By Alan Hubbard

At the cosy nursing home in Bushey, hertfordshire where he says he is "wonderfully looked after" they call him the Colonel !
He retired with that rank in 1958 after 29 years in the Royal Artillery and he still has that military mien - firm handshake, impeccably groomed, wering a blue blazer and Olymians tie, clear-eyed and with a fine head of silvery white hair.
He has been there for the last nine years and is now confined to a wheelchair. I dont run anymore you know he says impishly but in his younger days he was one of the greatest relay racers Britian has ever seen.

Godfrey Rampling, Britains oldest Olympian and last surviving Gold Medallist from the 1936 Games will be 100 on Thursday. They are giving him a birthday party at the home next weekend and among the gathering of family and friends will be his daughter the actress Charlotte Rampling.

Over tea we offer congratulation.
"How old did you say I am ? A hundred next week? really? are you sure? Good Lord Im surprised anyone remembers. How nice" You suspect the old boy is rather more cognisant of things than he likes to let on.
Its a bit of a game, really , " These days its rather like when I was running, the older I get the slower I get" he confesses, apologising for his recalol "not being quite what it was"

Bur being slow he wasnt in berlin 73 years ago, when he ran a magnificent second leg of the 4 x 400 metres relay to help strike for Gold for britain over the American favourites, with Fred Wolf Bill Roberts and Arthur Brown. Wolf had been overtaken, leaving Godfrey "to make up a bit of ground" It was in fact about 12 metres, he finished more than four metres in the lead, handing over the to Roberts, who fought off the American challengs for Brown to anchor a British triumph by two seconds.
It was said that Godfrey ran the race of his life to set up the victory.
"well I may have done, other people know better than me"

Berlin was Godfreys second Olympics, he doesnt remember much about the first one in Los Angeles four years earlier when he won a Silver Medal, also in the 4 x 400 metres relay, after narrowly missing out in the 400 metres fianl as he did in Berlin.

He does remember more of the Infamous 36 Games, "yes Hitler and all that and the wonderful Jesse Owens, lovely chap so unassuming.
How did Godfrey feel about Hitler? "never really came across him but we wouldnt salute him you know. We all laughed at him in the march past, not a nice chap at all, never saw much future in him actually"

He says he keeps his Gold medal "somewhere in my room" It is a replica as he lost the original in the post after mailing it to a friend for safe keeping at the beginning of World War Two.
A few years ago, the Princess Royal, President of the British Olympic Association, presented him and his former teal mate Robers (whose own medal was stolen in a burglary) with specially struck replacements.

Godfreus carer, the home activities organisor, Sandra Wotton, promises that the Centurions birthday party will be memorable, "now dont you go and spend too much money on me" he warns, adding that he is looking forward to seeing his Grandchildren and Charlotte, 63 who lives in France. "I think she may be a bit more famous than me" he smiles.

A golf club secretary after his Army days, he seems pleased that the next Games will be in London "where are they going to hold them? the east end you say, good Lord, well I suppose theyve got to do something like that, its good that there coming here because its the highest level you can get in sport, I do hope they do well.
He admits his interest in Athletics now is minimal, because he doesnt watch television, prefering to listen to music, modern stuff you know"

Born in Blackheath, he was an outstanding club runner, winning at the Empire games as well as the Olympics, of course things were so different then, "drugs, he says, were unheard of, mind you Im not sure they didnt discover some but no one was ever tested and I dont think we ever suspected anuone of taking them, it was all done by natural ability.

No one ver got paud and expenses were just a few bob, barely covered your travelling, I may have missed the boat a bit but I was never terribly interested in money - not that I ahve much, though its enough to get by on.

I ahve everything I want here, he concludes. "Im very content, quite happy, its always nice when someone comes along and is interested in what I did. Ive got no reason not to be satisfied with my life, None at all"

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