Shropshire's Olympic roots explored in Jay Blades' TV series
A Shropshire medieval town's part in the founding of the modern Olympic games is set to be explored in a TV series being hosted by adopted Midlander Jay Blades.
Channel 5 is currently airing The Midlands Through Time, hosted by The Repair Shop host. The series follows Jay, who has a workshop in Wolverhampton, and lives in Ironbridge, as he explains why the history of the UK, and perhaps even the world, would not be the same without the Midlands.
The series began last week with Jay covering topics including the Staffordshire Hoard and the region's role in the industrial revolution.
Next Wednesday, during the second episode, Jay will visit the Gaskell Recreation Ground in Much Wenlock as he explores how the Shropshire town was instrumental in kickstarting the modern Olympics movement with its annual Wenlock Olympian Games.
Much Wenlock has been hosting its games since 1850, and in 1890, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, visited the Shropshire town. Six years late he founded the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.
The filming in Much Wenlock for Jay's series took place in July, and viewers of the show will get to see the London-born host attempt ‘putting the stone’ – an original event at the Olympian Games that was aimed at local quarrymen.
The second episode of The Midlands Through Time is on at 9pm on Channel 5 on Wednesday, October 18.
