Mastercard at the Olympics
Not on VISA’s nelly, as they’ve removed the cash machines that accept them, as is reported here.
I have all three of VISA, Mastercard and AMEX, and generally have them all with me, but for most transactions I use Mastercard, as it helps me keep track of my expenses. AMEX I use for holidays and travel, so that the insurance kicks in and VISA generally takes up space in my wallet.
But no sponsor, is going to tell me which card to use!
I assume they use those credit cards with Lizzie’s picture on them.
Anyway what would I be able to buy at venues, as there might not be any gluten-free food, in which case, I’ll have to take my own.
The BBC’s Description of Today’s Torch Relay Leg
The Olympic Torch is going from Bolton to Liverpool today. I was drawn to their description of the leg on the BBC’s web site.
Through Lancashire and down the coast to Knotty Ash, made famous by Ken Dodd and his Diddy Men characters, via Aintree Racecourse to Liverpool, home of The Beatles, two top football clubs and once known for its wealth as the “Second City of Empire”.
In my view Liverpool may not now be the “Second City of Empire”, but it’s certainly the Second City in the UK.
The description is accompanied by a picture of a horse jumping to victory in the Grand National. I thought for a moment the horse was Red Rum, but the picture is more recent, the colours are wrong and the horse doesn’t have a sheepskin noseband.
Eat your heart out Manchester!
Where’s your historic city centre, world-famous racecourse and amazing river? To name but three!
Off to Liverpool Today
I’m going to watch the Olympic Torch Relay in Liverpool today. It’s going straight through the University, where C and I met. I will just walk up the hill to the Victoria Building.
The weather looks to be reasonably good.
If you are watching the relay on the Internet, today promises to be one of the most architecturally spectacular days so far. The flame is going past the two cathedrals, through the City Centre, past St. George’s Hall, under and over the Mersey and then the evening celebration will be in front of The Three Graces at the Pier Head. Remember that a lot of the centre of Liverpool is a World Heritage Site called the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City.
The Olympic Torch will feel at home as it passes St. George’s Hall, which has been described by Nicholas Pevsner as one of the finest neo-Grecian buildings in the world. In 1967 or 1968, during Panto Week, the students organised a hog roast in front of the hall. I doubt anybody would be allowed to do that now!
Kimi Raikkonen’s Tribute to James Hunt
This weekend at Monaco, Kimi Raikkonen, wore a replica of James Hunt‘s helmet to qualify for the Grand Prix. The details are here. Here’s a couple of paragraphs.
The helmet was a perfect replica of that worn by the 1976 Formula One World Champion, in the same way that Kimi himself makes quite a good replica of James Hunt.
There are lots of reasons to admire James Hunt, ranging from his “sex: breakfast of champions” overall patch to his comment to Niki Lauda in 1978: “To hell with safety. All I want to do is race.”
I remember meeting someone, who’d been at a black tie do, which James Hunt had also attended. He didn’t do black tie, so turned up in jeans and bare feet.
I should say they don’t make them like Hunt anymore. But then they can’t as he was only thirteen days younger than me and you can’t turn the clock back.
The Torch Relay Gets a Health Warning
Apparently, they’re fainting in Haverfordwest as they awat the torch and BBC Wales has issued a health warning, in that they’re telling everybody to bring suntan and a drink.
I would assume that some of the locals will be in traditional Welsh dress a short time later in Fishguard, as if the yeomanry and especially the ladies of the town hadn’t defended so stoutly against the French in 1797, the Olympics would now be taking place this year in Paris. The story is told in this article on the Battle of Fishguard. The part the ladies played is summarised in this paragraph.
The heroine of the hour was Jemima Nicholas, who, with her pitchfork, went out single-handedly into the fields around Fishguard and rounded up 12 French soldiers and ‘persuaded’ them to return with her to town where she locked them inside St. Mary’s Church.
It is thought the French troops may have mistaken local women like her, in their traditional tall black hats and red cloaks, for British Grenadiers when they stood on the cliffs above the British force lined up on Goodwick Sands at the surrender.
Certainly the Royal Oak pub has lived on the tale for more than two hundred years.Although today, the weather may be too hot for a black hat and a heavy red cloak.
Staffordshire’s Finest
Yesterday BBC Radio 5 Live had a big day out at Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium. Apparently, the warm up comedian was Heening Wehn, who describes himself as the German Comedy Ambassador to Great Britain. Then there was an edition of Fighting Talk.
One of the first questions was about who was Staffordshire’s finest sportsman.
The panel went on to choose the obvious, Stanley Matthews, the football legend.
But the greatest sportsman from the county only got a passing reference.
Sydney Barnes was an amazing cricketer, who many pundits reckon was the greatest bowler ever. This is John Arlott’s view of his bowling.
He bowled right arm fast-medium but also had what Arlott called “the accuracy, spin and resource of a slow bowler”. Barnes’ high delivery provided him with a lift off the pitch that forced even the best batsmen to play him at an awkward height. He was clever at concealing his pace and could produce deliveries that were both appreciably faster and slower than his usual fast-medium pace; and could bowl an effective yorker.
In other words, he could bowl just about anything. Even the Australian, Richie Benaud, included him in his greatest cricket team of all time.
Like Matthews he was still playing at an advanced age. I saw a documentary about Barnes in the 1960s and at the age of around 90, he was still working for the local council. He must have been a remarkable man.
Beware the Leo Pig
Roy Hodgson is just seven days older than I am. So that makes us both Leo pigs. For more on this explosive mix of Chinese and European signs read this.
I know it’s all a load of old rubbish, but it seems to give them luck and end up in the right place at the right time.
We also all stick together. So here’s wishing you luck Roy. Not that Leo pigs need it.
They Say the Welsh Aren’t Mad
Read this from the BBC’s text commentary of the Olympic Torch Relay.
Next stop is Pontypridd and we have arrived – and start off with a torchbearer with an interesting tale. A man with a history of taking his clothes off while running, Courtney Maggs-Jones removed an item on each of 16 London bridges he ran across to raise money for local children to fund a new wheelchair. He appears to be fully-clothed today….so far at least as he sets off at a brisk pace.
I rest my case.
Wales Does the Torch Proud
They’re now only an hour or so from Cardiff and the end of the day’s run.
Wales has done the torch proud and it has been sunshine all the way.
The BBC Wales weatherman was warning of too much sun in Cardiff and said to bring sun cream. No comment!
Wales Has The Flags Out
This picture comes from Abergavenny.
Flags in Abergavenny
Wales looks like it’s going to party! I wonder if they’ve solved the problem about where they’re going to park the dragon, when Dai Greene runs.
The Anonymous Widower 