GB Olympic Football...so the Games begin

Although officially the London Olympics starts on 27th July, Football had the chance to kick off the games with two days of matches prior to the Opening Ceremony. Old Trafford in Manchester was given the privilege of hosting Team GB's introduction to the Men's Football tournament. The chance to attend an Olympic event was too good to miss and I travelled up to the North looking forward to playing my part in ensuring the countries full support was behind the games.



The transport links seemed to be working to full effect and the metrolink got us to the ground without any delays. I was pleased to see the large number of people gathering around the stadium and the atmosphere was jovial with fans of Uruguay, Senegal and Great Britain all having group photos taken with each other. A true good spirited coming together of nations just as the Olympic message promotes.

I was surprised however, to find little else going on to celebrate the Olympics by the organisers, no type of entertainment outside the stadium, no mascots milling around for photo opportunities and little chance to buy Olympic  merchandise. There were however very large groups of security staff and Olympic volunteers congregated in various corners of the outer stadium area just milling around apparently without a purpose.

There then appeared to be queues forming around the area and it came apparent that before entry to the stadium was granted, all bags had to searched, emptied and their contents placed into clear plastic bags in an airport style operation. All ladies handbag contents were there for everyone to see which I presume may have caused embarrassment to some. From there people then moved into the queue to actually enter the stadium again being frisked which in turn was causing long holdups.


Once in the stadium the atmosphere was one of celebration, the excitement of the event was obvious and it was terrific to see so many families meaning young children would experience the Olympics in their lifetime. The large stadium was about 60% full when the first game kicked off, Uruguay versus United Arab Emirates, a game the South Americans would be expected to win at a canter. The game however didn't go to script and the UAE demonstrated an entertaining free flowing style of football that the crowd quickly warmed to. Despite taking the lead, the fairytale ending didn't quite come off as the Uruguayans class finally told as they come back to gain a 2-1 victory. The UAE players had won many friends though and were rightly applauded off the pitch at the end.

I was expecting some kind of entertainment between the two games taking place but again nothing
unless you count the Olympic volunteers throwing a large beach ball in the crowd. Not exactly hi-tech but there again it did distract some people to pass the time until the next match started.


By the time the Great Britain game was set to begin the stadium was full, 72,000 spectators full of anticipation and the noise levels rose as Team GB and the Senegal team entered from the tunnel onto the pitch. Obviously being the host country the majority of support was for the Britons, and despite attending numerous international sporting events in the past, i don't think i have ever heard "God Save the Queen" anthem sung with such passion by the crowd.

The game itself was not the most entertaining and despite GB taking the lead, the crowd seemed a bit distracted as numerous laps of the Mexican wave went round the stadium. The enormous Senegal players began to anger the partisan crowd with their strong arm tactics and it was only a matter of time before a player got hurt by one of their over zealous challenges. Any goodwill from the home crowd seemed to deteriorate as the Senegalese seemed to disregard the referees warnings. They continued to cynically foul the British players resulting in two players suffering game ending injuries. Towards the end Senegal got what was in football terms a deserved equaliser but they certainly wouldn't win  any medals for sportsmanship on this display.

The event had been a total success despite the disappointment the GB fans endured towards the end of the match. It seemed really well organised, transport links seemed to go well and everyone I spoke to had seemed to have enjoyed the event. Yes the queues to get in were long but in turn were only to be expected as security needs to be tight as the Olympics are an obvious target to the terrorist elements. The main lesson to be learnt if going to an Olympic event is to travel as light as possible and above all take in the experience because it is unlikely us Brits will see it hosted here again in our lifetime.

GB Basketball...Olympic Hoop Dreams

As part of the Great Britain Basketball Women and Men’s teams preparation for the London 2012 Olympics, a number of warm up matches were arranged to enable some competitive match practice and the opportunity to fine tune their tactics..The Motorpoint arena at Sheffield, England played host to such an event, a triple header event involving a number of countries gearing up for the 2012 Games and at only £15 for an adult ticket for 8 hours entertainment a fantastic chance to further promote the sport within the UK.

The first match was an International Women’s game between France and the African Champions Angola. The game was not much of a contest with France dominating from the off and comfortably winning by 79 points to 51, disappointingly played in front of a half empty arena.

