AFTER winning Britain's first Olympic diving medal for 44 years, life was never going to be the same for Southampton's Peter Waterfield.

And as he prepares to return to competitive action for the first time since his Olympic silver medal winning achievement, we asked him: Just what has the past six months been like for you?

The amazing publicity surrounding the sensational synchronised diving of Waterfield and partner Leon Taylor last summer was something they couldn't enjoy until their return home.

Getting their hands on a newspaper in the Athens Olympic village seemed virtually impossible.

"When I got back I got to see all the cuttings and it just made me realise just how much coverage we actually had. It was amazing," said Millbrook based Waterfield.

The first day back in Southampton started with an open-topped bus parade laid on by Southampton City Council, and it would be fair to say that he was a little dubious at first.

"Normally when there's a bus tour it's for a football team or something, so it felt a bit weird being for me," said Waterfield.

"But it was brilliant. I wasn't expecting there to be as many people as there were.

"As we were driving around the streets, everybody was clapping and putting their thumbs up and saying well done. It was great."

But the hype wasn't just confined to the south coast.

There was even a bit of 'exposure' on the popular sports TV quiz They Think It's all Over.

After Jonathan Ross jokingly described the sport as 'gay', Waterfield and Taylor appeared on the show the following week as mystery guests to take part in the 'feel the sportsmen' game.

You guessed it, Ross and teammate Phil Tufnell, the former England Test cricket spinner, were the ones who had to do the feeling, with the divers suspended from the ceiling by wires and a paddling pool full of water underneath.

After preparing and focusing so hard for the Olympics, anybody would be entitled to a rest - but Waterfield's six-week break away from the pool proved just as hectic.

He did manage to fit in a two-week holiday to Tenerife with fiance Tania and son Lewis, along with his mother and stepfather.

But the Canary Island wasn't far enough away for Pete to completely relax.

"In the hotel lots of people recognised me. It was just after the Olympics had finished so it was nice when people came to talk to me about it.

"These people were not just from Southampton but from all over the place - and they were telling me they had watched it and enjoyed it."

After returning from holiday, Waterfield was involved in London's Olympic parade, where he joined other Olympians and Paralympians to celebrate the achievements of Team GB and back London's bid for the 2012 Olympics.

Another high-profile event he attended this winter was the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards, where he was surrounded by sporting stars from past and present.

"It was weird talking to the people you normally see on TV. But they were all friendly and knew who we were," he said.

Having people knowing who he is, is something Waterfield now has to contend with every day.

"The first time I went out after I got back from Athens, there were a few people coming up to me and buying me drinks saying 'you're that diver, aren't you'?

"It was a bit embarrassing but I was pleased that people were recognising me.

"It's a really good feeling for people to actually come up to you in the street, who you don't even know."

Six months on and, with Waterfield back training hard for this year's competitions, things are looking hopeful. The profile of the sport has grown and a sponsorship deal could be on its way.

"Southampton Container Terminal are looking to sponsor me, so hopefully that will help me with my journey to Beijing," he said.

The success of last summer has left Waterfield full of confidence and hungrier than ever and this year his aim is to continue with his good form.

The major goal is to pick up a medal at the World Championships in July, something Great Britain are yet to achieve.

But in the short-term he was returning to competitive action at the British Championships at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.

As revealed in yesterday's Daily Echo, Waterfield is competing in four events - Taylor is absent through injuries sustained in a recent car crash - and is hoping for four golds.