Paris Olympics

Agreeing which is the biggest sporting event in the world is a little like picking your favourite chocolate, i.e. they are all great and we should love them regardless. The argument usually ranges between the Fifa Men’s World Cup and the Summer Olympics games and having just completed another global sporting phenomenon, Euro 2024, it’s time for the Olympics to hit our screens.

But why at The Sidings do we care so much about the Olympics that we’d write a whole article about it? Two reasons – firstly because it’s great to watch and we’ll have it on show live at The Sidings throughout the event. Secondly, it’s all to do with the location and what it means for our heritage.

History montage time…

This year’s Olympics come from the beautiful city of Paris and that’s a place close to our hearts at The Sidings.

For those that don’t know, the very location in which we now reside was the original home of the Eurostar, the service that first opened up the direct rail connection between London and Paris. That’s right, whilst they have a lovely terminal down the down at St Pancras, it was London Waterloo where the Eurostar International Service began.

The first service left from a platform close to where you can now grab a cold pint, buy your loved one a special present or sing your heart out in front of your friends. This was all the way back on 14th November 1994.

Whilst it was part of the same building, it was actually a completely separate station known as Waterloo International and it remained as the rail connection between London and Paris (as well as Amsterdam, Brussels and Rotterdam) for 13 years. 

The service finally terminated (sorry, please forgive us a little pun) on 13th November 2007, with the new St Pancras International terminal welcoming its first trains the following day.

A new world

The area formerly known as Waterloo International was redeveloped over the next couple of years and large parts of it were transformed into more platforms in the main Waterloo concourse, but soon a new space would appear, where Waterloo’s social side would gather…

The Sidings was born in the summer of 2022 and despite arriving in the middle of the global pandemic, we were quickly the new kid on the block (of Southbank) that people were flocking to, opening with the world’s largest Brewdog and the now infamous slide!

And now to enjoy the sport

Of course, whilst we have a personal history tied to Paris, none of that compares to the most important factor about the Olympics, that they are the ultimate sporting test and the pinnacle for the athletes taking part – all of which makes it compelling viewing.

And you can certainly view it here at The Sidings in wonderful surroundings. The best place for us in the whole of the Southbank is the Brewdog we mentioned earlier. They have massive screens everywhere, enabling you to see the action wherever you choose to sit. 

Get the drinks in, treat yourself to some of the great bar food or just grab a refreshing ice cream. And whilst you are watching the events, maybe just remember you might be sitting where someone stood before they boarded that historic first train to Paris on 14th November 1994.