The Olympics

Despite, over the last year and a quarter of many hours spent at the computer, I was unable to get a ticket for any of the Olympic events; not even for the team synchronised swimming which I particularly wanted to see as the Great Britain team are from my old swimming club in Aldershot. I do however have a ticket for the Paralympics - swimming events in early September and of course the Paralympic road cycling takes place just over the hill from me, so a lot to look forward to.

So instead, I purchased a day ticket (four months ago!) to the park so I could enjoy the atmosphere. It was a great day and I walked my poor feet off, but it was well worth it...

One of the entrances to the Olympic Park through the
Stratford shopping centre

The back of the Aquatics Centre just at the entrance

Main entrance to the Olympic Park

View across the river

The Olympic Stadium and Orbit

The Olympic Stadium

The Orbit

Underneath the Orbit

Wildflowers meadow

Wildflowers Meadow

A lone poppy in the meadow

My lunch view across the meadow towards the Olympic Stadium

The Basketball stadium

The Hockey Stadium

The audience for one of the outside screens

The outside screen

The Velodrome (nickname - the Pringle!)

Wendover - The Olympic mascot and two friends

A new volunteer from downunder!

The Javelin - an historic train journey

As one of the senior stakeholders for Southeastern Railways, I was invited to participate in a historic train journey - the first official running of the Javelin train which will take spectators from St. Pancras International to the Olympic Park at Stratford in approximately 7 minutes. It normally takes about 40 - 50 minutes on the tube!

It meant an early, early start yesterday morning, as I had to be at St Pancras by 6.45am and, as you will see below in the photographs I got there with time to spare! It's surprising how busy the station was even at 6.30 in the morning!

St. Pancras International Railway Station

Trying to find my way to the Javelin train

I finally found the train!
Despite all the confusion of the signs with arrows pointing in the
wrong direction - why? Because they are pointing towards the end of the
queue - it runs the whole length of the station which is immense!!!

One half of the Javelin

Journey's end in 7 minutes - a surprising lack of bunting etc - why?
It's not allowed...

I bought a Great Britain team mascot (I love his smile), to go along side my
New Zealand Kiwi and Australia Koalas which grace my shelves at work
- guess what I teach!

The Olympic torch arrives!

On Day 63 of the Olympic torch relay around the United Kingdom and with just 7 days to go until the opening of the London Olympic Games, the torch finally arrived in Seal, Kent, just a mile away from where I live.

So I decided to take the day off and join the crowds...





With two hours until the torch arrives - first problem, where to stand to get a good view?
I headed for the bus stop

Those grey clouds look ominous!

1 hour to go and Samsung arrive with blow-up banging sticks to keep us amused :-)

Seal Primary School arrive en masse outside the village hall

The police motorcyclists did a marvellous job of keeping us all amused with
high 5's!

With 15 minutes to go and Seal High Street is ready for the arrival of the torch

Looking down Seal High Street

The Seal Library lion strikes the eponymous Usain Bolt pose

The start of the Torch parade

The Coco-Cola float - I missed out collecting a free frisbee taking this photograph :-((

The Samsung float

The Lloyds-TSB float

It's nearly here...!

The next torchbearer arrives - 17 year old Manuel Harris from
Coulsdon, Surrey

The torch is readied and the gas turned on...

Although he said he was very nervous, he was very excited...

The Olympic torch "kiss" when the flame is passed on...

The torch is lit and on its way to Sevenoaks

All the flower displays in the village had a red, white and blue theme and
many people living along the torch route into Sevenoaks held
lunch parties in their front gardens

My freebies!

and finally... my tickets for the Olympic and Paralympic Games have arrived.

Some more works in progress...

Lately,I have been finishing off some blocks that have been sitting around in various bags, which does not get me very far. So, here are some completed blocks from various quilts in progress.

Beyond the Cherry Tree Quilt

Block 13

Block 14

I now have just 11 more blocks to applique and then it will be on with the borders which I have decided to leave until I complete the blocks so I can ensure the borders will fit. I have just noticed that I didn't stitch on an eye for the bird, so not quite complete after all.

Maltaville Album Quilt

A4

F5

I have often wondered at the significance of the Saturn and its' moons block in this quilt, as I think Saturn had been discovered long before 1847 when the original quilt was made. We will most probably never know.

Just Takes 2

8-pointed star

This quilt is coming along very, very slowly. I have two other blocks in progress for this quilt, both applique, but they not quite ready to be photographed.

Finally, a photograph of part of a panel I began when I was in Nantes in April. The panel was designed by Brigitte Giblin for the workshop I took with her, but I have made a few minor changes. I am not showing all of it just yet, but I am thinking that I might let it "grow". I am planning it as my "Olympics" project quilt...

and finally, a box of hexagons - my current rail commuite project.

Thanks for reading my blog!