  

 Next up was the main event, a Men’s match up between Team GB and Portugal, by this time most seats were filled although surprisingly it was still not completely a sell out. This was a chance for the crowd to see probably the best Squad that Great Britain have ever fielded boosted by the inclusion of Chicago’s Bulls star Luol Deng and ex NBA player Pops Mensah-Bonsu, together with a number of other players plying their trade with Europe’s top Basketball clubs.  





 The game was one GB would have been expected to win, very different to the pre Deng days when Britain were constantly the whipping boys across Europe. However, GB got off to a slow start, their flamboyant speed game becoming error ridden, whilst the more conservative, methodical play of the Portuguese allowed them to take the early spoils going into half time break with a 2 point lead. However the 2nd half was a different story with GB giving a sparkling third quarter performance outscoring the Portuguese by 25 points to 6, with Deng finally showing what a class act he is. By the end the GB team had completed a satisfactory exercise winning comfortably by the score of 83 points to 68  and taken another step towards their first Olympic tournament game against Russia who however will be a totally different proposition.

The final match up was between the Women’s GB team and Australia , potential medal winners in the main Olympic event. Team GB started well and kept in touch for a large proportion of the game , but Australia’s class shone through and gradually they took command running away towards the end to win easily by 87 points to 63. The GB women had no answer to the strength and power of Liz Cambage who stood out with 29 points and 11 rebounds, a player who could well take Australia all the way to team Gold in the Olympics.

The whole event was a great family occasion with not only the 3 matches, but plenty of entertainment during the breaks including Cheerleaders, Acrobatic Basketball displays and Giveaways. The whole of the Men’s GB team also spent 30 minutes signing autographs and having photos taken with the fans with Deng being the star attraction, he happily joined in obliging all the requests with a big smile on his face. This was a tremendous PR exercise for the British Basketball association and judging by the star struck faces of some of the fans participating, one that was extremely appreciated. 

 

 

No one can deny the huge strides that Men’s British Basketball as taken in the past couple of years but the Olympics may be that a step too far and as much as I would love them to do well I don’t think they will be troubling the Medal places come the finale of the tournament. However, the “Deng” effect will hopefully allow this progression to develop further and judging by the number of Children at the event together with the interest the Olympics will bring, perhaps Britain may have more NBA stars within their squad come the next Olympics.

Portsmouth...Proud and Historic

It was as a lad of 14 that I had first encountered Portsmouth , a visit that had led to a lifelong interest in a true British hero, Lord Horatio Nelson and his flagship HMS Victory. I was part of a group of school children invited by the Royal Navy Careers service to spend a few days stationed in the city docks as part of their recruitment campaign. They certainly won me over and I would gladly have joined up to serve Queen and country but for the advice of the careers adviser at the time. He was basically a chain smoking metal work teacher who had been forced to do some after school activity that he obviously wasn’t qualified for. There was certainly none of the professional advisers or recruitment specialists that are freely available to school leavers these days that may have led me to a life on the Ocean Waves.

 Despite other visits in my late teens, I found it was a place I had not been to for a number of years despite my continued interest in the Navy and therefore I was relishing my return with all the schoolboy excitement felt many years before.  I started my visit in a place with the unusual name of "The Hard", a busy area due to a bus interchange, close to the entrance to the historical Dockyards. It was here I was afforded my first view of the Magnificent HMS Warrior, Britain's first iron hulled warship built in 1860. The scale of the ship with its enormous masts was stunning, a perfect introduction to the sights they were to come.

Although It is free to walk round the dockyards, if you wish to go into the exhibitions on site or experience life on board any of the historical ships then an admittance ticket needs to be purchased. This ticket allows access to The Mary Rose story, the National Museum of the Royal Navy and the hands on experience of "Action Stations" . Although the free entrance allows you to see the historic buildings and stand next to the infamous HMS Victory, the true experience will only be gained by going on board to get a feeling for the cramped conditions the 800 strong crew must have endured during the many battles they were involved in .Visitors have the chance to see the Great cabin where the senior officers planned the battle strategy, the impressive lines of Cannons on the gun decks and also the place where Nelson finally died. 

The entrance fee also includes a 45 Minute boat trip round Portsmouth Harbour allowing close up views of any of the Royal Navy fleet that are in port. On the day I visited 14 warships including Aircraft Carriers and Frigates were docked giving you the chance to take in the vast size of these vessels.

