[Closed] Olympic torch relay - who's going to see?

It's going past the top of my road. I doubt I'll bother.

I am however looking forward to the day after the opening ceremony.

yeah, i reckon so. june 24th it comes north out of Bradford to Skipton, then comes back to Leeds via Ilkley & Guiseley. Quite a few chances to see it on that route

It's going through our village, and the local hotel is doing a mini Olympics for the kids to coincide, so I'll probably take mine along. But only because there's a BBQ as well.

But only because there's a BBQ as well.

Quite right. Priorities, innit.

i might not have a choice... the torch route runs along the only* road I can get home by. Expected time is 17:30, with anticipated road closures and disruption for 2 hours either side of that.

* without massive detour

I will, i'm genuinely quite excited about it. I love the idea of the Olympic flame.

(Although, i just looked on Wikipedia, and apparently the torch relay is a Nazi invention 😯 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Flame )

You're surprised that such a faux classical spectacle was invented by the Nazis?!?

doubt it 7:20 am within 200 metres of my house on a school day .probably not bother tbh

You're surprised that such a faux classical spectacle was invented by the Nazis?!?

Well, yes and no. They really were great at propaganda weren't they?

Sorry - this might be some sort of record for Godwin's law. 😳

apparently the torch relay is a Nazi invention

This is true, but it's been subverted for "good" (or at least the bank accounts of IOC members...).

Im really suprised by the fuss and attraction of the damm thing. I wouldnt even bother to see it if it went past my door. What are you going to see exactly ?

I reckon you should just stage your own instead.

Quite right. Priorities, innit.

Absolutely. If I'm going to spend my afternoon getting jostled and having my house filled with sponsors tat that my kids collect, then there's got to be something in it for me.

Although, i just looked on Wikipedia, and apparently the torch relay is a Nazi invention

vw beetle
the space program (90% were ex nazi scientists)

the list goes on.

Do the torch bearers have to wear McDonalds uniform?

Yep. Passing through my town too we'll be there.

it is going right past the end of my road.... trouble is it is in a van!! Looks like the best way to get to see it is to go to our local BMW garage and pretend to want to buy a car.... you get to even touch it then!
Think I'll give it a miss.

We're taking the tandem over to Stockport and hoping to get a glimpse, parking or driving would be a nightmare.

I'm of to see a good old friend running the torch in Hereford next week

She's from Reddich

Worst still, a girl from Hereford is running with the torch in Reddich

Good old British ineptitude when organising things!!

Stopping in our town, there's a festival on the full week it's on and we've got tickets for the event they're holding the night it arrives. It's something to see and quite like the idea although the Olympics doesn't bother me but it never does in any other country either.

Our town is trying to make the most of it to pull in tourists which is good for the area.

I once carried the commonwealth torch when it was held in Edinburgh running about a mile with it.

My 82yo mate is doing a stretch in Macclesfield, 30 miles away. It passses quite close to his house...

It's passing very close to our house, so yes I think we'll watch it.

Yup, its doing a mini Derby tour in a Friday night, with a bit of a show etc being put on at darley park so yes, me and the tribe will be there!!

Like Drac, there's a thing in Brizzle next Tuesday evening when it stops overnight. Something came up in twitter so I applied for and got four tickets to it. Probably wouldn't have gone otherwise but a free concert should see me get into the spirit a but more. 🙂

Whats the point of it anyways??

I am sure those chosen to run with it feel proud of the fact .. but i really dont get the whole fuss.

80% of the olympic events i wouldnt waste my time watching - so to watch some nobody carrying the torch ..
Total waste of time me thinks.

Yes I got tickets today for the show at the ice arena where Torvil and Dean will do a little dance with the flame when it arrives .

We are in Nottingham.

Drac - Moderator

I once carried the commonwealth torch when it was held in Edinburgh running about a mile with it.

Till the Moderators caught you and made you give it back presumabbly.

Will be in Wirrral coming through the tunnel and back out on the ferry, if nobody nicks it .

Also chester are have ing a fre party on the roodee, that was never advertised with tickets available, that have now all gone, and no umberellas are allowed , pity if it rains.

Passing within a mile of my house.
I probably wouldn't bother but the wife will twine.
Just remember kids "A happy wife is a happy life" 🙄

got to try and figure out how to avoid it as it is going to **** getting home from work next Wednesday. I pass Cheltenham Racecourse every day and apparently they are shutting the roads for a couple of hours minimum at evening rush hour time!!

It appears to be coming through our village on Monday on it's way from Minehead to Taunton, I'll be out of the way at work.

quite glad im stateside when it comes through my village at 4.30 pm

oh and who ever decided it should pass through the haudagain at 8am needs to be shot , hung drawn and quartered .....

Uh no. PITA really. It's going right past the end of the road my college's on on the day of an exam. Otherwise, doesn't really effect me.

yep, Liverpool on the 1st.

I don't have a choice though.. I'm working.

Should be good though

yeah, i reckon so. june 24th it comes north out of Bradford to Skipton, then comes back to Leeds via Ilkley & Guiseley. Quite a few chances to see it on that route

It's coming down Huddersfield Road out of Barnsley the day after, John.
I'll be going to see it in Ackworth or Wakefield city centre on the 25th.

Yep, eldest daughter is carrying it around Inverness, so we'll be up there to watch her. It'll be passing through Ft William on the weekend of the DH world cup.

Didn't Beckham blow it out as he made a wish?

Bah Humbug the lot of you. Stop whining- you can't change it, so make the most of it. I'm really, really excited about the whole thing. I'm going to see it twice, in Swansea one day and Burry Port, where I work on the next day.

