Alcester to honour Skelton with civic reception

By Ian Dipple 31/08 Updated: 31/08 14:11

Buy photos » Mayor Lennox Cumberbatch and High Bailiff of Alcester Court Leet Steve Payne welcome Nick Skelton to town. Picture by Mike Ford (s).

OLYMPIC star Nick Skelton is hoping to ride through the streets of Alcester with his gold medal winning partner Big Star when the town honours his achievement later this year.

A civic reception is planned on Wednesday, October 10 for the 54-year-old who led Team GB’s showjumping team to gold at London 2012.

And on a visit to the town to see his gold postbox in the High Street, painted in honour of his success, the equestrian superstar revealed he hopes to involve the horse which helped make his dream come true.

“It would be good to bring him,” he said. “I’ll see if it’s possible to do that – I could even ride him through town.”

Hundreds of people have had their pictures taken next to Alcester’s gold postbox and Skelton admitted he has been overawed by the reaction of the British public who watched him help Team GB take the honours at Greenwich Park.

“It’s been brilliant really,” he added.

“It’s a great idea from the Royal Mail as were the stamps which they managed to get printed and delivered the very next morning.

“I’ve been to seven Olympic Games and I thought, as a whole, these were the best. The way they did it, when you came out of the tube stations and people were telling everyone which way to go. The volunteers helped make it so brilliant.

“We were at Greenwich Park and the site was brilliant. Just outside there was a pub called the Greenwich Arms which has now changed its name to the Golden Saddle – there were pictures of it in the paper.”

Skelton, who lives in Shelfield, recently made a trip to Spain to compete but he admitted he had hardly had a chance to get in the saddle since winning his gold medal.

“I haven’t really had any time to do any riding,” he said.

“Cameras have been coming in and radio and news people have been wanting to do things.”

Alcester Mayor Lennox Cumberbatch said talks were ongoing with Stratford District Council about the event and details had still to be finalised.

“It was only intended to be a short-lived visit but people were having their picture taken with him and his medal and it turned out to be considerably longer but I think he was really pleased by the reaction he got.”