The Olympic flame - one can't really say the torch, since there seems to be an infinite number of them - arrived in Hastings last night, as part of its tour round the country. Neighbours had kindly given us a couple of tickets to the official ceremony on the Stade, which we attended with several thousand others. The "ceremony" consisted of a series of acts put on by the sponsors - Samsung, Lloyds TSB and Coca-Cola - comprising hiphop/breakdancers, acrobats (appropriate enough, I thought, for representing one of our leading banks) and rappers. The assembled crowd was encouraged to beat trays supplied by Coca-Cola, wave beribboned sticks supplied by Lloyds TSB and download an app supplied by Samsung. I got the slight impression that the performers were flagging at this stage of their progress, but they did their best. As the show went on the sun gradually disappeared, and threatening clouds loomed from the southwest. Rain held off, however, and finally a rather unathletic figure ran in with the torch, backed up - slightly curiously, after all the trendy stuff we had been put through - by a substantial group of Morris dancers twirling their handkerchiefs. After holding the flame on high as if he'd just won the FA Cup, our torchbearer lowered it above a copper cauldron, lighting a rather alarming fire. I was hoping we would now get a bit of Wagner, but instead we had a community choir singing "Sussex by the Sea" followed by the Hallelujah chorus. The blend of heavy-duty corporate flannel and local eccentricity said it all. Later that night there was a fireworks display on the West Hill, which we could watch with ease from the house.
The flame moved on this morning, after a good night's sleep. The locals don't rise very early, so I gather schoolchildren were bussed in for the occasion, to speed it on its way. I confess we were torched out, but wish it well on its journey!
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