Olympic torch crowd total announced (From Essex County Standard)

The cyclists were nothing to do with the torch convoy. They were refused permission to 'escort' the torch so just cycled the route 15 minutes beforehand like any of us could have done. The council are making much more of it than it actually was for the usual 'cycling city' drivel!

As I posted yesterday, I am a big fan of the Olympics and cannot wait for them to start. However, I cannot remember seeing mass hysteria on a nationwide scale like this since Princess Di died. I have no idea why!

I get the pride that many of the runners have - at the end of the day they have done good deeds that have been rightly rewarded by giving them this honour. (By honour, I mean being picked from 1000s of hopefuls). I also get that kids like days off school to shout and cheer and take part in dance competitions. However, I have 2 MAJOR objections to the hullaballoo surrounding the relay.

Firstly, it is the shameless advertising of the sponsers and the fact that the sponsers themselves have runners participating all over the country - they have done nothing worthy at all except work for one of the corporate sponsers - perhaps a reward for meeting a sales target or some glitzy competition winner.

Secondly, and most importantly, is the cost at a time when vital services are being cut, both nationally and locally. For example - Beckfield Lane tip. Closed due to cutbacks. It did benefit an entire section of York's population. Care budgets, cut back. NHS in York having to ration treatment, need I go on? Can anybody point to the long term benefit of having this circus in town? No I thought not.

I had the misfortune of being held back twice on my way to work this morning whilst the "support convoy" was taken, in 2 tranches it was that big, up the A19. Every NYP bike in the force must have been in York as there were at least 15 of them - good job they weren't needed on the roads attending a serious accident. Cost?! There were numerous buses, cars and sponsors vehicles, all of which will have been coddled and cosseted by our fair city. At what cost?!

I am not having a bah humbug moment. If the country was awash with money,I would have no problem with the bit of frivolity, the torch brings. However, the country is broke, York is broke and yet our resources appear to have contributed to the ongoing advertisement of a certain brown fizzy drink. Outrageous! But you know what the saying is - fools and their money are easily parted - says a lot about our esteemed Council leaders!!!”

well said ! Wait till next years budget runs short and the council start laying off staff . It is a fact that nothing in country sport, music whatever can happen without big companies cashing in on the advertising . think this is just the way we have become . Stop buying your Coke and designer sportswear people - that's the only way it will stop . And if you are all thinking the torch was a waste of taxpayers money wait till the opening ceremony !!

AngryandFrustrated wrote:
As I posted yesterday, I am a big fan of the Olympics and cannot wait for them to start. However, I cannot remember seeing mass hysteria on a nationwide scale like this since Princess Di died. I have no idea why!

I get the pride that many of the runners have - at the end of the day they have done good deeds that have been rightly rewarded by giving them this honour. (By honour, I mean being picked from 1000s of hopefuls). I also get that kids like days off school to shout and cheer and take part in dance competitions. However, I have 2 MAJOR objections to the hullaballoo surrounding the relay.

Firstly, it is the shameless advertising of the sponsers and the fact that the sponsers themselves have runners participating all over the country - they have done nothing worthy at all except work for one of the corporate sponsers - perhaps a reward for meeting a sales target or some glitzy competition winner.

Secondly, and most importantly, is the cost at a time when vital services are being cut, both nationally and locally. For example - Beckfield Lane tip. Closed due to cutbacks. It did benefit an entire section of York's population. Care budgets, cut back. NHS in York having to ration treatment, need I go on? Can anybody point to the long term benefit of having this circus in town? No I thought not.

I had the misfortune of being held back twice on my way to work this morning whilst the "support convoy" was taken, in 2 tranches it was that big, up the A19. Every NYP bike in the force must have been in York as there were at least 15 of them - good job they weren't needed on the roads attending a serious accident. Cost?! There were numerous buses, cars and sponsors vehicles, all of which will have been coddled and cosseted by our fair city. At what cost?!

I am not having a bah humbug moment. If the country was awash with money,I would have no problem with the bit of frivolity, the torch brings. However, the country is broke, York is broke and yet our resources appear to have contributed to the ongoing advertisement of a certain brown fizzy drink. Outrageous! But you know what the saying is - fools and their money are easily parted - says a lot about our esteemed Council leaders!!!”

