Cool Britannia

It's taken me a good week to decide what to write about next. After inspiration-overload in France, our first week in the UK has been filled with such mundane matters as SIM cards, Sainsbury's and train timetables.

We spent a weekend with old friends (well, late 70s, perhaps not sooo old) who live near Ely. They showed us the countryside they love: the flat fields and wide skies of the Fens. Turning marsh into arable land in the 17th century was an engineering feat which advanced agriculture and increased the wealth of the wealthy while also destroying the homes and livelihoods of its not-so-wealthy inhabitants. Quick history lesson

Ely Cathedral, 'The Ship of the Fens', floats on the horizon

Returning to London this week was something of a contrast. It's a city we have lived in before (once again, one does not like to think of oneself as a tourist) but ... this is London 2012, a city revitalised for the Olympic Games. And run by the ubiquitous Boris, Mayor of London, whose voice can be heard even in the Underground.


The transport system has had an upgrade, there's a cable car across the Thames (the Emirates Air-Line, it's called)...and of course the Olympic complex is a brand new build. Following on from the Royal Jubilee and the rise in popularity of their royal hotnesses Will and Kate, it's pretty cool to be on Team GB right now.


We've been to three Olympic events so far. Eton Dorney, near Windsor racecourse, is the venue for rowing. After an epic train trip (think sardines standing on their tails in the tin), double decker bus ride and long walk, we found our seats in the stands close to the finish line.

It was a session of repechages and semis but good fun nonetheless. Seeing Mahe Drysdale win his single sculls quarter-final capped the morning. What became clear very quickly was the extent to which Britons have embraced Team GB at these Games. We were surrounded by a sea of Union Jacks and a cacophony of noise whenever a home crew was on the water. It was quite a morning.

They did look more enthusiastic than this, honestly!

An Olympic badminton session is a different kettle of fish. Or a shebang of shuttlecocks...Does this count as a neologism, Becs? 

The Wembley Arena was electric with audience enthusiasm, supporting teams such as Denmark, Thailand and China. The highlight for us was a gruelling mixed doubles match won by the eventual bronze medallists, Denmark. Both sides had fervent supporters in the crowd, providing us all with instant entertainment.


Last night was our only session in the Olympic Arena. These were the tickets which would have paid for a small overseas holiday. OK, hyperbole again. Picton, anyhow.


Again, it was an evening of mainly qualification rounds (men's long jump) as well as women's heptathlon and 10,000 metres. But we soaked up the atmosphere of course ("ooh look, the Olympic flame!"). And we were there to see a black singlet cross the finish line first in a men's 1500m heat. Nick Willis looked fantastic...can't wait to see his next race.

Prime Olympic viewing? Not Wembley, not Eton Dorney, nor even the Olympic stadium. Our comfy apartment in Hendon has a living room with his-and-her couches and a huge TV. The BBC provides the rest: 24 channels of wall-to-wall, advert and promo-free Olympic coverage. Some days, it's hard to get outdoors!

The other good thing about the BBC coverage is its unintentional humour. The commentators are totally focussed on Team GB. At times, it seems there are two different races: the one on the screen and the other in their dreams. 


New Zealand's two gold medals within an hour the other day  were almost swamped by the Team GB travelling circus.The commentary on the men's pairs race, dominated by Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, centred on the race for 2nd and 3rd (France/UK). Fair enough, I guess.  The Kiwis were in a different class to the rest of the field but there was little drama in their win.

But the classic example had to be after the single scullers had crossed the line. The race had been a bit of a battle between Mahe and his Czech opponent. Not much of a battle really because the NZ boat steadily pulled away from the halfway mark. Third home, down the track a bit, was GB's Alan Thompson. As the camera showed the medal winners coming onto the pontoon, the commentator announced that we would now be crossing to Alan Campbell's medal ceremony. Say what?