The collection of Pat Besford (1919-1988), Olympic and Swimming Journalist, comprising a very fine collection of Olympic medals, badges and memorabili

The collection of Pat Besford (1919-1988), Olympic and Swimming Journalist, comprising a very fine collection of Olympic medals, badges and memorabilia, comprising: London 1948 Olympic Games: two participation medals and badge, one stamped to the ribbon swimming, an Olympic blazer badge, pin badge and her official travel pass; Helsinki 1952 Olympic Games: a pair of badges, ribbon stamped Jury and the other F.I.N.A. Tuomarl, a Great Britain Team cloth blazer badge applied with a pin and a Nederlands Team cloth team badge; Rome 1960 Olympic Games: a badge with enamel bar inscribed Stampa, a Great Britain Team enamel badge; Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games: two Press badges with ribbons, three stick pins, and BBC broadcasters blazer badge, a blazer button; Mexico 1968 Olympic Games: a Press badge, BBC Radio broadcasters blazer badge, three commemorative medallions, a souvenir pennant featuring a gymnast; Munich 1972 Olympic Games: three Great Britain Team badges, one applied with a brass mounted wooden shield and inscribed with a thank you message from Team GB, a German beer stein; Montreal 1976 Olympic Games: two Great Britain Team badges, a Team USA cloth press badge, a cased set of three commemorative postage stamps and medal replica plaques; Moscow 1980 Olympic Games: Soviet porcelain teapot; Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games: Great Britain Team badge; Seoul 1988 Olympic Games: KBS broadcasting badge; IOC Sessions Press badges for Barcelona 1976, Athens 1978; the lot also including England Team badges for the Edinburgh 1970 Commonwealth Games and a undated Great Britain Olympic badge, (qty) 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.