centre opened in South East London in an area known as Crystal Palace, so called because the huge exhibition centre from the 1851 Great Exhibition in Hyde Park was relocated to that area.

Although it wasn’t on the grand scale of the original Crystal Palace, a huge glass house designed by Paxton, it was indeed a palace to many a young sportsperson and in particular for young gymnasts. Unfortunately, the original Crystal Palace was burnt down in 1936
The AGA, as it was then took full advantage of this modern, light, and wonderful place. I have great memories of the student accommodation block, a tower with bedrooms built around a spiral staircase. You always knew when swimmers were around as their clogs, would rattle on the wooden staircase.
The architecture has since been recognised as something special, the sports centre is now Grade 2 listed.
The following photos will give you an idea of the various events held in the main hall and the small gyms.

In 1965, a self taught gymnast managed to break Nik Stuart's 9 times straight run of British Championships. We look back here on Bernie Cawthorne's life and gymnastics career with the help of Mike Larsen and Dorothy Cawthorne.

https://gymnasticshistory.co.uk/berniecawthorne

Congratulations to Jenny Bott on her MBE for services to gymnastics.
Jenny's involvement in gymnastics started when she was a young PE teacher. She did her coaching course in artistic in about 1962. She qualified as an International judge in artistic gymnastics and continued in the discipline for 10 years or more. She coached Diane Lodge who was 2nd in the British Championships in 1967 and was a member of the 1966 World Championships’ British team.
In 1973 there was a call from the BAGA as it was then for coaches to become involved in the new sport of Rhythmic Gymnastics. Jenny with her talent for dance and choreography took the challenge and led the programme for many years. Under Jenny’s guidance and drive the first technical committee was set up in 1973 and by 1975 a British team, led by Jenny took part in the World Championships. Jenny also ran her own successful Rhythmic club in Northampton where she coached British Champion Sharon Taylor and later Lisa Black
Helen Roberts took over in 1984 as the full-time National Coach while Jenny was still chair of the technical committee. After moving on from this position, she involved herself for many years in coach education. Having retired, she then got involved with Gymnastics History writing a history of this discipline, and providing the site with a complete list of rhythmic champions. Jenny is always on hand with information and gymnast identification with the photos stored in the gym archive; she never stops.
For the list of Rhythmic Champions see http://www.gymnasticshistory.co.uk and go to Champions and Rhythmic.

1961 - 1965, a history of the British Championships preliminary events.
!961 was a turning point in the history of gymnastics in the UK. Until then, the British Championships were held in school gyms, drill halls, town halls, and even theatres. Audiences would consist of friends and families sitting on two rows of chairs around the performing area. It was all very low-key and not what you would expect for the most important event of the year for men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics. (at this time apart from the new sport of trampoline, artistic gymnastics was the only discipline covered by the AGA as it was then)
So it was arranged that the British Championships would be held at the Albert Hall in London. Impossible we all thought, how would we fill that vast area, but indeed we did. The rules were that only 6 gymnasts would perform for each discipline plus 6 for men’s trampoline. Preliminary events would have to be held for the selection process.
This is a brief insight into those preliminary competitions.

Thank you Maggie Bell
Gymnastics History is extremely grateful to the late Maggie Bell. Julie, her friend in Australia has just sent Gymnastics History copies of a few of her keepsakes including a copy of the 1965 British Championships programme and the results. The Gymnast magazine was not published in 1965 due, it’s believed to financial problems so no results have been available for the this year’s national championships. Indeed, our second, and third place in MAG, WAG and men’s trampoline men has been based on photographic evidence. It can now be confirmed that our assumptions were correct. The result for women’s trampoline has been missing 2nd and 3rd places but it is now official that Barbara John was 2nd and Anne Goddard was 3rd.

Your keepsakes do matter to us, so please contribute any photos or documents that you think may be of interest. It is important to keep this information safe for future generations.

European Championships remembered

With the successes of the Great Britain European teams, it seems appropriate to look back to the beginnings of these continental championships.
The first European Championships for men was in 1955 in Frankfurt. Frank Turner was there to compete for Great Britain. By 1957, the new boy on the block, Nik Stuart represented GB and amazingly won the silver medal on floor exercise. It wasn’t until 1990 that we would get our next European medal when Neil Thomas came 3rd on vault.
The women’s first European Championships was in 1957 in Bucharest. It wasn’t until 1961 that our first British ladies took part when Monica Rutherford and Denise Goddard travelled to Leipzig with Monica’s coach June Allison as the late June Groom was then. There was no early success for the ladies. We would have to wait 41 years before the first medal when Beth Tweddle won the bronze medal on the bars at the 25th Europeans in Patras 2002.
Now it’s difficult to count the number of European champions and medallists in the history of British gymnastics.
Sadly our history is incomplete here but more photos may come into the archive in the future.

