Kitchen Garden Forum

As far as I am concerned this years Olympics is NOT a national event, more one to attract visitors to London and, as such, is aptly named London 2012 with anyone North of the M25 having little or no say in the proceedings.

The Olympic stadiums will doubtless turn out to be an entire herd of white elephants and the Olympic Village has already got a pretty dire reputation and it isn't even open yet, as far as I know.

That said, I believe that the Olympic Torch relay is another matter all together, steeped as it is in history and tradition - a trully national event, celebrating local heros from all walks of life.

And so it was that today my little ones and I found ourselves on the Torch Relay route, along with the rest of the school, cheering like mad things and waving flags 'til our arms were ready to drop off.

What a fabulous experience in a year of 'Once in a Life Times...' for my girls, after all the next Monarch with any chance at all of reaching their diamond jubilee will be William and Kates' first born son and the chances of ever being able to see the torch come through an English village again are pretty much slim to none, even for my 5 year old.

No, today was a real feel good occassion - it's just a pitty that the real message of the Olympics has been lost in the modern quest for finance and profit.

VPM
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vegpatchmum wrote:What a fabulous experience in a year of 'Once in a Life Times...' for my girls, after all the next Monarch with any chance at all of reaching their diamond jubilee will be William and Kates' first born son and the chances of ever being able to see the torch come through an English village again are pretty much slim to none, even for my 5 year old.
VPM
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Or daughter as the rite of succession has changed.

glallotments wrote:

vegpatchmum wrote:What a fabulous experience in a year of 'Once in a Life Times...' for my girls, after all the next Monarch with any chance at all of reaching their diamond jubilee will be William and Kates' first born son and the chances of ever being able to see the torch come through an English village again are pretty much slim to none, even for my 5 year old.
VPM
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Or daughter as the rite of succession has changed.

Oops - old age is definitely creeping up on me as I had completely forgotten about that

VPM
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vegpatchmum wrote:That said, I believe that the Olympic Torch relay is another matter all together, steeped as it is in history and tradition - a trully national event, celebrating local heros from all walks of life.

They should be carrying it on its journey on foot though - not busing the thing between photo opportunities. I'm sure they could find enough volunteer runners.

vegpatchmum wrote:lThat said, I believe that the Olympic Torch relay is another matter all together, steeped as it is in history and tradition - a trully national event, celebrating local heros from all walks of life.

An invention of Nazi Germany I believe and nowadays used ad a relentless marketing campaign by the sponsors and the tv.broadcaster,.both pushing thiet products and employees. Coca cola executives and Will.I.Am carrying the torch.

Thank heavens there are some relevant folk getting their hands on torches.

You know I hadn't actually realised that but then when I think of the Torch it's the flame that I'm thinking about and that is steeped in history.

As for the Torch relay itself, yes, maybe that is fairly modern but it is still an event that brings whole communities out whichever country is hosting the games and, for the most part I would think instils great excitment, enjoyment and a real feel good factor in spectators which in this day and age is no bad thing.

VPM
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I don't quite understand this emphasis on the event being "once in a lifetime". There are many people around who remember the 1948 Olympics. The United States hosted it in 1984 and again in 1996. Maybe in 12 years Britain will host it again, if this one doesn't bankrupt us.

FelixLeiter wrote:Maybe in 12 years Britain will host it again, if this one doesn't bankrupt us.

We're lucky the Greeks didn't just post us a box of matches this year, I reckon.

peter wrote:An invention of Nazi Germany I believe

Indeed, Peter.



A rather evil history behind the relay.



The first modern Olympics were staged in 1896 (not so far back in history for us oldies!) Of course they were inspired by


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Well there was me this morning outside the mower shed just starting up my strimmer when in through the top gate come 2 police constables.....hello, hello, I thought......
I leave my strimmer and go to see what they are doing.... Here to do with the Olympic Torch visit they tell me. But it isn't coming here I say...It's following the coast road.
They told me that the GPS had brought them here..

Then I see there is a big van out in the car park with more uniforms to be seen...

Funny thing I noted was that there stood the Constables with handcuffs, baton, etc....and there was me with strimmer harness and secateurs...

There was an ask if I had any hot water for their urn flask...so I obliged and switched on the urn in the tea room...and sorted that one.
Then 2 more vans drove up.... Our house manager had quite a fright when she arrived to meet all this activity..

Actually I suspect they were centrally located and poised to offer immediate response to any incident along the way...

Clive.

I apologise if my enthusiastic reaction to the Torch Relay and my subsequent posting has offended anyone.

Granted the origins of the Relay itself are not the best but you know what, yesterday and everyday since this relay began a community came together and celebrated a lovely, joyous occassion.

Yes, it's true origins should never be forgotten but we have the opportunity with every new Torch Relay to create, by celebrating its' journey, a new more hopeful and symbolic message and we are given, for a short while at least, the chance to be that rarest of things, a community once more.

I do think it's sad that there has to be a heavy police presence (even if hidden in the background) but that is sadly the sign of times that we live in.

VPM
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I think many more people would be happy about the Olympics if it wasn't for the cost. The basic problem is our civil engineering industry isn't fit for purpose. Look at the stadia in Eastern Europe that are being used for Euro2012, they look very good quality and I bet they were built at a fraction of the cost. I gave this opinion to someone in the industry and they said but it is being constructed under budget. If I was budgeted to supply new potatoes at £5 a kilo I would be very disappointed if I couldn't beat it, delivering them at £3 still wouldn't make me efficient. It is the same problem that makes our railways the most expensive in world and makes us unable to afford many other good quality items of infrastructure like roads, schools, hospitals and water mains.

Can anyone tell me why the British Olympic team is called Team GB? To me, it just seems a bit rubbish, a bit Jubolympics. Why can't they just be called the British Olympic Team? By extension, the Austrian team could be Team A, the Belgian team, Team B, the Croatian team Team C and so on. Team A could then play Team B, the winner from which could play Team C etc.

Apologies VPM, I'm a GOM who doesn't conform, I loath the national obsession with watching & discussing sport, especially soccer.

VPM

Apologies from me too; I plead the same defence as Peter, word for word!

Felix

As for team GB, there is no competing nation called Great Britain. The nearest I could find is Great Britain & N. Ireland and that should strictly be the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Team UKOGBANI
Or in Welsh Tîm TUPFAGI