The

R'Marcus wrote:

AngryandFrustrated wrote:
As I posted yesterday, I am a big fan of the Olympics and cannot wait for them to start. However, I cannot remember seeing mass hysteria on a nationwide scale like this since Princess Di died. I have no idea why!

I get the pride that many of the runners have - at the end of the day they have done good deeds that have been rightly rewarded by giving them this honour. (By honour, I mean being picked from 1000s of hopefuls). I also get that kids like days off school to shout and cheer and take part in dance competitions. However, I have 2 MAJOR objections to the hullaballoo surrounding the relay.

Firstly, it is the shameless advertising of the sponsers and the fact that the sponsers themselves have runners participating all over the country - they have done nothing worthy at all except work for one of the corporate sponsers - perhaps a reward for meeting a sales target or some glitzy competition winner.

Secondly, and most importantly, is the cost at a time when vital services are being cut, both nationally and locally. For example - Beckfield Lane tip. Closed due to cutbacks. It did benefit an entire section of York's population. Care budgets, cut back. NHS in York having to ration treatment, need I go on? Can anybody point to the long term benefit of having this circus in town? No I thought not.

I had the misfortune of being held back twice on my way to work this morning whilst the "support convoy" was taken, in 2 tranches it was that big, up the A19. Every NYP bike in the force must have been in York as there were at least 15 of them - good job they weren't needed on the roads attending a serious accident. Cost?! There were numerous buses, cars and sponsors vehicles, all of which will have been coddled and cosseted by our fair city. At what cost?!

I am not having a bah humbug moment. If the country was awash with money,I would have no problem with the bit of frivolity, the torch brings. However, the country is broke, York is broke and yet our resources appear to have contributed to the ongoing advertisement of a certain brown fizzy drink. Outrageous! But you know what the saying is - fools and their money are easily parted - says a lot about our esteemed Council leaders!!!”

The

The "event" was a waste of time and money!

AngryandFrustrated wrote:
As I posted yesterday, I am a big fan of the Olympics and cannot wait for them to start. However, I cannot remember seeing mass hysteria on a nationwide scale like this since Princess Di died. I have no idea why!

I get the pride that many of the runners have - at the end of the day they have done good deeds that have been rightly rewarded by giving them this honour. (By honour, I mean being picked from 1000s of hopefuls). I also get that kids like days off school to shout and cheer and take part in dance competitions. However, I have 2 MAJOR objections to the hullaballoo surrounding the relay.

Firstly, it is the shameless advertising of the sponsers and the fact that the sponsers themselves have runners participating all over the country - they have done nothing worthy at all except work for one of the corporate sponsers - perhaps a reward for meeting a sales target or some glitzy competition winner.

Secondly, and most importantly, is the cost at a time when vital services are being cut, both nationally and locally. For example - Beckfield Lane tip. Closed due to cutbacks. It did benefit an entire section of York's population. Care budgets, cut back. NHS in York having to ration treatment, need I go on? Can anybody point to the long term benefit of having this circus in town? No I thought not.

I had the misfortune of being held back twice on my way to work this morning whilst the "support convoy" was taken, in 2 tranches it was that big, up the A19. Every NYP bike in the force must have been in York as there were at least 15 of them - good job they weren't needed on the roads attending a serious accident. Cost?! There were numerous buses, cars and sponsors vehicles, all of which will have been coddled and cosseted by our fair city. At what cost?!

I am not having a bah humbug moment. If the country was awash with money,I would have no problem with the bit of frivolity, the torch brings. However, the country is broke, York is broke and yet our resources appear to have contributed to the ongoing advertisement of a certain brown fizzy drink. Outrageous! But you know what the saying is - fools and their money are easily parted - says a lot about our esteemed Council leaders!!!”

How very true, mass hysteria , and for what? A commercial PR occasion that provides little for the sports enthusiast and fuming anger in those like me who haven't overdosed on the Olympics drug.I have stopped listening to Radio York in the mornings as I just could not listen to the sycophantic drivel they delivered hour after hour.
The sooner the "interlocking ring thing" is over the better.

80,000 people turned out to see this happen, compare that to the 5 or 6 complaining on this website, and it is fair to say that they are in a very, very small minority.