Gymnastics has an abundance of unsung heroes. It's only right and proper that we remember them; the sport would would not be where it is today without them. Jenny Cosgrave brings me sad news of a great Southampton coach.
Lynne Crook
Lynne Crook, probably better known in the gymnastic world, as Lynne Cooper, died on Wednesday 3rd April. She had a fall but then developed a chest infection.
Lynne was one of the top coaches in the Southampton Gymnastic Club joining very close to the start of the club in the late 60's early 70's. progressing from Recreational Gymnastics where she ran one of the satellite centres, to training the top girls alongside Jennie Cosgrave. After Bill and Jennie left the club, she took over as Senior Women’s’ coach from Jennie, continuing to work with the girls to national level and above. She influenced so many gymnasts not only as a coach but in her no-nonsense approach to life.

Maggie Bell 1945 - 2024
It is with great sadness that I have to inform you that Margaret “Maggie” Bell died peacefully on April 23rd.in Australia.
Maggie was the original pocket rocket. She packed a lot of energy into her 4ft 10 ½ inches. Almost unheard of in today’s gymnastics she started her gymnastic career at 16 years; she had even left school and was working in London. Her PE teacher kept in touch and invited her and others to a gymnastics class at Midfield School at St Paul’s Cray where Pauline Prestidge was teaching a class for the local education authority.
Maggie was hooked; she joined the Bexley Gym Club and spent the next 10 years pursuing and fulfilling her dream, of being the best gymnast in Great Britain. Mary Prestidge, her team mate recalls how determined Maggie would be. She would plan, make sure that she was at every gym session available, and was always on the look out for people that could help improve her performance.
Maggie and her coach then travelled to many national events and it wasn't long before Maggie was picked for the national squad. She made an impact at her first British Championships coming in 8th just two years after taking up gymnastics.
By 1966 she was the British champion; she would go on to win four more times. She competed at the European and World Championships. In 1968, she and teammate Mary Prestidge were selected for the 1968 Olympics.
After her final British Championships win in 1970 she retired and then formed her own gymnastics club in Bromley where she coached Karen Tillyer who competed for English Schools at international events. Karen’s daughter Katie Lennon would be a member of the 2004 Olympic team.
Maggie then decided to emigrate to Australia where once again she set up her own gymnastics club. She was a great gymnastics fan for the rest of her life. In 2018 on a visit to the UK, she was honoured by the Nik Stuart Foundation with a Hall of Fame award.
Our thoughts are with Maggie's friends in Australia and here in the UK at this sad time. Many thanks and condolences to her friend Julie Way.
Read Maggie’s story at gymnasticshistory.co.uk/maggiebell.

Women’s British Champions; the Centenary

On this day the 12th April, 100 years ago, eight lady gymnasts stepped onto the national stage for the first time by competing in the first English/British Championships. Did they have any idea as to the importance of the occasion? Would this bring them fame and fortune? Sadly not. They would work quietly in their gyms for many more years with no one noticing them. The first lady champion Dorothy Billson could not understand the lack of interest in the sport of gymnastics. Here is what she said soon after her first win.

GYMNASTICS. When I hear the word spoken outside the gym it gives me a positive thrill. But how often is that? Not very, I am afraid. But why? We pick up a paper or magazine. Hello! A sports ballot. What is your favourite sport? And we eagerly scan the column of sports for the magic word GYMNASTICS. Strange -it is not there. I wonder why? Just imagine them forgetting the most important sport in the world!
She would love to see and hear the interest in the sport now, not just for the men as was the case back then and for several years to come. Now there is so much interest shown by so many people around the world for this wonderful sport of ours.
What a great time to recognise these 46 champion ladies from 1924 to this present day. What amazing achievements there have been in the past two decades.
Read the struggle for all women gymnasts from the 1880s to the present day here at
gymnasticshistory.co.uk/iwd

4th post.
We are moving into the golden age of British Gymnastics; a time of more, more money, more international competitions, more and better facilities, and more talented coaches.
At last, the impact of women’s gymnastics is recognised throughout the world; maybe it was thought that the Korbut and Comaneci era was just a passing phase. Now the women gymnasts are given as much recognition as their male counterparts.
British women gymnasts are now proving that they can make it onto the world stage.

This is the third posting of Women's British Champions leading up to the centenary of the first championships on April 12th, 1924. With World Championships occurrence changing from every 4 years to every 2 many of these gymnasts had the opportunity to compete in at least 2 of these FIG events. At this point only two gymnasts managed to compete in 2 Olympics and later gymnasts were to suffer when Olympic selection by nation became more competitive.

