Olympics 2012 Day 16

Dr Anne decided that she would go to Stratford early as she had promised to buy a friend a water bottle from the Mega Shop.  In need of some breakfast she ended up at EAT at the corner of St Paul'a Cathedral.  Crowds were gathering for the Men's Marathon.

Dr Anne changed her plans and stayed to watch.  She stood on a window ledge thinking that she would have a good view as the Marathon went round the same track three times.  Her viewpoint wasn't exactly the best but she met a really nice couple, the husband who will be a driver @ the Para Olympics.  

The truck with the camera men ahead of the front runner.

The Ugandan on the second lap.

Crowds snapping and cheering.

Dr Anne headed for Stratford and work.  She had to work her butt off.  She was left to sign in all volunteers and then present them with badges, stickers, baton and certificate.  There followed the cleaning of tables and sweeping of the car park floor.  The three other volunteers had gone off out doors so Dr Anne volunteered to do the meals.  This was quite a task with what seemed like hundreds coming for sandwiches, drinks, crisps, fruit, granola bars etc... This took her around four hours non stop.  The Manager came and took her to the TV with the closing ceremony.  It seemed a bit boring to Dr Anne so she asked if she could go.  She tried in vain to get into the stadium with the firemen and the police women so she went round the stations saying farewell to some of her friends.  

Olympics 2012 - Day 15

Grey Granite usually keeps Dr Anne up to date with the goings on...

Dr Anne was surfing the web and noticed that there was an exhibition at the Royal Opera House - The Olympic Journey, the story of the Games. Dr Anne changed her plans and set off for Covent Garden and the Royal Opera House.  There was a queue so of course Dr Anne just ambled to the end of the queue.  An attendant came and told Dr Anne that volunteers did not have to queue and he brought her to the head of the queue. This exhibition ran from 28 July - 12 August and was free.  

The exhibition was exceptional.  

There were the origins of the Olympic Games with great multi media displays.  

There followed the Modern Olympic Games.

'The important thing is not the triumph but the fight.  

The essential thing is not to have won but to have fought well'  

Coubertin, father of the Modern Olympic Games

Go higher, longer, stronger.

The third room showed all the torches since the 1956 Olympics in Helsinki with clips of film showing the carrying of the torch.  This was quite intriguing.

The last room's central point were the medals from all the Olympics.  This year's are certainly the largest.  Around the room were clips of the world's most famous Olympians with some of their memorabilia.  

The finale was a picture taken with the torch.

Dr Anne headed from Covent Garden to Stratford for her shift.  There is now a lot of work to be done - signing in, giving out stickers, awarding badges etc.  Dr Anne got the job of checking up on those folk that skive from duties.  This took ages as the spelling and pronunciation of names were difficult.  The workers were fed and watered and then Dr Anne cleaned the tables, the chairs and swept the car park...

One more day to go...

Olympics 2012 - Day 14

There is little to report today as Dr Anne had to work her butt off for the first time.  

After a leisurely forenoon Dr Anne met Libby at Hyde Park.  The intention had been to go to Park Live but Libby was due to catch her train @ 1320 and Dr Anne was on duty at 1330.  They eventually went for lemonade @ Henry's Cafe Bar.  They decided that that would be their meeting place in the future.  

Dr Anne headed for Stratford.  There was the usual crowd of people behind the barrier when she arrived.  One got ones orders from the most anal retentive of the crowd.  Andrew was called to the Greenway Gate and disappeared and the rest left at 1400.  This left Alex and Anne with the leader.  There was much to do signing in, giving out stickers and badges, a lucky dip etc... This was the first bit of pressure of the fortnight.  However, once it was over it was the sun cream rounds and the issue of batteries and incident reports.  

Dr Anne's  final task was to tidy the coffee making table, wipe the meal tables and sweep the floor.  The last thing Dr Anne expected when she applied to volunteer at the Olympics was to sweep a car park.  She does, however have the experience of sweeping the garage at home so no dust is left unturned.  People are so untidy.  There were bits of biscuits, crisps,  bottle tops, sesame seeds from the sandwiches...................

Hope there is more exciting news tomorrow.

Olympics - 2012 Day 13

Today was quite a different day.  Dr Anne got a voice mail telling her to go to Stratford for her shift.  Was she happy?

This is today's team.

It was Libby's last day so she was presented with a stainless steel baton. 

Dr Anne was kept busy for most of the day doing her chores - cleaning tables, sweeping the carpark floor, answering queries etc.  She noted that other members of the team were now doing what she had done last week - a rucksack with water and treats.

By half past six most of the chores were complete.  Dr Anne set off to meet her cousin once removed his wife and three children.  They had been to the handball and were watching the big screen.  They all had a beer together and watched the 200 metres final.

Becky, George, Ella, Nick and Harry

Harry came to meet Dr Anne and accompany her to the space where they were seated.  

Afterwards Dr Anne and Libby met up at the Orbit.  They had heard on the grapevine that volunteers got in free between 2130 and 2200. Confident after yesterday's adventure they decided to give it a go.

Dr Anne and Libby at the top of the Orbit with the stadium as a back drop.

A view of the stadium from the top of the Orbit

The stadium from the top of the Orbit.

