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*Decided to use the first word on the Archers tonight I heard as I was typing the subject
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Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 12 Aug 12 at 03:47
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Watching at the moment. To me it's a bit like one of those quizzes where you really don't care about the answers. It's baffling as a sport - it's not a race, so no clues there, even the poor Canadian girl who has just done a display of "top bombing" according to the commentator looked to be doing OK to me.
Not really a spectator sport unless you are an expert? The gymnastics is a bit opaque to me but at least you can separate the ones who fall off/over from the podium material.
Even makes the synchronised drowning look interesting.
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Diving is only falling off something with panache. I'd never call it a sport.
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>>even the poor Canadian girl who has just done a display of "top bombing
Sponsored by John Smiths then no doubt!
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...in the annals of Japanese table tennis, according to the commentator who sounds like Melvyn Bragg. They are in the final of the women's team event. They are all completely overcome, I nearly cried too.
I'm scraping the barrel here but making the best of it, I seemed to have missed most of the good stuff over the weekend thanks to being involved in putting on the village show.
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>
>> I'm scraping the barrel here but making the best of it, I seemed to have
>> missed most of the good stuff over the weekend thanks to being involved in putting
>> on the village show.
21:50 tonight, the fastest man on earth show. Staring Mr U. Bolt Esq.
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Makes you wonder, well, it makes me wonder anyway, if these guys really are the fastest ever? Or whether there was, somewhere in the dim and distant past, a caveman or someone who could run faster? I mean, if there was a sabre-toothed tiger after you or a wolf or something you'd put a bit of a spurt on wouldn't you? Well I would anyway. What was that thing someone said? Something about if you're being chased by a lion you don't actually have to be able to outrun it. You only have to able to outrun the bloke you're out hunting lions with...
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Sun 5 Aug 12 at 20:49
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>> Makes you wonder, well, it makes me wonder anyway, if these guys really are the
>> fastest ever?
The famous words "since records began"
Or whether there was, somewhere in the dim and distant past, a caveman
>> or someone who could run faster?
Probably. and climb tree like nothing you have ever seen.
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>> Probably. and climb tree like nothing you have ever seen.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7hzyr0tttU
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Booooooooooooooooooooooooolt!
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Anyone surprised Bolt won. I'm not. Well done all the same. He's fast.
I thought it was amusing when he was posing with his fellow Jamaican for some photos when the mascot started running towards them. I think they wanted to hand him the cuddle mascot they were holding as they ran.
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The uncanny part was the silence that descended upon the stadium as they were in the blocks!
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>> The uncanny part was the silence that descended upon the stadium as they were in the blocks!
>>
Not quite quiet.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19143628
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Photos of the incident here.
www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4474104/Olympic-shame-as-bottle-yob-is-lead-away-by-security.html
Seb Coe said, “I’m not suggesting vigilantism but it was actually poetic justice that they happened to be sitting next to a judo player.”
Last edited by: Crocks on Mon 6 Aug 12 at 15:36
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they have let go after determining it was in fact a bottle of Hieneken, official beer to the Olympic Games.
Nice to see a games maker has him by the collar. You need to watch some of them, they are in fact plain clothes plod dressed as gamesmakers.
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...Nice to see a games maker has him by the collar...
That's a fairly intense hair cut you've got there, Zeddo.
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I never knew Richard Branson was in the 100m, never mind win it!
Still:
tinyurl.com/cnfw5py
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>>
>> 21:50 tonight, the fastest man on earth show. Staring Mr U. Bolt Esq.
Mr U. Bolt OR U. Bolt Esq. - not both!
Roger.
Chief Pedant.
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Thankfully all pedants will be left behind when the Ark sales because they will all be complaining about its historical accuracy
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>> Thankfully all pedants will be left behind when the Ark sales because they will all
>> be complaining about its historical accuracy
>>
(A) No, I shall be first on board - pedants need to survive even at the belief of silly fairy tales.
(B) Ark sales. Hmm. For how much did it sell - forty pieces of silver?
Roger.
