Ringing and the Olympic Torch Relay
9 November 2011
Five months ago the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) published the dates and places where the Olympic torch will visit or stay overnight during the 70 day relay. LOCOG has now published an interactive map of the Torch Relay route to confirm many more details of the journey the Olympic Flame will take prior to the Games.
Every county in England and every local authority area in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales features on the route, meaning most of the population will be within 10 miles of the Olympic Flame. As well as passing through more than 1,000 communities, the Torch Relay will also take in hundreds of landmarks and travel by different methods of transport, including horseback, tram and steam-train.
Ringers are likely to want to ring as the torch passes so it is worth noting the date for your area and starting to plan what to do.
9 June 2011
The Central Council is in contact with More Than Gold to ensure that ringing plays a key role in their work to link churches and the community as the 70 day Olympic Torch Relay takes place around the UK from 20 May to 27 July 2012.
The dates and places where the torch will visit or stay overnight are shown here. Further details of the precise routes between these places are to be made known much later this year.
We understand that local councils in all the areas shown on the map and list have now appointed a Torch Relay co-ordinator and that in each overnight location there is to be an event to welcome the torch, taking place from about six to eight pm. Ringing can add enormously to that event and if you ring in one of the locations listed we suggest you contact your local authority as soon as possible to find out who is in charge of this, what is planned and how you can ensure that ringing is a part of it. It might also be worth ringers in each town joining forces and offering one person as a contact for the council.
More information will be made available just as soon as we get it.
Kate Flavell
Central Council of Church Bell Ringers