Seeing the Olympic Torch

[Natternic]

Hi, has anyone been to see or planning on going to see the Olympic torch in your area? with or without mindees ? Im trying to decide whether to take my 6 year old son to see it in procession. We are however going to a finale event for it in a huge park.
What are your thoughts?

[watgem]

we saw it without mindees because it arrived at 6.30 am but it was well worth the early start defnitely go to see it with whoever you canxxx

[Helen Dempster]

yep, definitely going to take my own DS and mindees to see it on the 20th July - it won't happen again My DS's school have been very good, they're allowing the kids to go into school at 11am that day, so the parents can take them to watch if they choose to (as too many kids for the school to take)

[loocyloo]

i took 7 yr old Dd and her best friend ... we got there 2 hours early and waited. chatted to other people and had a nice time. then there was a bit of a parade and the torch went past and that was it! i was expecting a bit of anouncing/geeing up the crowd etc! and perhaps a bit more after the torch!

it was a bit 'blink & you'll miss it'. the girls enjoyed it and talked about it lots.

i would have liked to have gone to one of the lunchtime or evening events, but it wasn't possible.

[Bluebell]

I agree with loocy-loo - a bit of a feeling of 'was that it?'
if we'd walked 5 minutes down the road to our town centre it was much more of an event with the freebies given out, the torch held aloft, more cheering crowds - just more of an event really. But the mindee and my own children that were with me loved the buses, and tens of police cars and bikes so yes definitely go.

[Zoomie]

Comes through our town next weekend, so family and I will be going to see it.

[Chimps Childminding]

Came through our town today, and have to confess haven't got the slightest interest

[lulubelle]

we will be going to see it, i am not working that day but going to tell parents i will be going if they want to meet us! my 3 yr old is very excited about it!

[kellib]

I took my son to see it, well I say I did I only went because my Granny nagged me to go because 'it's a once in a lifetime thing'

I'm glad we went though as she was right, it's good to be able to say you were there to see it. My 6 year old did say 'was that it?' when it had passed though he did enjoy telling everyone at school he'd seen it

[caz3007]

We are going it comes through in a couple of weeks and is within a 10 min walk of my house. I have actually booked the day off, so I can take my DS 9. His school is allowing us to take them out of school from lunchtime and it goes past about 2pm.

[catlyn]

ours was on a Saturday so we took my grandson...glad i did it was a fab day out...carnival atmoshphere with the floats and the police outriders...police were excellent...they were on bikes hi fiveing the kids in the crowd as they drove past......we went in the car to see it again in a differennt part of town and as we were heading towards it we ended up in the actual torch procession....was so funny as we were after the floats but in front of the torch...crowds of people on the pavements peering into our car to see if we were "important people" we just gave them all a royal wave and carried on up the hill

[mrs_scottydog]

We've got it next weekend, it's going right past our house so no excuse not to see it. Hx

[rickysmiths]

Its not coming within 10 miles of us anyway but I must say I find the whole torch thing a bit over the top and who ever thought of it should be sacked.

Sorry but the whole Olympic thing is getting so ridiculous. It has been badly planned, it stupidly over budget, I bet Lord Coe won't be accountable for that then , its being disruptive to the local communities.

How mad to close the Westfield Car Park a week ago until October???? That's helpful to all the shops and shoppers isn't it when we are in a recession?

Parts of Greenwich are no go areas for the last month and until October.

I think all the organisers should have been hauled up years ago. All the contractors and suppliers and random sculptors and Opening and Closing Ceremony organisers are laughing all the way to the Bank at our expense. Great.

[caz3007]

I do agree RS that its been a costly excercise that the country cant afford, but for us it is a once in a lifetime experience to see the torch, so will be doing it, just for the experience.

My sons best friend lives on the route, so he was saying can we go and watch from her bedroom window, would actually get the best view as their houses are raised up a little

[md0u0131]

we all wet - I took two 5year olds to meet their school there, my 3yr old daughter and a 22month old mindee, plus my husband for support! The kids all loved it, the police bikes were the biggest hit!

[JCrakers]

Going today to see it with my own family as all parents are finishing work early to take their own children

I don't know what I'm more excited about.....seeing the torch or finishing at 1.30pm

[Little Pickles]

We went t I see it and the kids loved it ! I took two three year olds and an 18 month old. We started off by watching previous relays on you tube so they had an idea of what it was all about then we made torches to take with us. They loved all the big buses and police cars and bikes that went with the whole procession. The kids waved their arms and homemade torches and really enjoyed it ! When we got home they were doing laps of the garden with their torches !!!
We have the Queen coming to town in 3 weeks so I am busy planning what to do around that !

[BuggsieMoo]

My assistant took the older mindees and our own children to see it whilst I stayed at the setting with the 2 babies (it was a 7am start!). They all loved it and weeks later still talk about it. We also made our own torches and had a little olympic torch relay around the street

[LChurch]

WE have it coming past the end of our road on 20th July too, Our school is finishing early as it goes almost past the school and will be a nightmare for everyone that goes in cars! I will be taking my children to see it and one of my mindees too, we will take some snacks with us. I think it could be a long wait though! But it is a once in a life time chance I think even if it is a costly exercise!

[EmmaReed84]

Going to see it on Friday... My two EY mindess are off so will have my son Caiden... Cameron's school is closing early for the event and schoolie schools is letting me take her out early as well... I can't wait I am going with another two minders and their children, going to make an afternoon of it