I am trying to put together a time line of British participation at World Championships. This is the only photo that Gymnastics History has in the archive of the 1985 Worlds in Montreal. Carole White, nee Gould supplied this photo. Whilst its nice to have the judges and medical staff, would be good to have some team photos. Can anyone help please?
The gymnasts were WAG Lisa Young, Lisa Elliott, Sally Larner, Jackie McCarthy, Stephanie Micklam, Hayley Price. Reserve Menna Samuel . Coaches were Colin Still and Yvonne Arnold.
MAG Terry Bartlett, Carl Beynon, Roman Edwards, Andrew Morris, David Simpson Barry Winch, reserve James May
Coach John Atkinson. Lloyd Readhead was the team manager.

Following on from our International Women’s Day feature, it’s fitting we remember the groundbreaking Olympian Denise Goddard, who became Women’s British Champion in 1965 after being runner-up four times in a row.

Denise Goddard 1945-2023
Read the full story at gymnasticshistory.co.uk/denisegoddard

This is the second post of Women’s British Champions. The 50s, 60s and 70s was still a time which was difficult for training with poor facilities and a lack of understanding of training methods. This is all the more reason for us to remember these pioneers.

Women’s British Champions; a picture gallery.
We are approaching the centenary of the Women’s National Gymnastics Championships. I say National to avoid saying English or British. On April 12th, 1924 the first national competition for individual ladies was held at the Drill Hall Swindon. The trophy that was presented on that day was engraved as the trophy for the Individual Championships of England. Just like the men’s trophy first awarded in 1896, this cup would be fiercely competed for by gymnasts from all four home nations, thus, in reality, being the British Championships.
This posting and others following will be a complete photographic gallery, barring one, of all these ladies that have won, the Mrs. Charles West Trophy awarded by the wife of the AGA honorary secretary of the time.
More information about British women and other champions can be found on the history site; gymnasticshistory.co.uk.
All photos and documents are from the British Gymnastics archive.

The first Teamgym British Championships was in 1995. Does anyone know if this is Southampton who were the first winners?
The second photo is of the 1996 winners, Southampton juniors and seniors.
It looks as though the first championships was an all girl affair. In the 1996 there were 4 regional mixed teams made up of some older gymnasts.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2024
With International Women’s Day on March 8th, we examine how women asserted their authority over a wholly male-dominated and administered sport, where women’s choice of attire was questioned, and judging had to be done by men, to fully take control of their destinies.
gymnasticshistory.co.uk/iwd

With the Women’s British Championship centenary just around the corner, we remember the gymnastics pioneer and 13th British Women’s Champion from 1965 - Denise Goddard. Read her full story at GymnasticsHistory.co.uk/DeniseGoddard

The YMCA part 3

Here’s another event that was held at the YMCA; what a hotbed of gymnastic activity it was at this time. The year 1958. The event England versus Wales in artistic gymnastics. There were no other disciplines around at this time although trampoline had just held a British Championships.
All the photos on this occasion were taken by Jim Prestidge; he hardly went anywhere without his camera.

YMCA part 2
In the early days international contests were confined to matches with countries just across the English Channel, so Holland as it was known at this time, was part of one of those internationals.
This event occurred at the YMCA in Central London on 7th May 1955. The result was a win for Holland with 463 marks and GB with 426.6 marks. First is Leni Lens Holland, second is Kral Holland, and third is Pat Hirst, Great Britain It was reported that the British girls were holding their own until the swinging rings where the marks for this apparatus were 95.4 HOL and 66.3 GB. The visitors were far superior on this apparatus.
All photos taken by Jim Prestidge except for the one of Margaret Neale which is an Alan Burrows photo

Here are the details regarding Bill Cosgrave's funeral/service.
Funeral/service of Celebration of Bill's Life will be on Wednesday 31st January, 2pm in St Augustine's Church, Church St, East Hendred, Wantage OX12 8JY.
If people are thinking of coming please contact me or Jennie directly. [email protected]

