Olympic torch arrives in Berkshire

Published 10 Jul 2012 11:20 5 Comments

THIS is the picture of the Olympic torch arriving in Maidenhead.

Just minutes ago Adam Chojnacki, 32, from Windsor, collects the Olympic Flame at the Gardner Road and A308 Cookham Road junction at the first changeover in the town.

The flame will arrive in Reading at 6.14pm when it will set off from London Road in East Reading, carried by Reading Pride chairwoman Lorna McArdle.

Quentin Gunderson, headteacher of The Lighthouse Group in Calcot, which provides education for pupils excluded from school, will be the last torchbearer of the day, carrying the flame into the Madejski Stadium to light a cauldron on stage before the Olympic party begins.

Crowds of around 20,000 people will fill the stadium to watch more than 300 performers from around Reading stage dance and drama performances, as well as theatre and sporting spectacles.

Rock band Young Guns and Britain's Got Talent finalists Twist and Pulse will also perform at the party, which begins at 6.50pm.

The Torch Relay starts up again in Caversham Court Gardens at 8.04am tomorrow where a host of Olympic and Paralympic heroes will gather to wave off the day's first torchbearer, Reading policeman Lee Umpleby,

Reading Borough Council has reassured motorists that plans are in place to manage traffic while main roads around the town are closed for the relay during the evening and morning rush hours.

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• 

  The Off Switch
  Unregistered User
  Jul 10, 11:55
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  Apart from those taking part and the inept powers that be it must be the worst kept secret that the majority of the UK have no interest in the Olympics period. Not content with crushing our economy and selling the indigenous out to overseas interests there seems to be this inane belief that wasting more money on little more than a global PR stunt is a necessity. Whilst Average Joe is returning from the job-centre or six pound an hour retail position do they seriously think him/her turning on the TV and watching this obscene taxpayer funded atrocity will make all well and good in "modern" Britain? If so they are seriously deluded. But nothing new there really.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 39     No 5

• 

  Bogo
  Unregistered User
  Jul 10, 15:29
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  Apart from me having absolutely no interest in the flame (apart from a fantasy of spending a quick 30 seconds with it and a fire extinguisher) I would like to know when the powers that be (i.e. the inept bunch of bonus and bail-out cronies) who "run" our town will be closing the roads around here....
  
  It is notable that it is quite easy to find details about when Oxford, Henley-on-Thames, Maidenhead etc will be closing their roads. Just not for Reading... no... we are kept in the dark as always.
  
  Tx guys, for proving again my point about your ability to run things.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 20     No 1

• 

  jpeMEDIA
  Unregistered User
  Jul 10, 16:04
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  Hi All,
  
  Here is a link to pictures we took at the start of the Maidenhead part of the torch relay.
  
  http://www.jpeMEDIA.co.uk/100712/
  
  If you would like any of the photos in high quality for the advertiser, please don't hesitate to email me with the which photos you require.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  jpeMEDIA
  
  http://www.jpeMEDIA.co.uk
  
  http://www.facebook.com/jpeMEDIA
  
  http://www.twitter.com/jpeMEDIA
  
  Recommend?   Yes 3     No 20

• 

  Not On My Giro
  Unregistered User
  Jul 10, 16:57
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  jpeMEDIA, do you have any large prints of the resulting traffic chaos that went hand in hand with this? If so I'm sure the local council could do with a few copies to prevent anything like it in future. Pity they didn't PLAN it beforehand mind...
  
  Recommend?   Yes 21     No 1

• 

  Tarquin
  Unregistered User
  Jul 11, 15:29
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  The Henley streaker was the only vaguely interesting thing about this taxpayer funded debacle. He should at the very least have been presented with a medal by Toryboy Seb for his efforts surely? Sorry, that should read LORD Seb. Yawn. Whereas in Reading we had McArdle kick proceedings off and let's face it no-one wants to see that in the buff.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 18     No 0

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