Walsall duz its bit fer th'lympic flaerm....

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24 years 2 months

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The Olympics holds no more than a passing interest for me, and neither does the Olympic Torch Relay. However, as it was passing within 200 yards of my home it seemed churlish not to pay it a visit and see what all the fuss was about. It's a half hour of my life I'll never get back but it's also a half hour I really didn't mind losing. On a stretch of road about 200 yards long there must have been 2,000 people or so. The build up is good with support vehicles and music but the arrival of the Torch itself caught me unawares. It really was quite an emotional thing to see. And the girl with the torch looked ecstatic!

For half an hour I saw no-one arguing, no-one frowning or scowling. Complete strangers chatted away happily together and everyone smiled. Perhaps that says more about the Olympic Spirit than anything else?

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Regards,

kev35

Original post

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17 years 6 months

Posts: 985

We went to see it yesterday in Buxton. According to the news, 15000 people turned out to see it and it seems these scenes have been repeated across the UK.

It is nice to see the British come out in large numbers in support of something good.

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14 years

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Nice set of pictures. We get it down our way next Friday

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24 years 2 months

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For half an hour I saw no-one frowning or scowling.

Good job I wasn't there - load of utter tosh....

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15 years 2 months

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Nice photos there.

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17 years 6 months

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8000 torch bearers supporting and raising money and awareness for good causes, thousands, if not millions of members of the public out to support them in all weathers and enjoying themselves in the process. Utter tosh? Really?

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 6,968

Oh I was with you Bob, utter tosh, right until 12:15 on Saturday when I stood with approximately 2,000 other people on a stretch of road no more than 300 yards long and saw what happened. For whatever reason, and I still don't know myself, I found the entire thing quite moving,

Has it made me want to watch more of the Olympics? No. Has it made me any less concerned about the cost of staging the Olympics and what happens afterwards? No. But it has made me very glad I took the time to go and see the sheer joy on that girl's face and to feel part (once again) of a community which is slowly fracturing due to politics, poverty, Religion, greed and selfishness.

Regards,

kev35

Member for

14 years 11 months

Posts: 894

Good job I wasn't there - load of utter tosh....

Yes, those smiles can be infectious, and we can't have that, can we?

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17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,980

Notice in the second picture when she spots Kev she stops smiling.... :p

Bahh Humbug..

What an absolute waste time and money, they could have beamed the flame directly into the Stadium and used the money they saved to plough into a hospital.

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14 years 11 months

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Not sure that Coca-Cola and Samsung build hospitals.

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 985

Almost everywhere the torch has been it has been met with large crowds and a great deal of enthusiasm - I suppose if you think people enjoying themselves is a waste of time then what can I say?

On a general Olympic theme, this makes for interesting reading.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/london-olympics-business/8641977/London-2012-Olympics-The-Olympic-Stadium-made-in-Britain.html

A massive boost to UK economy in the middle of a recession - sounds like a good idea to me.

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24 years 2 months

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I have since found out that the lady carrying the torch is South African and an employee of Samsung in South Africa.

Regards,

kev35

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17 years 6 months

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Was she a stand-in for someone else? She doesn't seem to appear on the official list.

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24 years 2 months

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Which official list is that? Have you a link?

Regards,

kev35

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24 years 2 months

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I have since found out that the lady carrying the torch is South African and an employee of Samsung in South Africa.

Regards,

kev35

So much for it all being about local people getting to carry the torch...

Oh, of course Will.i.am is a good old Taunton boy - local people my rump...

Member for

14 years

Posts: 4,996

We had the flame twice today, in the morning and afternoon.

Interesting to note that the Police runners and cyclists are from the Metroplitan Police.
Motor cyclists seem to come from various forces.

Morning was damp
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr141/Deetektor/Odds%20and%20Sods/flame.jpg

Afternoon lovely and sunny
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr141/Deetektor/Odds%20and%20Sods/Flame2.jpg

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17 years 10 months

Posts: 877

It comes through Crawley [and will probably get nicked by the chav's:)] on 17th July. From the list it looks like only two actual Crawley residents are carrying it through the town. The others come from among others Kent ,France and Berlin !

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16 years 5 months

Posts: 1,873

did anyone happen to see the clip this week, of the young lad riding his bike a bit to close to the "bubble" which resulted in him being taken to the ground with a security mans arm firmly around his neck?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18756050

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24 years 2 months

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Don't mess with the Flamme Schutzstaffel....

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17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,980

And the comment "causing the cyclist to fall from his bike”.... Yeah right, and that newspaper seller in London tripped over his laces too.... :(

What a bunch of aholes.