Olympic flame in Leeds

somme1916 · Post by **somme1916** » Mon 25 Jun, 2012 11:24 am

Oh dear ! Better be careful here.......it's great for the kids(adult kids whoop whoop too) to be involved with the torch affair,but it's bored me to tears in all honesty.I'm not a killjoy but this contraption has had more coverage than Usain Bolt,Jess Ennis,Tom Daley will ever get during the games.The BBC have shown endless hours of it on prime time tv and have really treated it as a subject of national importance.Or is it just because it's darn cheap television ???? ( oooh you cynic,the audience cries).

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Mon 25 Jun, 2012 11:44 am

somme1916 wrote: Oh dear ! Better be careful here.......it's great for the kids(adult kids whoop whoop too) to be involved with the torch affair,but it's bored me to tears in all honesty.I'm not a killjoy but this contraption has had more coverage than Usain Bolt,Jess Ennis,Tom Daley will ever get during the games.The BBC have shown endless hours of it on prime time tv and have really treated it as a subject of national importance.Or is it just because it's darn cheap television ???? ( oooh you cynic,the audience cries). The mind boggles doesn't it?I keep hearing people saying how it's a wonderful thing and we'll never get another chance to see it again, but I can't help look at the bigger picture and think that all it involves is someone running past you holding an object, you can't even see the flame in daylight.To my mind you can sit on a bench in Roundhay Park and watch countless joggers run past you, if your lucky you might catch one holding a rolled up news paper!!Forgive my cynicism, but I just can't find anything of interest in it never mind this wow once in a lifetime thing that's going on!

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Mon 25 Jun, 2012 1:19 pm

So it's not your cup of tea then.One thing that I found quite interesting was to be able to amble all over Headingley lane/North Lane without risk of death. People milling around without traffic made it a much nicer place.

jdbythesea · Post by **jdbythesea** » Mon 25 Jun, 2012 4:11 pm

It's nice to know the flame made its way round Leeds OK but the Games are the LONDON Olympics. I cannot really see how we poor folk up in t' North are going to derive much benefit from them.Having said that, they've got to be better to watch on TV than England's woeful performance against Italy in the Euros last night !JD

anthonydna · Post by **anthonydna** » Mon 25 Jun, 2012 4:24 pm

Would be of more interest to SL if someone found an old picture of the flame from 1948 with a steam train/tram in the background. Or a shot of it coming out of a tunnel.

ArmleyLass47 · Post by **ArmleyLass47** » Mon 25 Jun, 2012 5:30 pm

Good photos I am hoping to get some good ones on Thursday when the Torch comes by my way. I have always wanted to go to the Olympics and watched it on TV since 1960 in Toykio which was memorable because of the theme tune the BBC had for it, if anyone can remember? I was really disappointed with the ticket distribution as I was on their website since about 2008 so hoped I would get some tickets. I did apply for only a few as I wanted to see any field event but especially the Velodrome as I love cycling.My question was Who is your favourite Sports Star, when it cameto buying tickets online the day you could do that, my questionwas What is your favourite food??? As I never said anything about food I could have said worms eaten with glass shards and I would never have got any tickets.So after my disappointment we have decided to travel over 200 milesto some point of the Cycling Road Race that goes through Surrey. Thats the limit of my Olympic memories although the torch is going about a mile away from me so will have a nice brisk walk to see it all.I will be cheering for Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins and hope that Team GB win. I will also be watching the 3 weeks of the Tour de France which starts on the 30th June on Channel 4 or British Eurosport. Most of the whole day on that. I think the reason I like the mens cycling is when I was younger my two elder brothers used to cycle for the Leeds Clarion and bring all of their mates home for something to eat. Talk about imprinting on the mind laugh. Enjoy what you see x

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Mon 25 Jun, 2012 6:13 pm

Phill_dvsn wrote: How does this torch get about so far and fast? Today it's been in Huddersfield, Halifax, Ilkley and then Leeds. I mean it's actually been displayed around these places which is time consuming e.t.c, We'd be hard pushed getting to these places if we only got off at the bus station and headed off to the next destination straight away. I too find the Olympics to be the most boring set of sports you could possibly group together.I really can't see what the fuss is about in all honesty! The torch gets around so quick as they only run through towns with it - between towns it's classed as 'in convoy' which essentially means they all get on the big yellow coach that is following and hightail it with a blue light police escort and no stopping to the next town boundary where they all disembark and start running again, hence being able to get from Salford to Temple Newsam yesterday via 'uddersfield, Brighouse, Halifax, Bradford, Keighley, Skipton and Ilkley.

Richard A Thackeray · Post by **Richard A Thackeray** » Mon 25 Jun, 2012 6:15 pm

Went to watch it at Ackworth, & it was almost an hour late!Mindst you, almost the entier population of the village must have been out on the route!!It stopped over at my daughters School for a while (very nice buildings, so good photo-op?)Riding out towards Badsworth was a nightmare, with the crowds & cars everywhere

Johnny39 · Post by **Johnny39** » Mon 25 Jun, 2012 6:28 pm

ArmleyLass47 wrote: Good photos I am hoping to get some good ones on Thursday when the Torch comes by my way. I have always wanted to go to the Olympics and watched it on TV since 1960 in Toykio which was memorable because of the theme tune the BBC had for it, if anyone can remember? I was really disappointed with the ticket distribution as I was on their website since about 2008 so hoped I would get some tickets. I did apply for only a few as I wanted to see any field event but especially the Velodrome as I love cycling.My question was Who is your favourite Sports Star, when it cameto buying tickets online the day you could do that, my questionwas What is your favourite food??? As I never said anything about food I could have said worms eaten with glass shards and I would never have got any tickets.So after my disappointment we have decided to travel over 200 milesto some point of the Cycling Road Race that goes through Surrey. Thats the limit of my Olympic memories although the torch is going about a mile away from me so will have a nice brisk walk to see it all.I will be cheering for Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins and hope that Team GB win. I will also be watching the 3 weeks of the Tour de France which starts on the 30th June on Channel 4 or British Eurosport. Most of the whole day on that. I think the reason I like the mens cycling is when I was younger my two elder brothers used to cycle for the Leeds Clarion and bring all of their mates home for something to eat. Talk about imprinting on the mind laugh. Enjoy what you see x Hi Armleylass - I do indeed remember the theme for the Tokyo games but without wishing to sound like a know all, I think you are 4 years out. The 1960 games were held in Rome and Tokyo in 1964. I am reminded of this by the fact that I was doing my National Service basic training during the Rome games. I sincerely hope you enjoy your cycle watching. Just a bit of further un-interesting information, when I was finally posted after basic training I was sent to Belgium where we used to use the cafe of the World Road Race champion at that time Rick van Loy (not quite sure of the spelling). Enjoy your sport.

ArmleyLass47 · Post by **ArmleyLass47** » Mon 25 Jun, 2012 6:50 pm

Forgive me young man laugh, I was only 17 in 1964 and as memoriesof old age pensionsers fade, I must now be one of them.Yes it was 1964. We only got a TV in 1958 and I was so shocked by the few programmes we could watch I forgot.lol. Champion theWonder Horse and Popeye were my favourites at that time.My Dad had control of the remote control so whatever Iwatched was at my Dads discretion. Even though I had togive half my wages to my Mum I still had no status untilI left home. You must remember the routine, children wereseen and not heard even though they were now 30 years oldlaugh. Good job God gave the Yorkies a great sense of humour asit was certainly needed. x