My friends and family knew that I’m a bit sports and therefore Olympic nuts, but now its confirmed – I’ve seen the Torch Relay twice in 2 days including getting up an hour earlier than I would normally do. I am definitely mad! 😉
The first day I saw the relay was in Hove Park on Monday evening. I arrived about an hour and a quarter before the torch was due and had a wander around the few stalls that were there, including trying my hand at the Tombola on the Rotary Club stall but I didn’t win anything. As there wasn’t anything else to do (having not realised that you could go ON to the BBC bus!), I decided to pick my spot and setup my large Team GB Union flag hanging from the tape lining the route. As the weather was a bit inclement, it kept blowing off so I finally found a use for my Team GB and Paralympics GB supporters scarves by using them to tie the flag to the tape! 😉 Picking my spot so early meant I missed all the sponsors vehicles and freebies, but oh well!
As the time got nearer to the torch arriving, more and more people started lining the route through the park, including a family next to me with some bored kids who kept standing further and further forward until I couldn’t see anything that was coming! Very annoying, but I just about managed to stop myself from saying anything to them, as it would probably have made things worse!
It seemed like an age, but suddenly people were pointing their cameras and cheering as a torchbearer went past with two of the security team. I thought it was a bit odd, as the torch didn’t appear to be lit, and everyone was a bit confused as there’d been no fanfare before they arrived. The annoying family next to me (and a few others) decided that had been it and left! Turned out it was just the next torchbearer getting into position by running along the route as it was easier (and less muddy) than attempting to go round everyone!
With the family moved, I could see much further up the path and just a few minutes later the torch came into view and before long was alongside us and then past! Over in a flash as it were, but I’d seen it after waiting and wanting too for so long and I’d managed to get some pictures and videos! 🙂
As soon as the torch had passed, everyone started to disperse and as it didn’t look like anything was happening at the SameSky Sky Dome, I decided to leave and go home so that I could take a look at the pictures and videos to make sure I was happy with how they had come out from my new camera. I wasn’t counting on getting stuck in gridlock around the park for over 30 mins, but I should’ve expected that! I had originally planned on walking to the park, but given the weather I’d decided to drive which was obviously a bit of a mistake…
Having seen the torch relay go past, I went home thinking I probably wouldn’t go see it the next day as well but come going to bed I was setting the alarm for 6.45am so that I could be up in time – madness I tell you, madness!
This time I scouted out where the flame was going to be passed from one torch to another and made my way down to the nearest one which just happened to be only 5 minutes from our flat. Again I got there rather early, and there weren’t too many people around but at least it was sunny! This time the sponsors vehicles went past where I was standing and I got my freebies from Coke (a small Torch Relay branded bottle, and a tambourine) and Lloyds TSB (ribbons to wave).
Once the next torchbearer turned up everyone wanted a photograph with her and the torch so things got quite busy and then the torch was coming – woo hoo! Was quite interesting to see the Torch and the ‘Torch Kiss’ close up, and gave me another opportunity to sort out taking videos on my camera (something that hadn’t worked out too well the evening before) and pictures again. Not entirely sure it was worth getting up so early for, but then I’m an Olympics nut so what else could I do??? 😉