Friday 20 July 2012

Tracy Carrying the Torch

The Olympic Flame reached Dover yesterday and today it continued through Deal, Sandwich, a tour of Thanet, on then to Canterbury before finally reaching Leeds Castle. Although the torch didn't actually come to St Margaret's the village was represented on both yesterday and today. Yesterday was Jamie Clark's day and today was the turn of Tracy Evans. 

Waiting along the Ramsgate Road at Sandwich was unusually pleasant today, it wasn't raining! The first arrivals of the event were of course the very commercialised sponsors buses and our-riders.I'm a bit old fashioned, but seeing Coca-cola and McDonald's great benefactors sticks in the throat (sorry about that) a bit. Most annoying to me was to see our Union Flag being waved, with the flag on one side and an advert for  a South Korean company on the reverse. A real insult to our national flag.

I was amused when a bus advertising Lloyds TSB came by. I wonder when the paint will come out to make it the Coop TSB bus? Having got over these little annoyances it was time to enjoy the actual event, which in my mind was about the people carrying the torch and not the sponsors. When a bus passed me carrying the torch bearers and I saw Tracy still sitting there I realised that I needed to be further up the road.

Fortunately nothing was moving very quickly and I soon caught up with where Tracy was waiting with one of the official helpers.
These two young ladies said that they were the sunshine girls, as the weather was always good when they were working. Let's hope that they are on duty for most of the next month!

Tracy was now ready and in position for the handover and Team Tracy and friends took the opportunity for photos.

It was just a few minutes before the torch appeared coming down the road towards Tracy.


When the torch bearer arrived there was a quick circular dance before the actual passing on of the flame.

The procedure when extremely smoothly and soon Tracy's torch was burning brightly and there was just time for a photo before Tracy was on the move on her leg of the route.




Passing Team Tracy and the family

Handing the flame on to the next torch carrier.

3 comments:

Kingsdowner said...

A good account on the passage of the torch Tony, and I can report that Deal was packed for the day's start - lovely in the sunshine by the sea too.

I would point out, however, that the Real Torch Relay (which actually runs the whole distance rather than getting lifts in a van) passed through (and indeed got lost in) St Margarets on Wednesday evening, having overtaken the official one.
Six of us applauded the changeover at Deal pier.

http://endurancelife.com/RealRelay/

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much Tony for the great write up and lovely pictures, i would really appreciate all your pictures on disk or I could come around with external hard drive - your photos captured everything the day meant - can not thank you enough :-) Tracy

Sandie Mahon said...

Thank you Tony for great write up of the day. Wow what an event, never to be repeated in my life time, so proud of Tracy. Very emotional day. Well deserved Tracy, as I am sure, the same for other torch bearers. Congratulations to all.