Olympics - day 4

Wow, keeping track of everything that's going on at the Olympics is a real challenge - 23 different sports taking place during the course of the day today, with lots of incident and excitement along the way.

A few highlights that have caught my eye:

• Our one medal (silver) of the day coming in the Team eventing, but no medals in the individual competition, with our top finishers coming 5th and 6th.
• An interesting trivia question from the eventing. Was today an Olympic first with a competitor (Zara Phillips) being presented with their medal by their Mum (Princess Anne)?
• It's anything but plain sailing for Ainslie at the moment. After six races he is in second place (on a net 17 points compared with net 7 for the leader), but in all six races so far he's been behind the Dane. Tomorrow is a rest day for the Finn class, so hopefully he'll come back strong on Thursday.
• Our women's football team had a great game this evening, beating Brazil 1-0. They've won their group and will now face Canada in the quarter-finals.
• The women's hockey team beat South Korea 5-3, and head their group having played two and won two.
• The GB badminton campaign is over - all of our players have now been knocked out in the group stages.
• The women's gymnastics team couldn't match the men's amazing result yesterday, finishing 6th in the team event.
• In the pool, there's hope for the 200m men's breaststroke final tomorrow as we have two swimmers through to the final - qualifying in the 1st and 3rd fastest times.
• Phelps was the favourite for the 200m butterfly final but was beaten by 0.05s by the South African Chad le Clos. The South African was understandably emotional about beating his hero, and blabbed his way through the national anthem, as did his parents in the stands, his Dad wiping his eyes on his flag!
• Despite being beaten into second, Phelps' silver in the 200m fly was his 18th Olympic medal, equalling the record for the most medals won by an individual athlete at the Olympic Games. Then, in case we hadn't already realised that the man was a legend, a little while later he picked up his 19th - a gold (bringing the total to 15 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze) in the 4 x 200m relay.

Overall, our medal tally of four so far, with no golds, is starting to feel a little concerning. We are going to have to go some to get to the 47 that we achieved in 2008. Seems to me like tomorrow is a key day when we really need to collect some medals, with our key opportunities in the first of the rowing finals and in the cycling time trials.

Looking forward to hearing a report from Mum and Dad tomorrow of today's trip to Eton Dorney.

TEAM GB
Today: 1 silver
So far: 2 silver, 2 bronze
Medal table position: 21st

Olympics - Day 3

Hectic, isn't it, trying to keep up with the Olympic Games. Still, it's all good fun, even if we did have some disappointments today as we just missed out on medals in the pool (two 5th places in the men's and women's 100m backstroke, and 4th place for Daley and Waterfield in the diving).

A few medal stats to contemplate:

• 3 medals won so far in the Games by Team GB - one silver (women's cycling road race) and two bronze (women's 400m freestyle swimming and men's team gymnastics).
• After three days of competition in Beijing we'd also won 3 medals (2 gold and 1 bronze).
• The team gymnastics medal was the first for Team GB for 100 years.
• More medal opportunities coming up over the next few days - 3-day eventing finishes tomorrow and we're currently in second place, and the rowing finals start on Wednesday, and every time I see Eton Dorney on the TV our rowers seem to be winning races.
• There will be 302 gold medals awarded during the London 2012 games.
• There are 36 different sports included within the 2012 Olympics (although some of them are rather subsets - e.g. there are 4 cycling sports - BMX, mountain, track, and road). In Beijing in 2008 we won medals in 13 different sports.
• Our most successful sport in Beijing was track cycling in which we won a total of 12 medals, including 7 golds.
• In Beijing we finished 4th in the medal table with a total of 47 medals. We are currently 20th in the 2012 medal table, although if we won a couple of golds, we'd go up to 7th.
• In 2004 we won a total of 30 medals, finishing 10th in the table, in 2000 we won a total of 28 medals, also finishing 10th in the table, and in 1996 we won a total of 15 medals, finishing down in 36th place in the table - mainly due to there being only one gold - Pinsent and Redgrave.
• So far, 38 gold medals have been awarded, 12 of which have been in swimming.

TEAM GB

Today: 1 bronze

So far: 1 silver, 2 bronze

Medal table position: 20th

Holiday update

Realising that I have been a bit remiss about blogging some holiday news, I thought that a quick update, along with some pictures, was in order.

Starting out on Saturday, before the previous post, we went into Cirencester for a look around. Nicky and I had no memories of it from our trip to the Cotswolds Water Park many years ago - I don't think we made it past the supermarket on the ring road that time.

Turns out that Cirencester is really rather a nice town. We enjoyed having a look around, and even found a craft fair going on. Nicky bought a silver nettle!

Sunday was our trip to Oxford - as previously reported.

