Not the best weather to run with a gold lightening rod on fire through the streets but yesterday it was Mansfields turn to witness the spectacle of the Olympic flame as it passed near enough for us to walk to the end of the street for a prime position. The weather wasn't kind, the picture above was taken half an hour before and conincidec with a storm that forced the torch off the road due to flooding and lightening fears.
Although personally I would have been more worried about this which popped up on the Twitter feed as I watched the live tweets. A bit cavalier I think taking an open naked flame into a forecourt full of flammable liquids. Hope they remembered to switch off their mobile phones. I had visions of Mansfield becoming known for the accidental destruction of the Olympic flame and support crew with lightening striking the torch rendering everyone within twenty feet to suffer a fate similar to crossing the plasma streams in Ghostbusters whilst the entire firecourt exploded in a fireball that could be seen from space and made the residents of nearby Nottingham applaud as they believed they were witnessing Mansfields Olympic sized firework celebrations. Needless to say it didn't happen that way and the torch safely made its way through the town.
Mansfield did the right thing on the day and the whole event, despite the rain was a real credit to its people. At the end of our street the crowds had swelled, far more than I would have imagined there to be and cheering could be heard in the distance. School children stood proud with their banners, people waved flags and the sound of chatter and laughing seemed to fill the quiet car free streets.
So, another moment in history goes by, it may have only been a few minutes to come and go but it did achieve what it was supposed to do, make us feel proud and for once bought us all together to witness it.
Posted with Blogsy
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