Senin, 02 Juli 2012

Olympics 2012: How the Olympics will be fought out on SamCam's old lawn: Grass used in stadium comes from father's 'back garden'

Olympics 2012: How the Olympics will be fought out on SamCam's old lawn: Grass used in stadium comes from father's 'back garden'

  • Stadium turf comes from the Normanby Hall estate near Scunthorpe
  • County Turf has provided 360 rolls for 9,000 sq metres of field

By Louise Eccles

PUBLISHED: 18:01 EST, 2 July 2012 | UPDATED: 20:41 EST, 2 July 2012

The grass being used for the athletics field at the Olympic Games comes from Samantha Cameron’s father’s sprawling ‘back garden’.

It has emerged that the turf in the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium was grown at Sir Reginald Sheffield’s Normanby Hall estate near Scunthorpe.

County Turf, which rents land from the Sheffields, was sub-contracted to supply the grass for the stadium’s infield by the Olympic Delivery Authority.

Top turf: Grass being used for the athletics field at the Olympic Games comes from Samantha Cameron¿s father¿s sprawling ¿back garden¿ in Scunthorpe, it has emerged

Top turf: Grass being used for the athletics field at the Olympic Games comes from Samantha Cameron's father's sprawling 'back garden' in Scunthorpe, it has emerged

But the source of its premium sod had remained under wraps until now.

The grass will be graced by hundreds of Olympic stars taking part in field events, including heptathlete Jessica Ennis in javelin, high jump, long jump and shot put. It will also be used for pole vault, triple jump, discus and hammer throwing.

A source said: ‘County Turf often supply grass to stadia and this was no different. They rent land from the Normanby estate, which is close to where they are based.’

The firm, which regularly supplies grass for sports venues such as the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, provided 360 rolls for the 9,000 square metre field.

Sir Reginald, 66, a descendant of King Charles II, will not profit directly from  the deal.

The baronet owns 3,000 acres of prime Lincolnshire farmland as well as a second estate, £5million Sutton Park near York.

Getting a grip: Heptathlete Jessica Ennis will be one of the athletic stars hoping to land a decent distance in the turf during the London Olympics Toff turf: Samantha Cameron's father Sir Reginald Sheffield owns the land on which the turf for the Olympic stadium field has been grown

Toff turf: British heptathlete Jessica Ennis, left will be hoping to land her javelin throws into the Olympic field turf which belongs to the father of Samantha Cameron, right

He is believed to be worth at least £20million and lists his recreations in Debrett’s Peerage as shooting and stalking.

The Sheffields moved out of Normanby Hall in 1963 when it was handed over to North Lincolnshire Council in lieu of death duties, but Sir Reginald continues to own the surrounding land.

The 300-acre Normanby Hall estate has been in the family since 1590.

After the Sheffield family left the property, they moved to nearby Thealby Hall in the village of Burton upon Stather.

The Prime Minister’s wife and her sister Emily grew up at the Grade II listed hall with their parents, Sir Reginald and Annabel, until they divorced when the girls were children. Sir Reginald continues to live at the hall with his second wife, Victoria.

While the Normanby grass was selected for the athletics field, it is not being used for the opening ceremony’s ‘countryside stage’ at the same venue in the Olympic Park.

Last month ceremony director Danny Boyle unveiled his vision for ‘a green and pleasant land’ for the opening scene, showcasing Britain’s pastoral history. It will include real fields and farmyard animals.

Yesterday, aerial photographs of the stadium showed that the rural set was almost complete. During the ceremony, this will be replaced with a more urban stage, modelled on the opening credits of the TV soap opera EastEnders.

No one at the Normanby estate was available for comment yesterday.

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

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What a spoilt brat of a woman! How can these toffs have a clue what life is when they've been raised in such arrogant affluence!!?

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Sir Reginald won't benefit directly, so it will be indirectly then? As the saying goes, the grass is greener on the other side then?

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Daves father in law wont profit? Then why is he doing it, from the goodness of his heart? Dont make me laugh hahahahahahahahaha

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So it was lies, there is an Englishman employed to work on the olympics, but he probably or might have only employed european harding working low cost labour. That's ok as long as the grass grows greener, after it is passed on.

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yep ,,, all in it together huh dave.

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A FREE GIFT to the nation of course? OK, OK,I was only joking Davey Boy, I know you've gotta up the inheritance in these difficult times, and as you remind us all daily, we are all in this together. Yes, of course we are. All our wives will inherit an estate just like Sam's dad's one. In fact, that very clever man in charge of strangling the poor people's pensions and benefits Iian Duncan Smith has already taken up residence in his father in law's country estate, to go with the grace and favour accommodation in London he enjoys, which we the tax payers, you've heard of weird people like us, you know, the non parasitic type like yourselves, who foot the bills for you. Whose children give their lives in a conflict you are too cowardly to give the order to withdraw from without US permission.. Yes, we sure are all in this together, but do not fear, for very soon, far sooner than you might imagine, we are all going to dump you out the door of No.10.

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'he won't profit directly from the deal' - do you mean the profits will reach his family indirectly - like via a tax haven????? What with that and Snow Patrol (managed by Louise Mensch's husband Peter - she just happening to be on the olympics, sport and media Commons committee),plus Paul McCartMills daughter 'winning ' the NIke contract to design the outfits, its just one long trail of oozing schmoozing sleazeeeeeeeeeeee

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Would appear some are more in it than others, ask Dave.

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