Torch Chasing In East London – Royal London Hospital
My granddaughter was born in the Royal London Hospital. So I had to go along and take some pictures.
The hospital now has been almost completely reconstructed and the famous facade is in the process of being refurbished. Note how in the distance in many of these pictures you can see The Gherkin.
Torch Chasing In East London – Stepney Green to the Royal London Hospital
I then walked along the Mile End Road to then catch the torch at the Royal London Hospital
As I walked I met an engineer of Bangladeshi origin , who had been born in the area and he added to my knowledge of the local history. We did wonder what William Booth would have thought of the Olympics and the changing face of the East End of London. Sadly some of the problems he highlighted and fought are still around.
I wonder how many pictures of the Torch Relay will feature that branch of Barclays at the corner of the infamous Sidney Street in the background. I await the writ from Lloyds TSB to remove my two pictures.
Torch Chasing In East London – Stepney Green
I went torch chasing in East London yesterday. I first took the Tube to Stepney Green station.
The crowds weren’t that big, but this was because most of the people were at Stepney Green itself, rather than on the main road, by the Tube station. Probably sensible, as it is one of the main roads in and out of London.
Where’s the Tour de France
On a day, when we’re going to win France’s most prestigious sporting trophy, where is the action?
Radio 5 has some golf and you can only get fleeting bits between the adverts on ITV4.
The Black Prince, Henry V, Hawke, Cochrane, Nelson, Wellington and John Churchill will all be spinning in their graves. I suspect too,that even the French won’t be very pleased, as I think they’d prefer to see France shown at its best to Les Anglais and also as they’ve rather taken to our Bradley. Perhaps we can all take a leaf out of his book and learn to speak better French.
The Death Of A Friend
I lost a friend yesterday.
I was once told in all seriousness by an old horse coper, that if you think you’ve got a good horse, could you have charged tanks with him, if the Nazis had invaded.
Vague Shot was such a horse! Although, his most notable success, in the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot in 1987 under top weight and in heavy going, was before C and I bought him, he brought us a lot of pleasure. He would have been thirty on the first of January next year, but sadly he had to be put down yesterday, because of that killer of many horses; colic.
I think it is true to say, I’ve never seen a racehorse, who was treated with so much affection by those who owned, rode and cared for him. And he always repaid their affection with kindness! I remember once, where the great Steve Cauthen, who’d incidentally ridden him to victory in the Royal Hunt Cup riding for us in the Newbury Spring Cup. Most jockeys have a short chat with the owners and trainers and then they get quickly mounted. But not Steve that day, as he had to have a chat with the horse as well. But then there are jockeys, great jockeys and Steve Cauthen!
I am not the greatest of riders and certainly aren’t now, but one of my strongest memories of riding, was exercising Vague Shot, or Cyril as everyone called him, around the lanes when we lived at Debach. Remember, he was an entire horse, but when I did this, I would have a pony mare called Sally, with an eight-year-old girl aboard, on a lead reign. She would make eyes at him, but he knew his manners and just made sure she was tucked in behind, where she couldn’t taunt him.
In one instance, we met a large grain lorry on a lane with no space to pass. It rather noisily screeched to a halt.
A horse’s standard defence mechanism is to side-step and run away. I just sat tight, making sure the pony was secure, anticipating being dragged sideways through a rather thick hedge.
But Cyril did something, I’ve never seen before or since on a horse. He turned deliberately left towards the hedge, putting himself between the truck and pony. When he was sure that the truck had stopped moving, he deliberately picked his way along the side, leaving just enough space for the pony to his left. He did point his head at the driver as we passed, but I think, he’d already got the message.
I said he was my friend and he was. In times of stress, I would often go out in the dark and find him to tell him my troubles. But I suspect, I wasn’t the only person who did that, as he always listened. This picture was taken a few years ago.
Vague Shot on a Crisp February Day
There are those that criticise thoroughbreds, but there can’t have been many horses, who could be judged on a human scale, as highly as Vague Shot. He will be sadly missed by all of his friends. And especially, by one person, who looked after him for over three-quarters of his life.
How Do You Get Away From The Golf?
My two favourite channels, BBC 1 and Radio 5 Live are both broadcasting continuous golf. Now I will watch it in moderation, but I’m not keen to have it rammed into both my eyes and ears.
Admittedly, I have the cricket on Sky and soon the cycling will start, but the sooner the Open golf goes to Sky, the better.
As someone famously said, golf is a good way to ruin a walk.
The Olympic Torch Relay is not even on the red button!
A Clash of Cultures In Suffolk
Nothing serious or untimely, but I found this charming tale in the Daily Telegraph about the Rwandan athletes settling into their base in Bury St. Edmunds. Here’s the opening couple of paragraphs.
When Robert Kajuga was served a plate of food shortly after he arrived in Bury St Edmunds earlier this month, there was one item in particular upon it that he did not immediately recognise. It was certainly not anything he had encountered in his home country of Rwanda.
Thus it was that Kajuga, a 27 year-old distance runner who will compete in the Olympic 10,000 metres final on Aug 4, became acquainted with the concept of mashed potato.
“The potatoes,” he says in broken English. “They change the potatoes into, like porridge. Puréed. In our country, we just cook potatoes. We don’t do that.”
Let’s hope that the links forged result in something lasting and positive. Perhaps, we should sent someone like Delia Smith to Rwanda to teach them how to make mashed potato. Especially, if their athletes do better than they’d expected to on the strange foreign food.
Does My Bum Look Big In This?
Just watching the Tour de France and one guy is riding in an outfit with BigMat across his bottom.
It doesn’t do much for his figure!
Smoking And The Open
I just heard on the BBC Open commentary, that Lee Westwood is puffing away between holes.
Surely, this should be banned, as it sets such a terrible example.
Imagine what would happen if Gareth Bale or whoever, had a quick cough and a drag, every time they had a long run upfield.
Are Carluccio’s Putting In Extra Seats For The Torch Relay?
Carluccio’s in Upper Street in Islington is covered in scaffolding, as this picture shows.
Are Carluccio’s Putting In Extra Seats For The Torch Relay?
As the Olympic Torch Relay passes their restaurant on the 26th of July at around 08:20, are they putting in extra seats to take advantage of the expected crowds?
The Anonymous Widower 