I'll be cheering as the bearers go past, especially Youseff Al-Nakashli, a student whom I have taught for the past five years. And Hope Russell, who left my school last year. And Dave Buchanan, who cycled Wales, off-road, end to end and back again in two days, and Mr Clarricotes who has devoted so much of his spare time to helping local youngsters.

It is a once in a lifetime event. It has been decided upon and organised. You might be inconvenienced for a relatively short time but hey ho, so what? Will your life be harmed in any significant way. Will your wages be docked? Will your boss/ friends/ family think worse of you if there is a delay in your schedule due to an internationally recognised organisation passing close-by?

And you are complaining? Despite having prior notice?

Come on folks, get a grip. Stop being so STW cynical. Life is for having fun, let's do it!

Ambrose - spot on

The people chosen have done something special to deserve the honour

I have no interest in the Olympics, but i'm all up for people being recognised for doing something special in the everyday, grass roots level of sport

I'll be super proud when i see my mate Looby Lou running a couple of hundred yards as recognition for her good work in the world of field hockey

Jon- thanks. And Looby Lou- GO YOU!!!

Not really sure I see what's so exciting about it, but will be out with the kids as it comes to within 3/4 of a mile of here and 300m from the local school, and I'm sure they'll be excited.

The only irritating thing is that at 300m from the school it's heading towards the school on the road the school is on, but for some unknown reason they have to get in a van at that point to go somewhere else rather than carry on for a couple of minutes more, which would make logistics far simpler for most people who are likely to be going out to watch it here (I'd expect that the vast majority will be either kids at the school or their parents). It's not even as if there's anything very special in the first 300m of the route here, apart from a petrol station. But somebody clearly knows far better than me where most people would like to watch it from.

Ben Ainsle...proper bloke. I know him.

I see you can watch it live.
[url] http://www.bbc.co.uk/torchrelay [/url]

It's everything I imagined it would be.

What ambrose said

I work for the local paper and will be photographing its journey through the town and up to the border of Mid Wales. It's going to be quite a spectacle seeing everybody on the streets cheering (and laughing at me running)

They will be running with "Hitler's Fire" past my front door at about 5:30 on May 30th. We get to look after our grandson on Wednesday afternoons and 5:30 is the time I normally take him back home. That can't happen as the stormtroopers are enforcing a total lockdown for hours either side.

I haven't decided whether to take him out for the day (at 2 and a bit years he's enjoying scooting his balance bike round the skate bowl in our local park) or to stay at home and ostentatiously turn our backs as the faux symbol is carried past.

Well whatever you choose to do, it sounds like you'll be having fun 🙂

I do sort of look at it like Ambrose and try not to be too cynical about it. But that said, while I'd go and have a look if it was going along the top of my road, I wouldn't really make an effort to go and see it. I'm just not that interested in it personally.

nope. might just be causing traffic jam.

Did anybody see the comedy gold on TV this morning ? When the thing kept blowing out and the Very Subtle Security Guys had to kind of huddle around it holding plastic screens. They should get it a Pope-mobile !

Yes it goes right past my house, having a big garden i mite build a grand stand and charge people £100 each 😈 to sit and watch the torch go past for a bout 5 seconds :lol:, quite cheap considering how much the goverment have spent on the olympics

Gonna ride out to Wells to see it Tuesday morning, trying to drag some mates out for the ride as well. 🙂 Proably only going to get the chance once in my life, might as well take it. 😀

Blimey! Torches on eBay going for £150k+ !!

I didn't know they got to keep them?! One hasn't even run their leg yet!

Personally I think it's a load of bollocks. But if a bunch of people want to stand about watching a flame on a stick go in and out of a van that's fine by me. They probably think I wasted my time riding my bike in the rain this morning and who knows - they might be right.

Yes. Bournemouth - Day 56

yea exeter tomoz.flpiin the bird to all the miserable mofos.quiet looking forward to it.

Two days of this now and not seen any Dirk Hoffman Motorhome signs!!!

I think all STW'ers who are going should hold them up as the torch goes past

Went to see it as it left Plymouth this morning. Distinctly underwhelming. The wife got a promo bottle of Coke, a Samsung inflatable thing but missed out on what looked like a bar end tassle from Lloyds bank. A few minutes later the torch bearer came by, but looked faintly embarrassed by the cheering Janners.
Still, the dogs needed a walk and we got the papers early.

Comes within 500 yards of our house, I'll probably be at work mind...

It's in Bristol on Tuesday evening (when I have a trustee meeting to attend assuming anyone can get to the meeting through all the expected crowds in the centre) and Wednesday morning (when I am running a training course). So looks like I won't be watching it - have to say I'm not really bothered, but really looking forward to spending lots of time watching the actual games on the TV (one of the benefits of being self-employed and working at home).

I think we should have a competition, with prizes for anybody who can get themselves in shot on BBC news doing something interesting in the background as the torch passes. Like streaking, for example.

I saw the torch last night and this morning. Last night was incredible. The amount of people who turned out was astounding in Exeter. There was a massive buzz. It was great.
I feel slightly sorry for the people who can`t get excited about their one chance to be involved in such an amazing celebration.

On the days it passes through Leicestershire (2nd/3rd july) I will be an event marshal and responsible for stopping traffic in advance of the convoy. Quite excited about the event to be honest. So if you're stuck in the jams on those days then sorry about that. But you have been warned, so either plan for it or get over yourself and smile a bit. Its not the end of the world.