Well That Was A Waste Of B***** Time...
Oh I'm sure that many enjoyed it and managed to see the Olympic Torch pass by as it went through parts of County Durham but quite a few people lining the route(including me...)missed it!
Yes I did!
I stood for best part of an hour. We had the sellers getting rid of Union Jack flags charging £1-£2, tin whistles for £1, something that looked like a table tennis bat, something called a squiggle and little inflatable torches. The children were enjoying it for what their parents bought them as much as the real reason we were lining the streets.
Eventually, we had police on motorcycles coming through and high fiving the spectators lining the route. It was a good promotional exercise for the police. Everyone was smiling.
Wish I'd thought sooner, a few people decided to look up the road from the multi story car park where you got a clear view and no one blocking the view.
Some big lorries coming through ahead of the torch relay getting their advertising across, Real Radio, Samsung, Coca Cola, Lloyds TSB Bank but when the torch carrier came through, blink and you missed her/him.
I thought the torch barer would be out in front alone with some people running behind but the person was surrounded and to be honest they'd passed me and I did not realise. It was only because the spectators were dispersing otherwise I was still waiting to see the torch.
So I saw nothing, it appears that I was not alone and the actual torch only took perhaps 10-20 seconds to pass by.
So I was there and yet wasn't in a way.
As for the souvenirs that were promised to be handed out ahead of the torch relay I never saw any so whether they did, ran out or only gave them out in certain areas.
Of course listening to the local radio coverage it all sounds so wonderful. And different to my experience. So no photo's and not really any memories.
I think from what I have seen on the net(there was a live stream of the relay)Not sure it covered what happened in my town but I found this of a courageous youngster in a neighbouring town, for some reason some of those carrying the torch have not done so in their own town, I'm not sure why.
And the torch was a very brief appearance in my town and this young lad was walking it and struggling, it would have been better to have let him do it here. It would not have been such a long walk for him but would've given us a longer look and hopefully more of us could have caught sight of the torch relay. We saw more of the trucks, the flag sellers and the police on motorbikes.
The link below probably gives the purest and most innocent reason for the torch relay and at his age and after all that he has faced in his young life it will mean so much.
An Olympic Torch Barer
Yes I did!
I stood for best part of an hour. We had the sellers getting rid of Union Jack flags charging £1-£2, tin whistles for £1, something that looked like a table tennis bat, something called a squiggle and little inflatable torches. The children were enjoying it for what their parents bought them as much as the real reason we were lining the streets.
Eventually, we had police on motorcycles coming through and high fiving the spectators lining the route. It was a good promotional exercise for the police. Everyone was smiling.
Wish I'd thought sooner, a few people decided to look up the road from the multi story car park where you got a clear view and no one blocking the view.
Some big lorries coming through ahead of the torch relay getting their advertising across, Real Radio, Samsung, Coca Cola, Lloyds TSB Bank but when the torch carrier came through, blink and you missed her/him.
I thought the torch barer would be out in front alone with some people running behind but the person was surrounded and to be honest they'd passed me and I did not realise. It was only because the spectators were dispersing otherwise I was still waiting to see the torch.
So I saw nothing, it appears that I was not alone and the actual torch only took perhaps 10-20 seconds to pass by.
So I was there and yet wasn't in a way.
As for the souvenirs that were promised to be handed out ahead of the torch relay I never saw any so whether they did, ran out or only gave them out in certain areas.
Of course listening to the local radio coverage it all sounds so wonderful. And different to my experience. So no photo's and not really any memories.
I think from what I have seen on the net(there was a live stream of the relay)Not sure it covered what happened in my town but I found this of a courageous youngster in a neighbouring town, for some reason some of those carrying the torch have not done so in their own town, I'm not sure why.
And the torch was a very brief appearance in my town and this young lad was walking it and struggling, it would have been better to have let him do it here. It would not have been such a long walk for him but would've given us a longer look and hopefully more of us could have caught sight of the torch relay. We saw more of the trucks, the flag sellers and the police on motorbikes.
The link below probably gives the purest and most innocent reason for the torch relay and at his age and after all that he has faced in his young life it will mean so much.
An Olympic Torch Barer
posted by The Great Gildersleeve | 5:23 pm
6 Comments:
Oh dear, Gildy.
Well, I won't bother when it passes by near me then.
You could probably have done with a collapsible stool or some-such while you were waiting.
VQ,
I've tried to be kind and positive about it and wanted to say something nice, I didn't set out to be negative about the torch relay.
Perhaps, some areas are given more importance. I bet that they put themselves out when it reaches London especially for the sake of the media and the images that will be seen around the world on tv.
I hear some areas have bands, entertainment and vans selling food.
A seat would have been nice...its a pity because it was a good turnout.
The local radio is still making a big thing of the torch relay and it all starts again later today...
Where it ended up tonight I think there was a two hour show of music and other entertainment for the crowds attending and they lit a great big cauldron on a stage from which I assume they'll relight the torch in the morning.
Keeps people distracted I suppose! ;)
I must be a terrible curmudgeon as I am not interested in any of these events!
Cx
To be honest a lot of what is done in the celebration of Human endevour or entertainment is pretty pointless and after yesterday, the media whipped up the event and interest but in reality it was nothing at all and you could ask what we actually thought we were going to see.
Not a lot in my town, they were concentrating on the big towns like Durham, Middlesborough and so on. My town was a bit like an after thought, a slight detour.
As I say, I missed it.
It was over in seconds and all I saw was three or four lorries with the logo's of the sponsors, some thumping music with a few girls doing a little dance on top of a lorry and just shouting that the torch was coming soon and some opportunists selling cheap tat.
The coverage on the radio made it sound so different, the presenters are probably scared to appear anything other than upbeat and go along with the spin.
They could report such events and interview without being on either side.
An example...you can say that a lot of people have lined the streets to see the the relay but they hype up the fact that people have turned up.
All the people can do is stand, wave flags and cheer. But they make it sound like so much more and when you have hours to fill I guess you have to exagerate what is happening.
I'm finished now as far as the Olympics.
It's happening in London it might as well be happening abroad. They kept saying about after yesterday the event was going to benefit this area, I don't know how exactly.
The tv and radio will give so much time to it, much will be repeated over and over again and there will be a lot of time with so called experts in the studio filling dead air with hours and hours of pointless speculation.
Carol, It probably is a distraction and various Government officials will be attending, hyping it up and trying to take the public's attention away from the problems this country is suffering and many have in their lives...Most of which have still to come.
The last I read I think it said the games were costing the UK taxpayer £81 Billion.
They say that we are in austere times and we have to tighten our belts but they can always find the money when it suits them.
And if they can't find it, they borrow it. It's been said that the present Government is borrowing as much, possibly more than the previous one but it's not being reported by the media so it's difficult to know.
For some reason the media is not as open as it used to be in the UK.
Ant x
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