Just a short walk away from the dockyard is an impressive modern entertainment  complex  "Gunwharf Quays", housing designer outlets, multiscreen cinema, and a massive choice of bars and restaurants. With its undercover pedestrianised avenues, bars over looking the harbour and it's abundance of out door dining opportunities there is a fresh, cosmopolitan feel to the place. Additionally, spaced out across the open thoroughfares were cannons, anchors and eye catching brightly painted figureheads, symbols of the Maritime heritage of the location. 

At the harbour front of the complex is the striking Spinnaker Tower, opened in 2005, the 170m high tower provides the most fantastic views of the area stretching as far as 23 miles away. The artistic design representing a billowing sail fits in perfectly with the nautical theme of the area and is an inspirational landmark for all the boats entering Portsmouth Harbour. At the top of the tower there is an open viewing platform called the "Crows Nest" which is ideal if you have a head for heights, however be prepared to hold onto your hat as it can be very windy. In turn the first deck incorporates a glass floor, again a chance to check ones nerves and also your faith in the workmen who installed it.   

Just a short walk further on is the area known as "Old Portsmouth", full of historical buildings, fortifications and glorious sea views. The character of the streets is still evident and one can envisage the dark stories of the 1800's when the area was associated with the dreaded "Press Gangs", unruly hostelries and drunken Sailors. Thankfully those days are gone but the grim old tales live on through the information boards plotted along the enjoyable Millennium Walkway route. The route takes in places and buildings of interest such as "The Spur Redoubt", a statue commemorating the spot Nelson left for the Battle of Trafalgar and "The Round and Square Towers" part of Portsmouth defence fortifications across the centuries. Close by are the "The Hot Walls" offering the most splendid views of the entrance to the harbour areas. A place where many tears of sadness and happiness have been shed as it is the perfect viewing spot to watch the departure or arrival of the many warships on their stints away at sea.

Within the Old Portsmouth streets are many pubs and restaurants, openly portraying their role serving its customers over the years, The Dolphin being in existence since 1716. I chose my last calling point for the day at the atmospheric "The Still and West" right on the sea front, offering wonderful views whilst sampling gorgeous Fish and Chips served in a quirky newspaper wrapping. It had been a long but rewarding day, totally living up to my expectations, however I would recommend spreading the visit over at least a couple of days. With other attractions in the area, such as The Royal Navy Submarine Museum across the harbour in Gosport, I certainly have an excuse to revisit and I am hoping it is not such a long absence next time.    

I once recall being stood beneath Nelsons column in London hearing a group of children talking about the person on the top of the plinth......I stood there aghast that they actually thought it was Nelson Mandela. As much as Mr Mandela is an icon for his works and fight against apartheid, this saddened me deeply and made me worry for the future of our own historical heroes who have served their country over the centuries. However, like an old soldier putting on his blazer and attaching his medals, Portsmouth relishes the opportunity to showcase its service and achievements for the country. Around every corner are tributes, memorials and statues celebrating the City's role throughout the years. I think it is safe to say that history and tradition is guaranteed to be promoted in Portsmouth, a place that will always remember.

  

Goodwood...The Moving Motor Show

The Marshall stood aside and waved me through, I pressed the accelerator and we were away. This was my chance to drive a £87,000 BMW M5 up the famous Hill course at Goodwood. Who could ask for more, an exhibition were you get to touch, feel and drive the exhibits....

This was the first day of the Annual Goodwood Festival of Speed, a 4 day feast for Petrol heads showcasing an array of cars, motorbikes and even planes. Whilst the other three days would see current F1 stars such as Button, Vettel and Hamilton showing their talents, this first day "The Moving Motor Show" allowed the traditional vehicle manufacturers the chance to utilise the track. This was the day that Joe Public was able to lift off the restraints of their family hatchbacks and get the chance to drive the sort of cars they could only ever dream of owning.


Away from the track there was plenty to keep the large crowds occupied with all the major car manufacturers represented, each with their promotional stands allowing the public the chance to view their latest models up close. The exhibitors ranged from the latest electric vehicles coming onto the market through to the luxury models presented by Bentley and Rolls Royce.

There were photo opportunities available all across the event from that chance to sit in your dream car, a snapshot with the promotional glamour irls or at one of the signing events with celebrities such as Murray Walker. Also a number of hands on opportunities were there to enhance the day including racing simulators, off road driving courses, dodgems donned in Mini livery, through to Lawn Mower racing.