Duty Pedant for Monday.
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>> (B) Ark sales. Hmm. For how much did it sell - forty pieces of silver?
A pedant is a simple animal, it needs to be fed scraps under the table from time to time.
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I can only hope said ark is being built with dimensional lumber. The size, of course, being two by two.
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>> all pedants will be left behind when the Ark sales because they will all be complaining about its historical accuracy
Rastaman is right though. You don't have to be a pedant to avoid solecisms. Esq. is always used without a Mr. You don't often see it these days though.
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>>Esq. is always used without a Mr.
I cringe everytime I hear someone introduce themselves as Mr. Smith. "Mr." is a courtesy title, you cannot (should not) give it to yourself.
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Back when credit cards were a new thing, a guy I knew, a colleague, filled in the application and instead of ticking a box with "Mr" put "Lord" in front of his name instead.
I don't suppose they checked things like that then or had any method of doing so. Maybe they don't now. I wouldn't know. Anyway, it was always fun when checking into hotels etc in his company to see the exchanged glances.
He became quite fond of his self-granted title and found himself reserving restaurant tables and so on with uncanny ease. Apparently no one ever actually physically tugged any forelocks but some innate sense of servitude was usually to be witnessed despite the fact he drove a Cortina estate !
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>> >>Esq. is always used without a Mr.
>>
>> I cringe everytime I hear someone introduce themselves as Mr. Smith. "Mr." is a courtesy
>> title, you cannot (should not) give it to yourself.
Culled from the Net:-
(edwardianpromenade.com/resources/titles-and-orders-of-precedence/)
"Esquires: Including the Eldest sons of the sons of Viscounts and Barons, the eldest sons of all the younger sons of Peers and their eldest sons in perpetual Succession, the younger sons of Baronets, the sons of knights, the eldest son of the eldest son of a Knight in perpetual succession, persons holding the King’s Commission, or who may be styled “Esquire” by the King in any Official Document."
So call me "Esquire" , you lot!
(Persons holding the Queen’s Commission - even tho' in my case a very long time ago!)
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>> or who may be styled “Esquire” by the King in any Official Document."
... or in other words, any middle-class man or any man at all actually.
Originally perhaps a knight's esquire or servant, bodyguard and apprentice. Some ambitious younger son from the shires making his way in the wars...
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Upset a keen cyclist when I said I was surprised the moped didn't win the keiran even though it had a flying start.
They couldn't explain what the omnia was.
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Upset a keen cyclist when I said I was surprised the moped didn't win the keiran even though it had a flying start.
They couldn't explain what the omnia was.
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Did some googling, and found this: www.flickr.com/photos/55600274@N05/7495259206/
Why am I so attracted to it, I want one.
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www.premierpolytunnels.co.uk/
have i got the right thread?
Last edited by: devonite on Mon 6 Aug 12 at 01:27
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...I had to do a triple take before I got it...
He's a redneck trying to avoid getting a red neck.
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It figures - he's an Aggie.
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On July the 18th:
Just thinking about this advertising ban... how on earth are they going to do the marathon? Will they go out and whitewash any windows and cover signage along the route, so nobody can see it is a Tescos or M&S? Or just employ some clever camera angles?
Yep, yesterday at about 9.6kms into the marathon, there was marks and sparks in full view!
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 6 Aug 12 at 19:57
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Anyone got any info - I first read some info on an e-mail from BMW - but there was scant detail - not much comes up on Google....you see the odd one on the coverage....any more anyone ?
Last edited by: R.P. on Mon 6 Aug 12 at 20:33
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It's to speed up gathering up the equipment and returning it to the athletes - javelins, discii (??), shots etc. I read about it only yesterday...
www.nydailynews.com/news/world/bmw-mini-remote-controlled-cars-big-london-olympic-games-article-1.1129943
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Don't they use something similar in rugby for the thing they put the ball on for penalty kicks?
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>> Mini Driver mentioned here
>>
>> www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19130366
>>
Is the the bloke riding the Derny motor bike in the Keiren allowed to take it home at night?
