London 2012 – 62nd Bristol
Day 1 – Wednesday 1st August, highlights:
An excellent morning spent in Earl’s Court watching the volleybal, despite one Scout trying to enter with full water bottle and full wash kit! Thankfully Royal Engineers are very nice people. Part way through Japan and Dominican Rep. Which was a superb match, you should be able to see our luminous banners as part of the Tv coverage. In fact the compare loved us and mentioned our name to the stadium and then appeared just in front of us with his camera with us singing to Robbie Williams!
Lots of peoplehave been super impressed with pur t-shirts, a few even asking where they could buy them.On the way out of Earls’s Court, we were stopped by Japanese television, Clive, George and the rest of the Scouts gave a fantastic interview, with lots of cheering!
On arrival at Covent Garden for lunch and great street entertainment, a photo call with our banners also proved popular amongst the general public, as did the Congo on the way back to the Underground.
All Scouts now climbing, hopefully more tomorrow.!
Day 2 – Thursday 2nd August:
Team ‘no events’ had a lie in, much to the disgust of everyone else who had to rise around 6am. They then proceeded to start an in camp volleyball tournament (not the beach variety I hasten to add…) before making their way to the British Museum. After Dan had been spoken to by 2 burly police officers about pick pocketing (a warning to keep things safe, not something he’d been doing wrong) the Scout sthoroughly enjoyed themselves! Ignoring such world famous treasures for the shop. Leaders relented later on and a short visit to M and M’s world followed, for which the leaders loved just as much as the Scouts loved the British Museum.
When the 2nd round of camp volleyball followed there was a slight delay whilst the JCB digger was removed from the field of play.
Team Archery, trundled over to Lord’s cricket ground, arriving in good time. They discovered there was much to do, archery activity and the small task of popping into Lords’s museum and seeing that small item of The Ashes trophy. The Archery itself was fascinating to watch in a great venue. Lots of items scored, bestis hot of the day though was when a Danish archer managed to miss completely! Best in the world eh…
Team archery met The same Danish archer and Win Ting Tang from Chinese Taipei. Even though she lost, the Danish archery was very friendly!
Team hockey watched Japan vs Korea in the Olympic Park. Australia vs USA was a much better game, but only one goal scored over both games. A stroll around the Park followed.
Team Judo was fantastic, a raucous start, despite not a very good commentator, a slightly duller middle. However, then entered Gemma Gibbons of Team GB, cue mass mayhem! When she progressed to the next round AND the quarter finals, the atmosphere became better and better. Gemma went on to win Silver later in the day. The only tricky bit was her quarter final was against a Dutch lady, Clive happened to be sitting next to a very nice Dutch couple whom we had become very friendly with, slightly awkward to say the least! Still, at least GB won!
Tower Bridge followed, meeting Italians, Americans and lots of others. It’s proving very difficult to walk anywhere hurriedly in pink t-shirts and kneckers!
Day 3 – Friday 3rd August
Media engagements now becoming common, Chris and other Scouts giving an interview for Tv in Georgia, by the end of the week we’ll be known worldwide! To top this, it would appear that Nick and Clive were spotted on BBC celebrating Victoria Pendleton’s route to the final.
Team basketball saw two great matches joining in all the razzmatazz that went with it. They stayed behind at Olympic Park to go exploring. Team hockey joined up with them after their two matches. Being outside they got soaked as their session ended,Thais was in addition to the half way stage when they turn the sprinklers on – quite windy you see! According to Freya the Dutch were rather aggressive, managing to hit a ball into the crowd resulting in first aid for one poor spectator. The other issue was our 62nd banner blended in rather well with the Dutch contingent!
Team archery had a brilliant morning, they stumbled across a certain British archer Larry Godfrey from our hometown of Bristol. Cue lots more cheering and our homemade Bristol banner, not sure he saw it though, sadly, he remained focused throughout. He lost be one point, great match, great atmosphere!
We’ve read in the Evening Standard that Gemma Gibbons of yesterday’s Judo fame has commented on how the crowd yesterday really lifted her in the earlier rounds – we did that!
Other dramatic developments:
Dinner was delayed through team GB cyclists causing distractions winning gold medals.
Cecil wars over camp fire with Daisy outstripping Chris G in the Cecil song stakes.
Day 4 – Saturday 4th August
11:53pm -Beach Volleyball have just returned… Immediate scout quote, ‘we’ve been hyped up to the max!’
In probably the best setting of any Olympic venue ever, Team Beach jived, sang, cheered and shouted themselves hoarse through two highly entertaining games in Horse Guards Parade. The commentator even getting the crowd to cheer for 62nd! To top it off the announcement and re run of Jessica Ennis and co winning Gold added the glitz to an already massively entertaining evening.
Team Boxing was not so exciting. Great boxing, lots of current world champions and also a lot of Cubans, there was also a sterling effort to entertain. Sadly, after about the 6th or 7th bout most of the audience was waning, enthusiasm did pick up towards the end though. Especially for the Australia vs Russia bout, some imaginative chanting!
Cuba proved rather popular amongst a certain two Scouts, amusing the audience around us. Although when one leader leant over and asked if they knew where Cuba was the incredulous reply was ‘over there’ pointing the guy in red.
Another wonderful gem came from a Scout at the beach volleyball, the most famous clock in the world looming over for one Scout to ask: ‘what’s the time?’
We are now being recognised quite a bit, we’ve returned to events and in fact sitting on he underground only for stewards to spot ‘the scouts from Bristol’
We could also have paid for the trip ten times over by selling our t shirts on to everyone who asks!
Day 5 – Sunday 5th August
Here comes the rain! Thunderstorm to be precise, we’ve battened down and abandoned plans to pop into London for the women’s marathon.
Wrestling was a surprise treat, with gold medals being decided, ceremonies and all followed. Iran and Russia were the lucky recipients. Again a superb atmosphere and some great wrestling, with a few controversies thrown in too. excel staff now recognising us! Guy in a high chair with loud hailer bellowed to the thronging crowd to give a cheer for the Bristol scouts – that was even before we were close, he went on query how we got so many tickets, again over the loud hailer. Due to two policeman wandering past Clive felt it necessary to justify this much the bemusement of everyone around!
After thinking we’d got through security one Scout pronounced she’d left her ticket at security… Again, nice people these army guys!
At water polo Shauna and Isabel started the entertainment for the whole arena, adopting some newly made American friends sitting behind in the process. Mikefollowed it so well he couldn’t even recall who was playing Team Gb. A late night walkaround the park followed to see everything lit up, a real treat for those 4 scouts as no-one else was ever there late enough.
Jack has now stormed past 100 high fives from Locog Games Makers, a few armed police thrown in too!
Day 6 – Monday 6th August
Words cannot describe…
80 000 people and a Mexican wave started by us! Well, Daisy actually, but none the less a moment to cherish! To see so many people joining in on something started by us (well Daisy) was absolutely incredible. Lots of Team Gb interest was followed by sore throats and sore hands, especially when the Gb discuss thrower qualified with a massive throw at the last minute. the journey from the station had been entertainment enough, cheering singing, waving, high fives we had the lot.
One group had fabulous seats, placed at the back row above the Olympic flame.
The Team Gb athletes have again commented on the overwhelming response to them from the crowd, it’s been special to have been a part of that.
It’s now back home for a special Team Gb meal of Shepherds pie in a mess tent festooned with union bunting, table cloths, the lot!
Britain should so have the Olympics every year!
See you tomorrow.
Ps. Apologies for all the mistakes, Apple iPad keyboards are appalling!