 
This was an excellent event that i'm sure all the family would enjoy, however the kids may have to take a backseat because this was the ultimate playground but predominately an adult one.

Grave Concerns on our Family Holidays

It was whilst reminiscing over our past family holidays that i noticed an in joke between my two teenage children. A remark about graves had resulted in them having a laugh out load moment, a quick look at each other and then a denial that anything was wrong. It was a few days later when quizzing my daughter that the truth finally came out...."well we always seem to end up in a graveyard whenever we go on holiday". I laughed off her comments putting it down to the youthful exaggerations of teenagers on holiday with their parents and not always getting their own way.

I then began to ponder on the claims and suddenly realised that for various reasons there had been a number of visits to cemeteries on our family travels. Whether it be in Europe, the USA or a short break in the UK, it seemed that that a trip to a graveyard had become a regular part of the itinerary.

There had been visits to see the graves of the famous, obviously some of these planned, such as Johnny Cash at Hendersonville, Tennessee and Sir Winston Churchill at Bladon, Oxfordshire, UK. Could it be considered wrong to visit and pay your respects to these people, virtually turning their graves into tourist attractions, particularly when they are just within a normal cemetery or churchyard mingled in amongst others.

In some cases the graves we visited are part of the tour such as Elvis's at Graceland, when after leaving the Mansion you are escorted round to a collection of stones housing his family. Although beautifully laid out in gorgeous settings it does seem surreal to see a long line of people filing past each stopping to take photos from various angles.


Some Tourist boards openly promote gravestones as a tourist attraction with shops in the vicinity of the graveyard selling a whole array of related souvenirs . This was evident when we visited Edinburgh and followed the tourist trail to Greyfriars Kirkyard to see the graves of local policeman John Gray and his dog Bobby subject of the famous story of "Greyfriars Bobby".


Even on our travels to the traditional beach resorts of Europe, it as resulted in several visits to the local cemeteries. I find it intriguing how other countries remember their dead and observing the different layouts and traditions of the burial sites allow me to experience a side of their culture which is not openly promoted. On a recent trip to Sitges, Spain, we happened to walk by a cemetery, so we went in and spent a fascinating hour viewing the most beautiful, ornate headstones and statues. The graves were well maintained, the site was a mass of colour with flowers abound. However, were we right to go in and observe, even though we treated the site with the respect it deserved?

Perhaps the most special and memorable visit to a cemetery came quite by accident. Whilst driving to a beautiful holiday resort called Le Touquet in Northern France, we drove through a town called Étaples . It registered with me that this was where my Great Grandfather was buried after his passing in the First World War in 1918. We changed our plans at an instant and visited Étaples Military Cemetery. The Cemetery was magnificent, a fitting resting place for the thousands who had given their life fighting for their country. The beautifully manicured lawns housed row upon row of white headstones, as far as the eye could see, bringing home the tragedy of the approximately 11,000 lives that had been lost and were now buried there. With the help of the staff checking their records we were able to locate the grave of my ancestor and in turn pay our respects to our family hero.

Overall, on reflection we have visited a number of cemeteries on our travels, but each has given us an experience for very different reasons. However, i feel we have treated each circumstance in the correct manner, showing respect, maintaining protocol and taking into account the feelings of others......except by the looks of things my teenage children's holiday enjoyment....

Golden Memories under Dark Grey Skies

It had been three weeks previous that we had received notification that we had won a place on one of the passenger boats taking part in the Thames flotilla, part of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. Having  passed the required Security clearance and with tickets in hand we prepared to take part in an event that would go down in history just as the last flotilla pageant had in 1662.

On Sunday 3rd June, following an early departure from the Midlands, we finally arrived at our boarding point in Wandsworth with time to spare, witnessing the gradual build up of people making their way to the various vantage points along the Thames route. Despite the grey cold weather the crowds were building, an array of Red, White and Blue, smiles on their faces, a feel good factor was evident. This was a celebration that all walks of life would be taking part in, demonstrated by our boarding party decked in Union Jack dresses, silly hats, blowing horns. This was in sharp constant to the occupants boarding the boat moored by our side, looking like they were on a day excursion to Royal Ascot, it was designer hats and dresses for the ladies, gents in their Suits and ties together with their well educated accents. Although no sign of the Union colours their passion for celebrating the Queens jubilee was obvious.