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I've watched loads of stuff on the Virgin BBC HD channels (550 upwards). Occasional we've had long periods of no commentary - can still hear the stadium sound - and I'm not sure whether they aren't talking or it's a sound fault. However, I can't find anyone else who has noticed the problem (if it is a problem!!)
Am I alone then?
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Had the same experience on t'internet with rowing. I could hear the loudspeaker commentary but no TV commentary for the odd race.
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Because no commentary is provided on some events - Its mostly events with no british interest or competitor. Commentary is provided when its switched to the main channels.
The video feed and event sound is transmitted by the BBC as its received by the OBS (the Olympic Broadcast System)
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 6 Aug 12 at 23:17
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For the most part there was commentary even when the race in question was not on Freeview. - very frustrating when the time was filled with crisp man bluff and bluster and similar time fillers.
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..... is the use of a made up name for one of the venues....
'Eton Dorney'
WTF?????
Its real name is Dorney Lake.
OK... it was Constructed and is privately-owned by Eton College, but Eton is not used in its name.
www.dorneylake.co.uk
Last edited by: swiss tony on Tue 7 Aug 12 at 06:22
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The rowing commentators know it very well as Dorney lake and have called it that when I've been listening. Just avoid crisp man & his posse;-)
I think crisp man has become my pet hate actually. He's never bothered me much on the subjects of snack foods and football, but I now have to cut the sound when he appears, he just can't help pontificating even when he knows nothing.
Clare Balding would have been a better choice. In playing safe with Lineker the BBC has settled for mediocrity.
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Eton Dorney is in fact correct. The venue has been renamed for the duration of the games, to Eton Dorney. It is such on all travel directions, temporary road signs, the Olympics Venue guide and the official Olympics results guide.
This is in the same way that the "O2" for the purposes of the games does not exist and is called "The North Greenwich Area"
So sorry, Crisp Man is right.
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 7 Aug 12 at 08:46
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Probably a good idea to get the locations into the names for the games. Doesn't bother me, that bit.
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Crisp Man obviously know his (Cheese & ) Onions, then. ;-)
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So he is worth his Salt ( and vinegar).....
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He's a prawn (cocktail) as far as I'm concerned.
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>> Probably a good idea to get the locations into the names for the games. Doesn't
>> bother me, that bit.
>>
Thats the point though...
Its not in Eton!
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You have to hand Australia the medal for their names. That last article names their spokesman as "Kitty Chiller". :)
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I had a Aussie colleague who nearly choked laughing when he was dealing with a supplier whose representative was Richard Slipper.....
Not funny until you shorten the forename to ....... 'Dick Slipper '
Last edited by: retpocileh on Tue 7 Aug 12 at 12:00
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My mate, in the fire protection industry, used to work with Dick Slipper - Dick retired 18 months or so ago. Probably the same one...small world eh?
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We are having a velodrome built in Glasgow for Commonwealth games and very impressive it looks. Like the Olympics, a big sales pitch has been the long term improvements that these sorts of facilities can bring.
Now with, for example, a sports centre, it can be utitlised for all sorts of activities, running, badminton, five a sides etc but a velodrome looks to be purely cycling. On top of that, from what I have seen of the cycling, it would appear that having a load of random cyclists on the track at any one time will not help anyone, especially if they are of mixed calibre.
So how sustainable is having a velodrome? I am pretty sure Chris Hoy moved to Manchester?? to train in theirs so are they only for the elite?
I think what I am saying is 2 years after the Olympics / Commonwealth games, what will the respective velodromes be getting used for?
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velodromes, and cycle racing were very popular pre war. Huge crowds used to turn up to watch, people followed teams, much like footie now. Its possible that could return.
Mind you, huge crowds used to turn up for shooting at Bisley. (so many in fact a special railway spur and station were built) , they wont be coming back - ever.
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Aussies seem to be so upset about Team GB winning more medals than them that they have lumped their's with NZ's and invented a new country called ' Aus-Zealand '
I bet the New Zealanders love that !
