Bereft now the Olympic games have ended!

We’re all a little bit unsure what to do with ourselves here in the UK now the Olympics is over!  But what a great games it turned out to be!  I don’t usually watch so much sport, but have been glued to these games!  Here’s some of my highlights:

1. Jessica Ennis wining the heptathalon despite the enormous pressure on her
2. Usain Bolt winning 3 gold medals
3. David Rudisha new world record in 800m, what lovely style!
4. USA women's 100m (I think) relay team new WR (Love the name: Carmelita Jeter)
5. Mo Farrah winning 10,000m and 5,000m, and his mo-bot!
6. The wonderful support and noise the crowds gave, and how grateful the athletes were!
7. The whole GB cycling team (not to forget the rowing team)
8. That women were allowed to compete in every sport and that every country included women in their teams
9. Nicola Adams winning the first women's boxing Olympic gold
10. Tom Daley winning the bronze in the diving and being so darned happy about it!
11. Going to see the volleyball, being there at a real Olympic event!

That was going to be my top 10, but  I just read out my list to Lucy and she said 'not the volleyball then', so I just had to add another one!!!

Let the (London 2012) Games Begin!

What a spectacular opening ceremony!  Hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did!  Pop over to www.shimelle.com for more pictures like this:

More pictures at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-19020830

Our games began in style yesterday as we went to Earl’s Court in London to watch the volleyball.

The place was swarming with ‘games makers’ – volunteers to help us find our way around.

If you look carefully in the background you can see some of our wonderful soldiers helping out with security.  The ‘airport style’ security was strict but we breezed through with no queueing.

We got to hold a real Olympic torch!

Our seats were right up the top, but we had a great view and the atmosphere was brilliant!  We saw Argentina beat Australia and USA beat Serbia.  The second game was of much better quality as USA are the defending Olympic champions and Serbia are the current European champions.  We had our very own expert on hand to explain everything as Lucy used to play volleyball at school.  She was part of a team that won the Under 16 England championship!

The USA team did some fantastic ‘blocking’ at the net:

 

The sweepers looked quite comical as they ran round with their brooms to clear the court during time-outs!

What a great experience to actually be there at the Olympic games!  Bit of shame that it wasn’t in the actual Olympic Park, but never mind, it was still the Olympics!!!

Don’t think I’m going to get much done over the next 2 weeks, you’ll find me in front of the telly!

CRAZINESS

I want to tell you how CRAZY our country is getting! We have a petrol(gas) shortage, there are long queues at the petrol stations, and many are running out of petrol. The reason? The petrol tanker drivers are threatening to go on strike, and our government (in their wisdom) told us all to take precautions and fill up with petrol every time we pass a petrol station! The tanker drivers haven't even met to vote on strike action yet, and then will have to give 1 weeks notice!!! Now they've said they definately won't strike over Easter, so we're 10 days or so away from any strike. Then one stupid government minister suggested that we all should keep some petrol in jerry cans in our homes/garages
One lady was severely burned yesterday as she decanted petrol in her kitchen with her gas oven alight CRAZY!

To top that the government want to put tax on hot take away food (not cold). We are a nation of pie and pasty lovers, and the take away outlets do very well. But the definition of 'hot' is causing some problem as it is to do with the ambient temperature. So a pie in the summer won't have tax on it, but it will on a cold winters day!!! CRAZY! (Of course, our government ministers are too posh to eat take away pies and pasties!)

In addition we are all up in arms at the rise of the cost of a postage stamp! It's going up form 46p to 60p. The joke going round is that we'd all like to complain, but we can't afford the postage! There will be a run on postage stamps too as we are all being advised to stock up before the price rise! CRAZY!

One man tweeted that he was forced to buy a pasty while he waiting in the queue in the garage to buy his stamps!

These are the everyday things that matter to us as the general public.  The problems with the economy, bankers and EEC affect us all, for sure, but we don’t understand the details, they go over our heads.  But we do mobilise and take action when told to fill up with petrol, and that our beloved pies are going to cost more!  It’s surprising how much anger there is at the increase in the cost of a stamp because the reason it is going up is that we don’t write letters anymore – we text, email, social network and tweet!

Queen Elizabeth II

I am feeling unashamedly royalist today!  Our wonderful Queen has been on the throne for 60 years.  What an achievement!  Here she is today doing a ‘walk-about’ in King’s Lynn Norfolk.

www.bbc.co.uk

She became Queen on the death of her father, King George VI, on 6th February 1952.  She herself was in Kenya when her father died, as she and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh were visiting on the King’s behalf as he was too ill.  How sad that she wasn’t with him!  What a mixture of emotions she must have had!  Have a look here for some pictures of those moments.

Queen Elizabeth has an unerring dedication and sense of duty to our country and the Commonwealth.  Here’s an extract of her message for today.

"In this special year, as I dedicate myself anew to your service, I hope we will all be reminded of the power of togetherness and the convening strength of family, friendship and good neighbourliness, examples of which I have been fortunate to see throughout my reign and which my family and I look forward to seeing in many forms as we travel throughout the United Kingdom and the wider Commonwealth."

www.bbc.co.uk

Queen Elizabeth II and her consort, Prince Phillip

I think we have a brilliant year ahead with double celebration, the Queen’s diamond jubilee, and the Olympics in London!  Bring it on!

Proud to be British

I was inspired by this post to include news items in my blog.  In fact, I do add big events into my annual scrapbook.  Last year I included the general election because it ended in a coalition, and the volcano in Iceland stopping all air travel for 6 days!

So how can I not include this?

Photo courtesy of www.bbc.co.uk

The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  Prince William is second in line to the throne and has married a ‘commoner’.  This is unusual, most heirs to the throne marry from the aristocracy.  I am not very well versed in constitutional matters, nor have any great knowledge regarding the history of the monarchy, but I do admire our Queen Elizabeth II.  I admire her devotion to duty and her impeccable style.  She and Prince Phillip looked fantastic hopping out of the car as they did and both well into their 80s!  I know that they are both still very active in their Royal duties, even at their great ages.  Long live the Queen!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-13231282

I like the ‘pomp and circumstance’ that goes with state occasions such as Royal Weddings and State Openings of Parliament etc. I expect it was wonderful to be there in person today, near Westminster Abbey or on the Mall (there’s no way I was going to try and get to London, or sleep out on the streets as many did).  The atmosphere all over the country is one of rejoicing, lots of street parties and hog roasts!  I think we may have considered a street party here had our children still been young, but all our neighbours children have grown up too!

Having said all that I didn’t watch it live on TV this morning.  I waited until Kate arrived at the Abbey so I could see her dress (which was indeed very elegant) but then went out!  It was nice and quiet on the roads as we drove to Southampton to visit Ikea (more about that in a later post).

I wish the new Royal Couple, now bestowed the title Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, all the very best for a long and happy marriage, and will raise my glass to them later on!

I am surprised at just how much coverage this wedding has all round the world.  Our Royal Family is so well known and loved, over 1/3rd of the world’s population watched on TV!  It makes me feel proud to feel British!