Our boat, "The Golden Sunrise" was to enter the parade towards the end with the other Passenger boats, this meant we had quite a wait before making our entrance. However it gave us a marvellous vantage point to see the Flotilla come past before we joined on. The weather was being kind, yes it was dark and dreary but dry conflicting with the forecast which had predicted a very wet day.

Then suddenly in the distance coming towards us from Putney Bridge it started, the first of the 1000 vessels taking part in the pageant. The slow process being made was explained as they got closer, a large range of Man Powered Vessels continuing Kayaks, Rowing boats through to the drum beating Dragon boats. The atmosphere was amazing, cheering, shouting and everyone waving at each other has if they were long lost friends.

It was at this time that we realised we would not be seeing the Queens Barge which was entering the flotilla further ahead to lead the procession. This was disappointing but we knew we would have the honour of passing the Royals at Her Majesty's viewing point near Tower Bridge.

 The next group appeared from a distance to be a "Smurf landing party", a group of small boats containing blue people with white hats. However, on closer examination it was sea cadets in a number of boats each displaying a flag of each of the commonwealth countries. The party atmosphere continued as other groups followed, the Dunkirk ships, Historic and Service vessels, Working Boats all different sizes and colours but each housing a group of beaming occupants waving crazily as if their lives depended on it. 

After a massive grouping of Narrow boats passed us, our engines roared and we started to move to take our place in the line, this was greeted by a few drops of rain. As we made our way down the Thames it was evident the crowds were out in their masses, every available space was taken whether that be on the banks, Bridges or  Balconies of the flats overseeing the River. The rain was getting stronger and stronger but it wasn't deterring anyone from enjoying the occasion whether on board the vessels or watching from the sides.
  

The Union flag was everywhere to be seen, particularly on the ever growing army of umbrellas being raised as the torrent of rain started to really lash down. Music, horns and cheers mingled and drifted into earshot from the shore as large gatherings of people could be seen celebrating and acknowledging every single vessel that passed by. Strains of "God Save the Queen" could be heard as our trip progressed, passing under packed bridges, many closed to vehicles for the day to accommodate the large number of spectators.

  

As we approached Tower Bridge we were all soaked to the skin, the rain was now torrential and visibility was poor in the grim conditions but spirits were not dampened as the cheers and waving continued. The time then came for our boat to pass the Royal Family on their platform overseeing the Thames. Luckily her Majesty had come prepared in a white coloured dress allowing her to stand out prominently through the rain filled view enabling us a chance to see her clearly standing beside the other members of the Royals. An opportunity to show our feelings towards her, resulting in our mad cheering and flag waving being greeted by a wave of her hand.

A fantastic ending to a fantastic day!!

I felt privileged to be part of the flotilla, the whole day was a wonderful experience, a true show of patriotism rarely seen on our shores. It highlighted that the monarchy still has a major role to play in the nations interests and the occasion certainly brought the country together in a way not seen for a long time. The weather wasn't the golden sunshine we wished for but the crowds endurance through the pouring rain spoke volumes of what the occasion meant to the Queens loyal subjects.

 

Book Review- The Rough Guide to Bath, Bristol & Somerset

With more Brits holidaying in the UK this year together with the influx of foreign tourists due to the Jubilee and Olympics, information on the British Isles is in much demand. This new offering from Rough Guides covering Bath, Bristol & Somerset is a more than welcome addition to their renown collection of Guides covering all corners of the world. The book covers a wide area of this beautiful region, taking in the Bristol Channel coastline towns, quaint villages off the beaten track, areas of natural beauty such as Exmoor and Cheddar, historical places such as Salisbury, Wells and Bath through to more modern, vibrant cities such as Bristol. The guide book really captures the diversity of the area and in turn makes it an attractive proposition to visit and explore.

The guide book is well set out, easy to follow and its wonderful colour pictures demonstrate the glorious sights to be seen such as the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the "must see" Royal Crescent in Bath. The information listed within gives relevant details on all attractions in the region, what each town has to offer, recommendations on Hotels and Restaurants taking into budget constraints. It also covers in more detail all the usual tourist attractions as well as the less known places that are worth a visit. The 50 plus colour maps in the guide are a tremendous asset making it easier to navigate the area.

I feel this is as comprehensive a guide as you will get for the region and therefore recommend it for anyone planning to visit the area as it will further enhance their experience.

ISBN - 978-1848366053
Publisher: Rough Guides (2012)