Monday - John and Margaret had a day out to Bath, whilst N, J, B and I stayed around the Water Park. We went over the road to the Boathouse pub for lunch, and Barley enjoyed going for a paddle in the lake to cool down.

Then, yesterday, Nicky and I had a trip out whilst the rest of the party stayed here. We started off at Bourton on the Water, but it turned out that a few thousand others had decided to do the same thing. We stopped in at the Cotswolds Perfumery, and Nicky got some Pallas - bottled memories! We thought about getting a sandwich and sitting in the shade by the water, but it was difficult to see any spare spots on the grass, so we decided to move on.

Next stop was Stow on the Wold, which was much more pleasant, mostly because there were considerably fewer people there. We found a lovely bookshop called the Borzoi Bookshop, and I bought a book - one from the recommendations in the cutting that Mum sent me last week!

We found a little sandwich shop called Cotswolds Baguettes, which had a very nice, chatty owner, and once stocked up with provisions, went and found a shady spot in the churchyard to enjoy our lunch (trying not to crush too many of the tiny snails that had made it their home).

On a roll of visiting Cotswolds towns we carried on to Mourton in Marsh and to Chipping Campden, but didn't stay long in either. We found a museum in Chipping Campden to visit (as advertised in the Cotswolds guide we'd taken with us front the house) but were very glad that they were waiving their £4 entry fee (due to some building work taking place) as it was a bit rubbish.

On the way home we stopped off for a drink at a farm shop / cafe, before a quick trip to the supermarket in Cirencester to stock up on the essentials of summer living - ice cream and cold drinks!

Oxford

Nicky, Jake and I had a day out in Oxford today - it was Jake's first visit to the city.

We arrived from the west, a new experience, and so parked at the Seacourt park and ride and got the bus in from there, past the station and the new Said Business School before a detour to the south and alighting opposite Christ Church on St Aldates.

We walked through gates and along the path that runs to the north of the meadows, and the place looked beautiful in the sunshine.



We would have walked up the path between Corpus and Merton, but the gate (made to allow one person at a time though a winding entrance) had a queue of tour parties on both sides, so we carried on along the south side of Merton and headed up Rose Lane onto the High.

Given that the plan was to make our way to Corpus, we turned onto Merton Street, and made our way along, with a quick detour to show Jake Kybald Twychen (where my first year room was) along the way.

Corpus was closed to visitors, but after a quick word with the porter, explaining that I was a former student (he looked me up to check!) we were allowed in for a look around. Here's Jake and I in the front quad.

We walked out to the back of the college, and wandered around the gardens for a while, taking a look at the new (new) music room area, and pointing out another one of my rooms - this time from my third year (nearest corner of the building - very top floor).

Corpus tour complete, the next stop was across the High and in the covered market, where we introduced Jake to the wonders of Ben's Cookies - no doubt his highlight of the day!

Having shown Jake my old college, we went to find Poppa's, stopping for a picture of the Radcliffe Camera on the way.

Then Broad Street and Blackwell's - the best bookshop in the world. Jake was suitably impressed by the Norrington Room. (I snuck back to Blackwell's later in the day as I couldn't resist getting something - came out with a Marcus du Sautoy book - seemed appropriate).

By now lunch was calling, and so we made our way up St Giles, staying left as it forked into the Woodstock Road, and went into Browns.

After lunch it we had a tour in the sunshine on the open top bus, before a bit of shopping and home.

Torch

So, a busy day with an early start today, but when you're on holiday, that doesn't really matter does it!

We were up early so that we could go down to Rochester and get a good spot from which to see the Olympic torch go past, and we secured a position opposite the cathedral, and waited for the fun to start. As the crowds built, so did the atmosphere, and it was super to be a part of the Olympic torch experience. We were able to see a handover between torch-bearers (when the torches "kiss"!) and Jake was even able to have his picture taken with a torch-bearer and his torch.

Once we'd got home from Rochester we finished off packing and headed for the Cotswolds Water Park. Our house is great (left hand end of the photo below), and we've been out and had an explore of this part of the park, played a few games of badminton and frisbee out on the grass, and settled in rather nicely.

No specific plans for tomorrow, other than a slow start and taking things as they come.

Rumour has it that we might even see some summer weather during the next few days ...

Change of plans

So, as mentioned yesterday, a change of plans has rather been forced upon us, but things seem to have worked out OK. Nicky has managed to get us booked in to a lovely-looking house at the Cotswolds Water Park, and we will be heading off in that direction tomorrow morning, just as soon as we've been to wave at the torch.

Year end

Another academic year has come to an end. Jake is now on holiday until the start on September, when he will kick off with year 8. Year 7 seems to have gone rather well, and already Tunbury seems like a very long time ago, as he's settled in to the routine of his new school.

