It all started quite innocently. The sun was streaming in the window and Stella (wisely) decided to enjoy the warm sunshine on her face. At the time she was laying just by the side of the bookcase when something caught her eye. Whatever it was, it was interesting.
She's arrived You have to feel sorry for her, a scrap of nothing on the end of a string. Well, not exactly nothing. A 4 1/2 year old Cairn terrier who goes by the name of Stella (star). Stella that is to the vet. Hooligan to me. Stripped of her rather tatty top coat (she's just had adoreable if unexpected puppies) at the moment she looks like a skinned rabbit. And that's not all. Hale would not have been amused. A paddle in the pond or a puddle is one thing, water polo quite another. Watching two matches in London there seems to be only one rule - how to drown your opponent without the referee seeing (or missing the odd player or two!). With the two matches well supported the first match between Spain and China was a new experience. I had never seen a water polo match in my life. Fortunately LOCOG included a really useful outline of what should (and shouldn't) happen but having chosen water polo simply to soak up the atmosphere of the Olympics at a price I could afford I was simply happy to be there. The second match - Australia versus Italy - lifted the roof. Aussie fans did their team proud (and Skippy enjoyed it too!). From the moment I heard about the planting I wanted to see the Olympic Park. Could it be really as good as the experts said it would be? Given the summer we have had flowers could have been either water-logged (or even under water earlier in the summer) or, given the recent sudden hot summer sunshine, scorched to death. True the earth looked dry between the plants (surprising given all the rain) but swathes of colour co-ordinated cottage garden and wildlife meadow plants glistened in the dappled sunshine. Even dandelions had their day. It is just glorious. After all the questions, all the grumbles, London Transport - thank you. Waiting for the train I suddenly realised I had checked, double checked and triple-checked all the tickets, but had forgotten to pick up LOCOG's e-mail. How to get from Euston to Straford? I could vagely remember there were two changes on the underground but after King's Cross things were somewhat blurred. A lovely gentleman on the train, clearly also headed for Stratford, gave me his take, one change at Oxford Circus. Not being the biggest fan of the underground, I hate downwards escalators, I stopped to ask one of the Olympic folk on the station. Fifteen or so minutes later and a walk to Paddington (the coloured feet and the info. at intervals along the pavement was really great) and the Javelin, the comfortable, fast and regular train direct to Stratford International. The train was packed. Officials, some athletes and lots and lots of excited families all heading to the Olympics. From the warmth of the Olympic folk on the station at Euston through to Stratford - London Transport - well done! A disgruntled little woof tells me the Americans, more affectionately the Yanks, have criticised the Opening Ceremony as being 'too parochial'. Thank you. Yes! Surely that is the best compliment of all to Danny Boyle and a wonderful, British, Opening Ceremony. We're not Atlanta, or Los Angeles or Beijing, we're London! We did it our way. I for one was utterly mesmerised by the impact of the Opening Ceremony, even down to the detail of the photographs of all the volunteers on the girls' dresses leading the countries in the Athletes Parade. Yes I did miss some bits but what I saw was theatre, Hollywood, passion, come to London, but much more a sense of belonging, of pride. Suddenly here was celebration of a country, my country, the land of my ancestors, which was truly awesome. I grew up close to the Sheffield steel industry and to see the Industrial Revolution portrayed as Danny Boyle accomplished it with the beauty of the Olympic rings out of the harsh working conditions of the t was just mind-blowing. I don't care if folk overseas didn't get some of the little asides, was it important everyone understood the theme music to the Archers? this was our wonderful, amazing, incredible United Kingdom. The acoustics were fabulous, the volunteers in every part of the show just amazing. Danny Boyle, you did us proud. And yes, thank you too America for the greatest compliment you could have given. It really was Britain at its best. Had Hale still been with us she would have looked at me as if I was slightly stupid, and with a determined bum of disapproval would have retreated under a chair, the desk or the bed, as if to say 'Count me out!' That's fine. I can live with that sort of disapproval. The Olympics is my once-in-four-years utter delight. I love it and am not really too bothered if she did show disapproval (she did for the Beijing Olympics so am utterly confident she would have done this time). I have booked for the City of Coventry Stadium and at the last minute decided I really had to see Stratford so am off to water polo. But first - the Opening Ceremony. |
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April 2017
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