Bill Cosgrave 21.06.41 - 26.12.23
I am sorry to inform you all of the death of Bill Cosgrave, army gymnast, inspirational coach, and founder of Tumble Tots. He died on Boxing Day at home with Jennie and his family.
Army life for Bill was the making of the man. After a rough childhood, the close-knit family within the PT Corps was something that he cherished for the rest of his life. He like others within the corps was inspired to spread the word about the sport of gymnastics, it became for him a way of life. He was a great innovator, a great friend, and a motivator for so many young gymnasts. He started gymnastics late in life, that is when he met up with Nik Stuart and so many others at Aldershot. He had been a boxer but he soon learnt to love gymnastics. He wanted to excel but perhaps wasn’t the most natural of gymnasts but he never gave up. He was undoubtedly very proud of his achievements when he was part of the winning army team at the Adams Shield team championships in 1965.
In 1968 he left the army and took up a position at Southampton with the remit to develop gymnastics within the town. It was here that he made his mark. He produced so many young gymnasts and inspired others to take up the art of coaching. One such person was Jennie Mills, fresh out of Chelsea PE College. She was soon hooked on the sport, took up coaching, and produced some fine gymnasts for the club. This coaching partnership soon became a marriage, one that has lasted right up until now.
Many gymnasts have come out of the Southampton Gymnastic Club, Terry Bartlett, Ian Shelley, Roman Edwards, David Cox, Jason Wink, and Guy Burke to name but a few. Keith Richardson from those early days worked with Bill as a coach and has been inspired by his leadership.
The running of such a successful club took its toll on Bill. He took some time off and then set up Tumble Tots moving to Nottingham with Jennie where they became a formidable team in preschool gymnastics.
He made somewhat of a comeback in 1988 appearing with Nik Stuart and Bob Trenholm at the celebration of 100 years of British Gymnastics, embracing the role of a gymnast in times past.
I have had the good fortune of knowing Bill since my teenage years as a gymnast at Bexley Gym Club. He has always been such a good friend to me and my family. Latterly he has supported the work of the gymnastic archive providing a valuable insight to that band of brothers that we know of as the Army gymnasts. What a great guy; he will be sorely missed.
I am sure you would all like to add your condolences.

The YMCA.
The Central YMCA in Great Russell Street London was once the main point of gymnastic activity in the 1950s and 60s. The gym was downstairs in the basement. It had a wooden floor which usually acted as the landing surface for floor exercise although a few mats were available. From memory, it was hardly 12 metres wide. Two rows of seats were placed at each side for an event so the space was even smaller.
This first mini-history of the YMCA is all about displays and training. Alan Burrows was a member of the YM so would take photos at any time. Most of the London male gymnasts would train at different gyms throughout the week, the YM, the Orion Gym in Bethnal Green, and the London Gym at Kentish Town, but the YM was best for competitions and gatherings.
The Metropolitan and Southern Counties AGA, the forerunner to the London Gymnastics Federation, held many of their regional competitions there, attracting gymnasts from within the region and extending outwards to Hampshire and Norfolk. There was no Eastern region at the time, hence the inclusion of Norwich gymnasts and the boundaries were very vague so the army gymnasts would always be at the London events.
Some internationals were also held there, England vs Wales and GB vs Holland to name a few. but more of the competitions in another mini-history. Jim Prestidge was also a frequent visitor to the YM so he too took many photos.

National Championships 50s and 60s style.

The earliest photos from the British Championships are from the mid-50s onwards. I am sure some of you have no idea what a national championship was like back then.
There was no floor area, the apparatus may have been homemade especially when it came to the high and low bars, and mats were often made of coconut fibre. There was certainly no such thing as a safety or crash mat. Judges were often lost in the audience but lady judges would stand out with their white skirts.

This is the last posting for the alphabet of gymnasts. I am sure that more will be added in the years to come.
Another W was missed so he is shown here followed by the X Y & Zs.

Mini history - Sport Aid 1986
In October 1984 the BBC showed a news item with Michael Beurk about the terrible consequences of the famine in Ethiopia. By Christmas that year, Bob Geldof had organised a Christmas single, “Do they Know it’s Christmas” with a supergroup called Band Aid. Live Aid followed in 1985, a global concert filmed live from Wembley with a follow up concert the same day in the States.
Sport stepped up to the mark in 1986 with Sport Aid. Here in the UK various events were held including a gymnastics display at the NEC which was a sellout. Gymnasts from all over the world attended. Some of the gymnasts are shown here with photos all except one by Alan Burrows International Gymnast. The event was a success, but sadly poverty, famine, and wars still cause considerable loss of life and devastation throughout the world. Will they know it's Christmas soon?

Can anyone help with information please? I have reason to believe that this photo was taken at the 1965 British Championships at the Albert Hall. Lynda Ball is shown as the winner of the British Trampoline Championships trophy. Barbara John is shown in 2nd place. Both these girls were from Bedminster Down School. Does anyone know who the 3rd girl is? It look as though she is from the same club as they all have the same badge.
Gymnastics History is attempting to add all 2nd and 3rd placed trampoline gymnasts to our list of champions. If any of you have results from any trampoline British Championships, whatever year, we would love to see them

The Festival of Britain

Immediately after the 2nd World War, it was pretty much doom and gloom.
It was decided to try and lift the nation so on the 100th anniversary year of the Great Exhibition held in the Crystal Palace at Hyde Park in 1851, an exhibition was arranged on the South Bank of the Thames. This was the Festival of Britain.

The AGA was invited to send various groups from the nation to put on outdoor displays. Jim Prestidge was there to photograph the London and Bexley gymnasts.

Russian Scholarship Part 2.
The scholarship photos seemed to create a lot of interest so here are a few more.
There is also an extra W gymnast who was forgotten.