The Olympic torch rally yesterday

I was putting up bunting at 7.0am yesterday outside the Council Offices praying for the weather to stay dry at least until the torch passed by. As steward my patch was from the Council offices along to Stony Lane and then up to B&Q. I surveyed the area and allocated my fellow stewards their locations picking up on where I thought the hotspots would be. At 8.15am the first spectators arrived with folding chairs, umbrellas flasks of coffee and radios. Hang on, I thought this is a bit early, but then more and more people streamed in from all directions to get the best vantage points. Blimey, this was going to be bigger than I thought, more and more arrived until the pavements were full with colourful cheering kids and very happy people. Whistles were blown, flags waved and some very annoying trumpets things blown as everyone waited in great expectation for the procession to arrive. Police arrived and closed the road at Stony Lane as the crowds were spilling onto the road despite the best attempts of my stewards and then the party really began. Kids cheered even more and everyone was just amazingly happy. When the flame finally arrived I must admit being quite relieved as I must have covered about five miles patrolling my patch giving moral support to my team, frankly I was knackered. And then it was all over, anti climax or what? Thousands of happy people dissipated in the blink of an eye and Bridge Street returned to its normal traffic filled function. What a fantastic morning it could have only been bettered if we could have persuaded Jeremy Paxman to lead the procession in a wheel chair. If he had been there he might have portrayed Christchurch in a different light in his recent program about our elderly population. Well done to everyone who attended or stewarded and anything else for that matter, we put Christchurch on the map again, brilliant. And then it rained!!!