Ted
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If the Manchester velodrome is anything to go by London should be fully utilised. The white elephant of the games will be the Olympic Stadium.
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>> The
>> white elephant of the games will be the Olympic Stadium.
>>
weren't West ham or Spurs going to take over after the Games?
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>> weren't Spurs going to take over after the Games?
As he said, a White Elephant.
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>> As he said, a White Elephant.
>>
I thought it was a cockerel.
Anyways, I bet OUR white elephant is bigger than YOUR white elephant!
:>)
The only time it has been close to full since 2010 was for the Eagles Concert!
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>> The only time it has been close to full since 2010 was for the
>> Eagles Concert!
What's Hotel California like on Vuvezela?
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Following on from a question I asked in another volume relating to sports funding, there's an interesting BBC piece "Olympic success: How much does a gold medal cost?":
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19144983
The 'pithy' answer to the question is £450 per (gold) medal, but it goes on to state that regarding the £264m funding it's approx 60% lottery and 40% from us (taxes), equating to 80p per year per tax payer. Seems to be pretty good value.
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>> equating to 80p per year per tax payer. Seems to be pretty good value.
No luxury is good value when you haven't the money - it's that kind of woolly thinking that's got us where we are.
And the final para from the BBC -
But with Team GB's haul so far costing each UK taxpayer less than 10p a medal, you won't find too many Britons complaining. Add in a conservative £12bn cost of hosting the games at £400 per taxpayer, and some may not feel quite the same.
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Whats your fastest time ont he google Hurdler?
(hint go to google and press the start arrow)
14.1 seconds.
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 7 Aug 12 at 15:10
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16.3
I'll give it another hour and then it's back to Angry Birds
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15.4...wifey's going to try to beat me!
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Mrs Westpig's just done 13.4..on her 3rd try
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Just back from the Beest family day out in East London - the ExCeL (!) in our case. Don't think I saw Z but I did see a great many of his fellow Games Wombles doing fantastic, good-humoured work in keeping everything and everyone moving in the right direction. Makes me wish I'd dropped my Visa-this, Coke-that cynicism a little earlier and volunteered myself; it looks like fun.
We took the DLR back to Tower Gateway, crossed the bridge and strolled along the bank as far as the Festival Hall. The atmosphere of London en fête is simply magical. Athletes in team uniform are mixing with the crowds - I saw a Chinese one hand his camera to a passer-by to photograph him in front of Tower Bridge, and an American visitor shaking two Russian athletes by the hand just, as far as I could tell, because it felt good.
Truly a Grand Day Out, worth every penny and all that faff last year. Well done everyone!
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My wife who has had contact with a number of Irish and American visitors to the Games - spoke very, very highly of the events. Saying the UK should be proud of the achievement. We don't do pride do we !?? :-)
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www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-19177730
"A new layer of gold has been applied by a Royal Mail engineer, a Sheffield City Council spokeswoman said."
Perhaps I am an engineer when I am decorating my home ? :-(
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At last!
Team GB has come last in a watery final. (Men's Kayak).
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Well - I have to confess that I am mellowing towards this expensive games extravaganza.
I have VOLUNTARILY (!) watched several events now - not horses, not distance running or most field events, but like so many I have been caught up in the cycling, heptathlon, triathlon and some water based events.
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>> but like so many I have been caught up in the cycling,
>> heptathlon, triathlon and some water based events.
The Brownlee brothers in the Triathlon - how do they do it? Gold and bronze despite Jonathon having a 15 second penalty. When interviewed, Alistair Brownlee was told that his 10000m run was only 20 seconds slower than Mo Farah's time. He just said 'Well, it was a personal best'.
The man had just done a mile swim and a 43 km bike ride beforehand. Unbelievable.
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>> >> When interviewed, Alistair Brownlee was told that his
>> 10000m run was only 20 seconds slower than Mo Farah's time.
actually 97 seconds. But he did stroll home wrapped in a flag. Still.. anyone who can run sub-30 for 10kms is something special. So fair do to the man.
