Olympic Torch Fires Excitement

A bus stopped in the distance, the doors opened and the flame flickered into sight. The crowd’s cheers grew ever louder as the Olympic Torch went by in a flash. The runner smiled and within moments she was off up the hill and out of sight.

This was the first and most likely the last time the Olympic Flame would pass through Lochwinnoch. A once in a lifetime event and it had to be seen. Even the school children dressed in standard attire had dragged themselves away from their games consoles and social networking, and were giggling, grinning and cheering with the rest of the assembled crowds as the torch ran by.

Only a few hours earlier it was business as usual with a few residents wandering along the streets. Lochwinnoch just a small village in the west of Scotland, locals shopping and sheltering from the rain.

Now the police had arrived, railings being positioned the length of the high street for the expected crowds to stand behind, officials beginning to cordon off areas and direct the parking as the first cars started to arrive.

People began to gather ,wondering where the best place to stand would be to get the best view possible of the main event and hoping that the rain would hold off, although most had brollies at the ready.

In Lochwinnoch all the traffic had stopped, with roads being closed till later in the afternoon. The rain had decided to stop for the time being and the sun was doing its best to shine through the grey clouds. People had walked up the hill to gather and see the torch run through the whole village and on toward Kilmalcolm.

Long before the torch arrived, the Olympic entourage fuelled the crowd with energy. So many police outriders drove down the street, buses and coaches following on and finally the main noisy buses. The Coca-Cola truck, music blaring, handing out gifts and small bottles of fizzy, then the Samsung bus with deafening sounds and a huge screen on the side showing cartoon singers.

It was now only a matter of time before this little village would carve its place in history with its first glimpse of the Olympic torch. The crowd at the crossroads gave a large cheer, the torch had arrived and at last the runners were ready in place to exchange the flame as the Olympic bus stopped...

Cheering all along the street as the first runner passed the crowds and then the torch was handed on to the next girl smiling as the people clapped and children waved their flags. People all around took pictures to show off to their friends via Facebook. Held at arm’s length the torch passed by and on up the hill until it could be seen no more, the Olympic cavalcade following on behind it.

The cheers died down and the crowd looked around wondering if it was all over, chatting about what had just happened and deciding what to do next.

A few minutes later the hype had disappeared, people began to move the barriers and cross the road. Some headed for ice-cream and chips, others to the local shops. Normal life began to resume as people drove away from the village in cars and coaches. Everyone with a different story to tell about the fact they had just witnessed a historic event and seen the Olympic Torch.