Busy Day on the Isle-of-Man

[curiouswombat]

So - today was the first race day of the TT festival - the rest of this week has just been practice. I went down to church to drop off more carrot cake - only to find that there weren't enough people to keep the snack-bar open - so stayed to help - along with a lovely lady who is new to the congregation and had also only dropped in to drop off cake... three hours later we were still there. I hope we haven't frightened her off!

However, reinforcements arrived and I dashed home, well as much as it is possible to dash when some of the roads are closed so the others are crowded, just in time to pick up my camera and go down to the end of our road to see...




A man on a unicycle. Except that he wasn't really why all the crowds were there -



And finally, after three police cars, two buses, two police motorcyclists, and the man on the unicycle, we finally saw this...



Yes - the Olympic torch went through the village today! And it was lit, honestly.

D-d saw it in Douglas, as it was being handed to someone who carried it on a horse tram along part of the promenade. The flame also travelled by steam train, on the back of a motor-bike, by lifeboat, on the electric tram, and by bicycle - as well as on foot for short periods! I think we were going for some sort of variety record.

Comments

[keswindhover.livejournal.com]

Nice perspective down the street in picture 2 - and I like the Manx flags!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

There is a slightly built up area outside the village commissioners' office - and it struck me as the ideal place to stand... which why I am on a level with the hanging basket.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Very cool!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It isn't the sort of thing you get to do every day, anyway!

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

How fun! And I'm glad you didn't get caught at the snack bar the entire day, or you would have missed the torch passing by!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I would have felt really guilty leaving them short-handed; I was so pleased when the reinforcements arrived in time for me to get home.

The reason we were short-handed is that a large extended family who would usually provide a member or two to the team, were all at an earlier point of the torch relay - one of them was taking part...

[just-ann-now.livejournal.com]

That's exciting! We had the opportunity to see the torch go by the year of the Atlanta Olympics. It's an unforgettable experience.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I was glad to have made it. It would have been sad to miss it when it was actually going through the village!

[jay-of-lasgalen.livejournal.com]

You had a really good viewpoint! It was exciting to see it when it came through our area a couple of weeks ago. I wondered if you'd be able to see it today.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about you when I went down with my camera - I wonder how much of its journey is covered on LJ in photos?

[estelcontar1.livejournal.com]

I bet you were glad reinforcements arrived and you were able to take pictures of the torch. I glad they did, or otherwise we wouldn't have had the pictures. LOL

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I really was thinking 'I must get home to take a picture to share on LJ'!

[brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com]

Aww, nice to see the torch. It is doing its best to avoid me, as I think I mentioned in Coventry!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I really had to go to see, when it literally passed the end of our road - maybe it will come close enough to you later?

[brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com]

Hah. You would think. But no: it's passing the end of my road on a work day. It's passing my work (twice) on a day I'm in central London for a course. And by the time it reaches central London, my course has ended and I need to be back at work! I feel shunned.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Oh dear - I wonder what you have done to the organisers?

[kathyh]

That torch is getting about :) It doesn't get to us for another month and I don't think we'll provide quite that variety of transport! Glad you got to see it :)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It certainly got variety here - I'm surprised they didn't make our winter Olympian, Zoe Gillings, use a skate-board as the weather wouldn't be right for her snowboard - but they let her just run!

[shirebound]

Ohhh, that gives me chills!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I am rather pleased to have seen it - it really is a once in a lifetime thing.

[cbtreks.livejournal.com]

How cool! It's weeks till the Olympics, though, isn't it? I wonder where else it'll travel between now and then.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It is in Northern Ireland today - and <a href="http://www.london2012.com/torch-relay/route/>the route map</a> shows it will eventually cover most of the British Isles, including the Orkneys and Shetlands - at which point it will be a lot closer to Oslo than it will be to London!

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

How cool is that? It was almost like a little parade! I'm really glad you got out in time to see it.
I really like the second photo down the road!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

There were a good number of people out to watch it pass through - the Methodist church was selling teas, coffees, and cake to keep everyone happy whilst they waited, too.

[desdemonaspace]

What fun! I love street fairs. I always love your pic posts.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to be able to cheer your day a bit.

[ayinhara.livejournal.com]

What a treat that must have been!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It really was one of those things that are a once in a lifetime opportunity.

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

Very cool!

I saw the olympic torch when it was making it's way across america for the (I think-- the year they were in LA. I was a teenager) 1984 olympics. It's kind of neat that it's the same flame! We didn't have a unicyclist though LOL!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

This one is travelling near and far and seems to be visiting many of the islands - it is even getting right up to the Shetlands - when it will be much closer to Oslo than it is to London!

I wonder if they'll have a unicyclist?

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

Cool pics! And lucky you getting to see the torch so clearly. It came its nearest to me a week last Wednesday but I was stuck in work.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

One of the children in Sunday School today had a wonderful picture of himself holding the torch - his cousin was one of the runners. We are wondering if we can get her to come in with it for a family service...

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

How fun!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It is one of those rare things that actually is a once in a lifetime events.

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

Oh, so cool to have the Olympic torch there! It's quite unlikely to ever be walked down my streets.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

There are only a few things that really are once in a lifetime event - and this was one of them.