I agree about the rampant commercialism, but let's be honest - it's saving us a huge amount of money. Without faceless multinationals pumping money into this fiasco, the tax-payer would have to pay even more. Plus the amount of people buying merchandise and related tat, the cost isn't half as much as some grumblers claim. I don't see a problem with it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - a pretty major event, us hosting the Olympics - and the torch will be the closest some people can get to the Olympics. Even if it's not your cup of tea, let's allow people to enjoy it if that's what they're into. When people who by their own confession hate the Olympics, click on an Olympic article just to vent their spleen you can see that actually some folks just want a whinge.

The cycle convoy didn't go down Low Petergate/Kings Square as I was there. Where exactly did it go if it was following the route?

North Yorks police were great as usual. When their motorcycles came down ahead of the torch they provided smiles and entertainment. From the giant teddy bear "riding" with the first officer, to the high fives given out, and even one officer who looked quite serious at first, till he started ringing the bicycle bell he'd fixed on next to his clutch, which produced many laughs that filled the street with lightness.

A few teams of fit looking sports guys followed, including a flatland BMXer who managed to squeeze in some interesting moves.

Overall, the 'experience' wasn't about just the torch, because as I correctly guessed, that went past and out of sight in all of 7 seconds, it was about the whole convoy, the outriders, buses, sports guys, the marshals. I even got to experience the hardened bodyguards for the flame screaming at a advanced age, richly dressed couple who refused to obey the marshals on the route and get on the pavement out of the way of the convoy because they wanted "special" pictures. Although some of the other vehicles, including the Coke bus giving freebies out was of course that commercial aspect. It's not the end of the world.

Although with a showjumper unable to fully keep control of his house at the Knavesmire, it does lead to thoughts about the welfare of the animals to be used in the opening ceremonies in London, particularly in the face of complete bans of use of animals for entertainment purposes.

The Police motorbikes had Metropolitan Police on the side, so I don't think that cost us much if anything.

What did get my back up was seeing the council road sweepers down Bishy Rd twice in one day, when normally they are a very rare sight!

Woody Mellor wrote:
The Police motorbikes had Metropolitan Police on the side, so I don't think that cost us much if anything.

What did get my back up was seeing the council road sweepers down Bishy Rd twice in one day, when normally they are a very rare sight!

Oh, I thought they were ours due to the colour schemes. I did instantly spot the Met car in the convoy as it had a radically different colour scheme, reminding me of one of our local ambulance/doctors cars.

New to this forum but trying to say (and sorry if the last message was posted) I think it's fantastic. We had a great time all day and were thrilled by the torch coming past. Loved every minute of it. Good on you York. Keep up the good work.

Nortonite wrote:
New to this forum but trying to say (and sorry if the last message was posted) I think it's fantastic. We had a great time all day and were thrilled by the torch coming past. Loved every minute of it. Good on you York. Keep up the good work.

Glad you enjoyed it. But what exactly did you enjoy? Lots of advertising? Air and road Police? The er.....fire?


Because Personnaly, I dont get it.
Ok, call me Grumpy Mellor.

NoNewsIsGoodNews wrote:
80,000 people turned out to see this happen, compare that to the 5 or 6 complaining on this website, and it is fair to say that they are in a very, very small minority.

And I think they were complaining bcause they were in a car and couldn't drive as quickly as they wanted to due to not heeding advice about alternative routes.... make of that what you will.

NoNewsIsGoodNews wrote:
80,000 people turned out to see this happen, compare that to the 5 or 6 complaining on this website, and it is fair to say that they are in a very, very small minority.

Look at the population of York and it's outlying areas and then add up the numbers of people who didn't come. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for Olympic support.

The media hyped it, curious apes needing of belonging and something to tell other apes, went along.

Back in the real world, where some of us have to commute for a living to a place that has no early morning public transport, we have no choice but to use our cars in the morning. Unfortuantely, the mass hysteria surrounding the torch relay cut no mustard with my bosses who expected me to be at work on time.

I would have cheerfully used an alternative route - the trouble is, for some of us who live in the city centre, there was no alternative route. No traffic was allowed out of the bottom of Bootham and we were not allowed out onto the A19 because of the convoy!

Oh, and for the record, I DO use public transport as and where I can and I do car share on my journeys to work.

As ever, another ill-informed posting from someone who jumps to conclusions!

I went along I was looking forward to it as I would never get the chance to see it again. I have to say it was a big disappointment.