It's amazing to think how much he has grown during the last year, and whilst I'm not talking physically, the back of the airing cupboard door attests to the fact that he's gained a few inches as well.




In other news from today, our canal holiday is now officially cancelled. Thanks to John's persistence a full refund is on its way back to us, and following a holiday organising committee meeting this evening, the plan is for Nicky to get on the phone first thing in the morning to see if we can set up a last minute booking for a property at the Cotswolds Water Park.

Finally for today, thanks to Mum for the card and bookmark that came today. (The bookmark will prove useful as I currently have one stuck in the early stages of the Pickwick Papers, and it's not going anywhere fast!) As for the extract from the newspaper, it looks very interesting. There are three featured that I've already read - The Sense of an Ending, The Psychopath Test, and The Uncommon Reader (thanks to the OSH library), a couple that are on the 'to read' shelves - Before I Go to Sleep, and Bed, and a few that I'd already got my eye on - The Antidote, The Art of Fielding, and Luck. However, in the immediate term the plan is to finish off Brave New World, and then hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to pick up the latest Grisham (due out in paperback), to take on holiday!

Partners

When I was in Florida for a few days in June, I took the opportunity to take a rather large number of photos. As my family knows, this is a bit of a habit when in the parks, and can get rather annoying for them at times when I am constantly lagging behind, or disappear for a moment, just to get one more shot.

(My reputation is worst when it comes to Cinderella Castle, and for the record I can confirm now that, yes, I do currently have xxx photos labelled with the tag "Castle" in Flickr, but also that, yes, I will continue to take more pictures on future holidays!)

So, anyway, as I say, I took the opportunity to put the camera into overload in June, knowing that I wouldn't be holding anyone else up, and I've just finished uploading about 600 new pictures into my Flickr account, and so I can start an occasional series of picture posts.

I'm going to start with the little statuettes that surround the Partners statue. The Partners statue has stood at the centre of the hub at the end of Main Street, and in front of Cinderella Castle, since June 1995. It depicts Walt and Mickey hand in hand, and is really rather lovely.




However, whilst the Partners statue gets the most attention, and usually has a fairly constant stream of people having their photo taken in front of it, there are another eight smaller statues in the central hub, spaced around the outside, and depicting some of Disney's most famous characters.

On previous trips, we've even been known to have our photos taken with them!

 

Washout

So, alarming holiday news today. When we booked it, there were concerns about drought, and whether the canals would have enough water in them.

Things have moved on a little since then.

Apparently now there is a concern that towpaths might be flooded, and if so, we won't be able to go at all. It sounds like whatever happens we won't be allowed on the Thames.

Contingency planning has sprung into action with full force. G4S could learn a thing or two from my wife!!

Episodes

Caught up with the last couple of episodes of Episodes tonight on Sky+. Great show, even if we had started to shout at the telly when they kept missing the opportunities to get back together. Still, all worked out in the end, even if they do appear to have burnt some bridges in the final denouement, making the chances of a series 3 look rather slim!

Started enjoying the show way back here.

Beach

Long time, no post.

Poor form, I know.

And it's not as though there is nothing to report on either. Perhaps I will have to do some posts covering what we've been up to over the last month or so.

Yesterday, Jake had a bonus day off in lieu of Founder's Day which was on Saturday (more about that in another post should I ever get round to it!) and so we decided to make it a day out, and ignoring the dire weather, collected up Owen, and Nanny and Grandad, and headed for the coast at Dymchurch.

When we arrived, we well and truly had the beach to ourselves.




What an opportunity for a game of beach cricket, although we did have to gradually move the wicket down the beach as we kicked up the sand.




Once we'd had our fill of cricket, kite-flying, and paddling in the sea (which was a long walk away!) we packed up and moved along to the arcade for some play. Jake and Owen won lots of tickets, and traded them in for a squishy angry bird and some sweets, whilst the rest of us made a beeline for the coin shovers. I took a look at the prizes on offer, and decided that it was time to push the boat out and move on up to the 10p machines. (Yes, I know, I'll be heading straight for the roped off high-roller area next time we go to Vegas now!!) Best not to think about how many coins I put in, but I came away with a watch and a clock, so I was happy!

Jake and Owen had a go on the rides, although I think they might be getting a little bit too old for the Ghost Train!




(Mind you, just to embarrass them, I think they enjoyed the rides when they went for Jake's 8th birthday day out!!)





Also in Dymchurch a trip to the Pilgrims Hospice bookshop is a must. Great selection and bargain basement prices, and I came away with two hardbacks for £1 (a Cornwell and a Patterson).

After a snack for lunch, we headed along the coast to Folkestone, where despite the high tide, more beach play was enjoyed before a fish and chip tea.

A great day out.