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So if he concentrated on the 10k he could become a world beater in that too.
EDIT: I see in the Telegraph they've said he's hinted at switching :-)
Last edited by: rtj70 on Wed 8 Aug 12 at 18:33
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>> actually 97 seconds. But he did stroll home wrapped in a flag. Still.. anyone who
>> can run sub-30 for 10kms is something special. So fair do to the man.
Ah, I was told wrong. 97 seconds? What a slowcoach :)
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>> Ah, I was told wrong. 97 seconds? What a slowcoach :)
:)
27:30 is pretty special; 29:07 isn't by world standards, and it's a big gap to make up - roughly a lap and a half.
Of course as Ian says anything sub-30 isn't exactly slow - I won a few 10ks many years ago, including a county champs on the track, without cracking 30:30. I might have dreamt of hitting 30:00, but 29 - unimaginable :)
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But Farah didn't swim 1500m and cycle 43km before his race. This time is quite amazing IMO.
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>> But Farah didn't swim 1500m and cycle 43km before his race. This time is quite
>> amazing IMO.
Where there's muck there's brass, or gold, so it seems :)
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Haven't seen much of the gymnastics, but this routine by one of Dutchie's compatriots on the horizontal bar is amazing:
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19171008
Just hanging from a bar isn't easy!
I suppose if the bar was vertical it would be pole dancing - well we've got beach volleyball so perhaps next Olympics? :)
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I've missed that Focus.He is a strong lad.Hanging fron anything aint easy.>:)
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We visited the Olympic Park yesterday and watched a couple of events - it's a brilliant place. You could describe it as Disneyland for grown ups. Spent an absolute fortune altogether but adopted the "once in a lifetime (even if you're lucky)" stance.
The GoodYear blimp was flying overhead all the time as it often does at big events. The trouble is I don't suppose too many people knew it was the GoodYear blimp - you've guessed it, it had the right colours but no name on it !
They did allow the airliners passing overhead (LCY & LHR) to keep their logos though !!!
Last edited by: Dulwich Estate on Wed 8 Aug 12 at 13:18
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Yesterday I watched the Team Rhythmic Gymnastics practise sessions.
Its not sport, by some margin, but it sure is a riot of colour, action, artistry and clever choreography.
Well worth a watch..
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>> Yesterday I watched the Team Rhythmic Gymnastics practise sessions.
>> Well worth a watch..
>>
Perve
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>> >> Yesterday I watched the Team Rhythmic Gymnastics practise sessions.
>> >> Well worth a watch..
>> >>
>> Perve
>>
Damn right - women's beach volleyball is where its at!
And that paraguayan javelin chucker!
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Well the highlight for me has been getting a phone call from a colleague from within the Velodrome just as Hoy won yesterday!! What a noise!!!
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>> Well the highlight for me has been getting a phone call from a colleague from
within the Velodrome just as Hoy won yesterday!! What a noise!!!
>>
I went to the Velodrome test event a few weeks ago and just could not believe the noise.
I also did not expect the Olympics to match that all Brit audience but it seems I was wrong.
I have a ticket for the athletics tomorrow so will hear that crowd too.
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talking of shirts, the Aussies are changing their national sporting colours from Green and Gold to Green and Silver, with bronze piping.
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I saw earlier that some Australian woman (politician I think) lost a bet with her UK counterpart over gold medal tally, or something, so will be rowing the Thames...
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>> so will be rowing the Thames...
I thought it was Dorney lake. And she has to wear the GB strip.
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You're probably right, can't even remember where I saw it! Just the word Aussie reminded me...
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It's on all sort of media now. The bet was earlier this year. Here she is on the BBC website:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-19178004
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Jade Jones - Well done ! (Mind you the gold post box will be nicked before the paint is dry)
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I didn`t think town councils could just go around painting post boxes willy-nilly! - I thought that they were Royal Mail property and that they have to be pillar-box Red (for some legal-type reason?)
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I think it's Royal Mail "engineers" who are painting them.
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Diving - Manatee
