SINCE his glorious golden summer, Olympian Tom James MBE has received a hero's welcome everywhere he's gone.
But nothing could have prepared him for the scenes that unfolded on Tuesday (13) afternoon as he was mobbed by children in Brook Green.
The rowing titan, who won gold in the coxless fours in Beijing and London, opened the newly renovated playground which he used to play in as a youngster when visiting his aunt and uncle, who live in Brook Green.
Fitted out with the latest play equipment, the £190,000 playground has come after 18 months of hard work from residents who have driven the scheme to improve the much loved green area.
The Friends of Brook Green - which recently merged with the Brook Green Association - furiously fundraised to acquire the money needed for the site, which was then matched by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.
As the borough's third most used green space, after Ravenscourt and Bishops Park, the play equipment had become worn out, so the association hired a landscape architect to work with the community, including nearby schools to draw up the plans.
The result is proving a hit as children can now use swings, slides, totem poles, a rope bridge and a verdant slope which has been tunnelled through to create a more imaginative area to play in.
The 28-year-old, who has recently moved to the area, said: “This is really exciting. When I was invited down to open the playground I had no idea what to expect but it's fantastic.
“It's great that the community and the council have come together to make this a reality. I used to play here when I was a child and I hope that all these children will get as much enjoyment as I did out of the area.”
David Whitehouse, who is a member of The Friends of Brook Green, introduced his nephew to the hundreds of youngsters and briefly outlined the next stage of plans for the area.
This includes a new pavilion with toilets and a kiosk, better fencing, new lighting and new surfaced tennis courts.