A nice day with nice people doing nice things..........................

Olympics 2012 Day - 12

Dr Anne was up fresh and motivated again after her two days holiday.  She was on duty at the Greenway Hub.  She arrived in plenty time.  She found out that five people were on duty for a job that two could do easily.  Libby, the young lady from Somerset arrived too, she being a Victoria Gate person too.  One of the volunteers said we could have the day off... 

Dr Anne spoke to the manager who kind of shrugged his shoulders.  Off went Libby and Dr Anne.  They were not angry, they were not sad, they were more frustrated really.  What would they do?  It gets a bit boring walking round the park.  

The two headed for the stadium.  The morning audience was coming out so they just walked in.  They went to the help desk and were told that they should not have got that far and should leave.  They wanted to see the flame.

See the flame they did.

What to do now.  It was around 1430.  They looked around the stadium and breathed it in.  They went up to one of the top seats and sat there very happily.  Gradually around 1600 the staff came on duty but they didn't bother the two.  The public started coming in and with a full capacity audience they had to rethink their strategy.  They went out and edged up to a mature volunteer.  They were told that they shouldn't be there but he wasn't going to report them.  He advised hanging around the food area until the start of the evening session then go to the disabled area and keep moving during the session.

The two went to a corner for supper and chat then after 1830 they went in...  They saw the long jump, the high jump, the javelin, the 100m hurdles semis and final, the 1500 metres final and the 200 metres semis. 

the high jump

competitors for the javelin

women's 1500 metre final

javelin

So what was their high spot?

400 metres semis, Mr Bolt... right there in front of us.

So there you have Day 12...

Olympics 2012 - Time Out

Dr Anne had the day off on Monday and Tuesday, sorely needed.  She set off to the Royal Academy for the annual Summer Exhibition.  There are some established artists and some new.  There are a variety of media.  Dr Anne hasn't quite worked out the best way to view this exhibition.  She just looks and breaths the pictures.

Elizabeth Blackadder had four paintings - a cat, two of flowers and one of the Japanese theme. (See Gray Granite the trip last August was worthwhile.)

Dr Anne particularly enjoyed Bernard Dunstan whose paintings were about music practice.  There was one with a grand piano, one with a harp, one a rehearsal.

There was a gigantic painting by Aselm Kiefer based on the Lebanon and Gaza with a gun called Samson which was pretty awesome and the winner of the exhibition.

Waiting to Know by John Wragg was also a favourite.

From the exhibition Dr Anne crossed the road to buy a bottle of champagne to share with Chiku before they went out on a girlie night.

Chiku and Dr Anne headed for Leicester Square and China Town for supper. The aubergines were to die for.

Afterwards they headed for Chariots of Fire at they Gielgud on Shaftesbury Avenue.  Dr Anne had bought the best seats possible and she and Chiku ended up on the stage at the back of a raised round floor.  The were six rows there in total in three tiered sections.  This was an awe inspiring performance.  It started with 2012 athletes warming up and running around a track among the audience.  The story developed very much as in the film but the impact was something else.  The atmosphere was electric.  Dr Anne nearly stood up and performed as she was so involved.  

There was a standing ovation at the end.

Today Dr Anne and Chiku slept late.  They chatted and they chatted before they headed for Hyde Park and the big screens.  There were four big screens and numerous eating places.  The crowds were sitting on 'bark'.  Seen were gymnastics, dressage, boxing handball and synchronised swimming.

Olympics 2012 - Day 10

Dr Anne has spent a lot of time talking to the team members (the paid last milers) and the volunteers.  She thought she would share.

Many of the team members have been taken from the unemployed.  There is a feeling that they don't have the same motivation as the volunteers, maybe but maybe not.

Some are school leavers waiting for exam results due in a couple of weeks.  One example is of an endearing young guy who is hoping for two A* and an A - Maths, Further Maths and Physics.  If he gets them he will go to Imperial College for mechanical engineering.  If he doesn't get the top results 3 As will take him to Bristol.  He is going to take a gap year and look for an internship.  By that time he should have his British Passport and not have to pay international student fees.  He was so mature in his conversation.  He told one needs confidence and humility to do well.

Dr Anne had three chats with a group of boys who were tired... One is at university doing forensics.  He failed some exams and didn't know if he was going to do the resist.  Another was waiting for his results and the third had messed about at school and was unemployed.  All were worrying about getting a job.

There were quite a number of French, some were given leave of absence from work to attend.  One young lad, at least 7 feet tall works in Paris and has leave of absence with pay.  He got a call a couple of days ago offering him promotion in the organisation in Lyon next spring.  Celebration called.

The volunteers have been mixed.  While some have complained about 'Death by Sandwiches', boring task, no tickets for events, fed up... others have accepted the task with enthusiasm, energy and good nature.

Horses for courses...

Being in uniform the others in uniform smile and chat at the station, in the tube, on the bus, in the street, in the eating places.   Yesterday in the park, a couple were on their way to the athletics.  They were lucky to get two sets of tickets.  Two men were also off to the athletics.  One guy showed Dr Anne different apps for her phone.  (She didn't tell them that she didn't have a phone with internet.)  A family were looking for late tickets and decided to sit and watch Murray.  Two men were going to the cycling.