You might be aware that the summer Olympics are this year. And they’re in London. And the UK is pretty dang excited about all of this. Part of the build up is the torch relay. The Olympic organizers have come up with this crazy path through the country which they claim takes the torch within one hour of 95% of the population. It’s travelling by foot, plane, boat, train, hot air balloon, horse – there are even rumors that it’s going on a jet pack, though that doesn’t seem all that efficient (or safe) to me. There are 8,000 torchbearers participating & it’s taking about 70 days to weave its way through the nation (which coincidentally would be about how long it would take you to drive to all the places the torch is going because of the quality of the roads around here!).
The Olympic torch came through Bristol last Wednesday morning. We got up early (5 am to be at the location at 7:15 for the torch relay at 8) to see it. There is one ‘iconic’ landmark in Bristol: the suspension bridge spanning the Avon Gorge. The idea for the bridge was first announced in 1754. By 1831 (yes, that is 77 years), they had raised the money to start building the bridge and receive all the necessary permits for construction. We’ve never claimed the move fast over here! Work began on one tower but the project was dogged with political and financial difficulties and by 1843, with only the towers completed, the project was abandoned. Nearly 20 years later when the project was back on track financially, and the protesters were distracted with something else, construction began again. The primary designer/engineer had died in this interim time, so they hired someone new to complete the project. The new guy had to put his little spin on the bridge which makes the two sides just a little different. In 1864, the bridge was finally completed and opened to horse and foot traffic. 148 years later, this bridge carries nearly 12,000 cars a day (for 50p each).
In the lead up to the torch route through Bristol, there had been hype for weeks as to who would carry it across the suspension bridge. The radio & paper said they couldn't announce who would be carrying it as it would cause a security concern. There was speculation from famous Olympians and Paralympians who live near Bristol to local and international celebrities – I mean, if Taunton could get Will.i.am, surely Bristol could squeak out someone I’d heard of.
So in eager anticipation, with Richard & Ginny (in from the US) and our other 5,000 Bristolian friends, we stood at the bridge Wednesday morning.
We however, did not wear the appropriate torch celebration attire. Wish I knew where she got those!
At 8:15, the torch finally got there...it took a wrong turn somewhere earlier in the day & got lost. Adam & I both stared at the woman carrying it as she passed us, but we didn't know who she was. So we asked the woman standing next to us - she didn't know either. Rebecca Pantaney, the torchbearer, won Ladies Team gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in badminton. I don't know that it was the security risk that the city thought it would be. I’d show you a picture of Ms. Pantaney running with the torch, but just as she passed us, the woman in front of us leapt in the air to take a picture and I all I got was the other spectator’s head & no Olympic moment. But, this clip of the fireworks on the bridge with the procession should give you a good idea of what it looked like.
Once the entourage that accompanies the torch passed, we walked about half a mile to the end of the relay route in the city - the torch didn't know the short cut & took the 3 mile path to get there - and got to see it again. By this point, the crowd had thinned a bit and we could see much better.
Only 60 days to go!
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