Carrying A Torch For Someone

This old expression means ‘to have romantic feelings for – especially when these feelings are not reciprocated’ – which always seems to me to be such a sad situation. But this week, the news relating to torch-carrying has been all about the Olympic Flame.

They have just announced the route round the British Isles which will be used when the flame comes to London in 2012. It gets to Leicester on July 2nd, then goes along the A47 arriving in Norwich on July 4th. Would they care to pop in to Cornerstones for a cuppa en route? It is certainly visiting everywhere – even Orkney, Shetland, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man get a look in! [and apparently HM’s successful trip to Dublin this week now means that city is hoping to get in on the act too]

The torch journey was introduced for the 1936 Berlin Olympics and there have been some interesting stories down the years. As usual, the BBC website is incredibly informative.

A flame is produced from the sun’s rays hitting a parabolic mirror in Olympia, Greece and that lights the torch which travels round the world. But the BBC pages tell us about all the back-ups and stand-by systems in place in case it goes out along the way!

The 2012 torch - which is being created by east London designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby and is due to be unveiled in June - will travel for about 12 hours a day, arriving at the Olympic Stadium on 27 July for the lighting of the cauldron at the opening ceremony. A search for 8,000 "inspirational torchbearers" has also been launched, half of whom will be aged 12-24.

You can nominate someone here

The merchandising campaign is well underway – how about a beach towel [above] decorated with icons for each of 32 activities?

…or something involving the two mascots, Wenlock and Mandeville? OK, I admit, I knew nothing much about them, despite the fact that it is a year this week since they were first launched! [Wenlock named after Much Wenlock, the town in Shropshire where  Baron Coubertin apparently was inspired to start the modern Olympic Movement, and Mandeville after the wonderful Stoke Mandeville Hospital which has helped paraplegics for over 60 years]

Good Old Michael Morpurgo, consummate story-teller!

I have yet to hear of anyone I know who has had details about their application for Olympic Tickets. I shall just watch it on TV!