Olympians open gold phone box!

On 3rd August 2024 at the Paris Olympics, Holmes Chapel’s Tom and Emily Ford won gold and bronze in the men and women rowing 8s. It has been 116 years since a brother and sister have won medals in the same Olympic games and the Parish Council wished to provide a permanent reminder of this exceptional achievement.  To that end, on Friday 10th January, the Parish Council was delighted to welcome Tom and Emily Ford, and their family, to the village to officially open the phone box outside Mandevilles, painted gold in honour of their tremendous sporting success.

It was a beautiful blue-sky day and the gold phone box glistened as we gathered outside to watch Tom and Emily officially open the phone box with the cutting of a gold ribbon. This phone box is a distinctive feature of our village, made even more important by being a location for one of our defibrillators.

Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, attendees moved to St Luke’s Church Hall. Our Chair, Cllr Chris Jackson talked about his personal history of rowing describing how difficult both physically and mentally the sport is. He shared how proud Holmes Chapel was of our Olympians and what a privilege it was for the Parish Council to honour their achievements in this way. We then showed a short video highlighting Tom and Emily’s achievements. With grateful thanks to Matt O'Regan (South Cheshire Digital) for creating this unique film for us:

One of the aims of this event was to inspire our young people. Members of our Youth Council had been invited and they were given the opportunity to interview Tom and Emily. Through their interesting questions, we got a glimpse into the sheer commitment, resilience and drive needed to excel in your chosen sport. We also got a taste of just what it is like to win an Olympic medal and some of the obstacles they have had to overcome throughout their sporting careers.  Following the interviews, we presented Tom and Emily with the banners that had been produced and displayed in the village back in August.

Alongside our MP Sarah Russell, Ward Councillors, Parish Councillors and representatives from community organisations, we were also delighted that representatives from our local primary schools were also able to attend and have the opportunity to meet Tom and Emily and take a look at their medals.

Tom and Emily say:

"It has been such an honour that our achievements have been recognised within the village. 

The family has been connected to the village for over 100 years which has made it even more special. We are very proud to not only represent Great Britain but also Holmes Chapel and our local community."

It was a very special day and the Parish Council sends our congratulations to Tom and Emily Ford for a wonderful achievement – we are very proud of you!