Boris Johnson’s Olympic zipwire made in Bulwell
A MEMORABLE comedy moment during the London 2012 Olympic Games came when the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, found himself dangling in mid-air while riding a zip wire.
Now the Dispatch can fully reveal that the very zip-line at the centre of the hilarious mishap, pictures of which were beamed across the globe was made in Bulwell.
It was created at the Greasley Street base of well-known fairground operators James Mellors Amusements.
Mr Johnson was a ‘special guest’ at Victoria Park, London, to ride the 1,050ft zip wire, donning a hard hat and two Union flags as he attempted to sail down.
The motivation was to celebrate Team GB’s first gold medal at the Games.
Instead, the Mayor ground steadily to a halt on the wire, about 20ft in the air. The line had sagged and Mr Johnson was left dangling inelegantly in front of a watching crowd.
James Mellors snr, of the amusements company, said: “We were very pleased to provide the zip wire for this special occasion and what happened was unfortunate.
“We had left the wire a bit slack so that Mr Johnson could get down easily but it dropped a bit lower than it should have done.”
The Mayor spent about five minutes hanging comically, still in his hard hat, as spectators took video footage and photos of his misfortune.
When asked how he felt, Mr Johnson managed to keep his dignity, replying “Very, very well, thankyou.” He then shouted for someone to get him a rope or ladder.
He also joked: “This is great fun but it needs to go faster.”
James Mellors Amusements is well represented at Nottingham Goose Fair, now taking place.
OUR PHOTO shows the Mayor of London on the zipwire.
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Wednesday 22 May 2013
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