Two articles featured below:
Article 1. Chasing the Ubiquitous Olympic Torch 2012
Millions of people throughout Britain have seen and have been chasing the Olympic torch celebrating the third coming of the Olympic Games in UK. The ubiquitous Olympic torch travelled around Britain over 70 days and was proudly carried by 8,000 nominated people (picked by ballot) before the torch journeyed through London boroughs.
Walpole Park Ealing was the perfect venue with its ‘Moment to Shine' open air stage for the torch relay runner to arrive and light the cauldron with the live flame of the Olympic torch on a sweltering summer's day - 24 July 2012.
The captivating Ealing cultural Olympiad entertainment programme & party for the torch relay was staged by LOCOG and presented by Coca Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung to an excited audience in Walpole Park.
A line-up of superb entertainers and entertainment preceded the arrival of the Olympic torch. Their ‘Moment to Shine' had come and shine they all did - the dancers, artistes, acrobats, singers, musicians, ‘Children's Promise,' local dignitaries and local choirs who had entertained an energetic mass of people picnicking in the park.
Excitement grew under a glowing sun before the relay runner (torch bearer) Thomas Thacker arrived on stage carrying the Olympic torch and ignited the cauldron to cheers, a moment eagerly awaited by all present.
Pukkapr features in photos the entertainers' vibrant performances and that memorable episode in Ealing's history and its engagement with the London Olympics, a precursor to the main event and even greater moments to follow at London 2012.
©Article by Amita Chatterji, photos by Gina Chrysanthou
Singer Loick Essien
Torch Bearer for Ealing: Thomas Thacker
Twist & Pulse
Please click link to view the full photo collection published in Gallery: Olympic Torch Relay Walpole Park Ealing
Article 2.
Great Britain Proudly Presents 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony
Ever since Great Britain won the bid for the 30th Olympiad in 2005, the London Olympics committee and organisers have strived hard to organise the Games constructing and creating the Olympic Park and Stadium from waste land in Stratford east London.
On the clement evening of 27 July 2012, Great Britain was gripped with Olympic fever with 80,000 spectators packed into the Olympic stadium.
The Red Arrows had flown over the Olympic Park making their mark before Danny Boyle's ‘Isles of Wonder' with its theme of ‘green and pleasant land' and grassy green fields was revealed to the world at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games. Laid out was an alternative ‘Jerusalem' a romantic rural setting with frisky animals, milking maids and happy cricketers playing near a mighty green mound.
People saw a vignette into Britain's industrial revolution, the towering steamy chimneys of those ‘dark satanic mills' and the poor cowering workers along with the technical development and achievements of that era, including the women's Suffragette movement. Brunel-like figures with a profusion of top hats and tails looked busy going to and fro.
One of the quirky highlights of the Ceremony was HM The Queen being shown to be escorted from the Palace by James Bond 007 (Daniel Craig) and, The Queen then leaping out of a helicopter into inky skies to make her grand entrance in the Stadium. Seeing children sing the national anthem was quite refreshing. However, The Queen appeared unruffled and calm when she eventually declared the Games officially open despite her daring parachute jump escapade...
The praiseworthy NHS was amusingly depicted with vivacious children as patients singing and prancing about on beds while happy-faced nurses danced around the kids in a hospital ward scenario representing Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Make-believe...Pandemonium reigned in Blake's depiction of hell while Milton (perhaps in heaven) saw his ‘Paradise Lost' in Shakespeare's ‘The Tempest' while somewhere on Boyle's ‘Isles of Wonder' Rowling's ‘Harry Potter' character the goulish Lord Voldemort manifested and embarked on sky wars with an army of Mary Poppins. Flashing rocket men ascending into space, luminous blue winged cyclists flying around the Stadium and good or gruesome bedtime stories featuring mysterious characters on magical isles were all part of the great show and experience.
The ever popular Mr Bean (Rowan Atkinson) playing the fool while Sir Simon Rattle conducted the London Symphony Orchestra was quite hilarious displaying a taste of typical British humour.
How would we know the event was in Britain if we didn't have inclement stormy weather so that too was featured in the Olympic Stadium.
At one stage in the ceremony the Union Jack was carried proudly into the Stadium by British servicemen. There were segments in the ceremony when the Olympic anthem was sung, the oaths taken and, the Olympic flag carried into the Stadium by prominent personalities associated with liberty, human rights, civil rights, peace and harmony - the flag bearers all lined up beside the living legend and once fast-talking world famous American boxer Muhammad Ali.
Famous pop bands and singers played a big part providing a musical montage and much entertainment during the evening. And, Sir Paul McCartney rounded off the Olympic Opening Ceremony with his rendition of ‘Hey Jude' an old favourite.
Lord Coe chairman of 2012 and Jacques Rogge chairman of the IOC made their ceremonial speeches followed by the long and colourful parade of nations with exuberant athletes from around the globe.
The Olympic torch carried by David Beckham made its last journey from City Hall arriving at the Olympic Park in a speed boat - the torch was then handed over to Sir Steve Redgrave who in the Stadium passed the torch onto seven young aspiring athletes who finally lit the magnificent galactic cauldron signifying start of the great Olympic Games.
Sponsors of the Games: Coca Cola, Visa and McDonald
© By Amita Chatterji.