RIGHT BACK AT YA COE!

Excitement is growing. All over these islands last night people could hardly sleep.


Was this because of the Euro crisis from which we are told we will never recover? No. Was it then because the Queen's diamond jubilee fandango had commenced? 


Nooooo. 


It was because a plane carrying the Olympic Torch, Coe, Nick and Anne had landed on Cornish soil to be met by no less a personage than Tessa Jowell (I wonder where Olympics minister Jeremy Hunt was?), and was due to make its way around these islands bringing the Olympic spirit to each and every one of us, who, after all, have footed the bill, and who won't be allowed to use the Zil lanes!


Well, of course, it got off to a stunning start today as does anything that Locog organises.


'A dozen disabled patients confined to wheelchairs were left bitterly disappointed following a mix up in the route of the Olympic torch relay. Residents of St Theresas were allocated a special council approved area on the roadside at the southern end of the beach near St Michael's Mount but their excitement at waving golden streamers and Union Jack banners for the torchbearer was quickly replaced with confusion. The Locog torch relay convoy of sponsor trucks and official vehicles whizzed by, but so too did a bus containing the torch and torchbearer. "It was more than awful to see, it was bitter, bitter disappointment," local resident Veronica Taylor said.' From the Telegraph.

So.... that's fine then. The "sponsors' trucks and official vehicles" of the "People's Games" whizzed by ignoring disabled residents and leaving them disappointed. Bravo Coe!


The BBC woman who was with Jowell last night waiting for the specially painted plane to land was almost manic with excitement, which bodes badly for the actual games. If they get this excited about the lamp (which after all doesn't date back to ancient Athens, or even to the start of the modern games, but in fact (embarrassingly) to Adolph Hitler's 1936 Berlin games (it's being nicknames the Nazi flame) the BBC will surely explode when the first event takes place. (Now wouldn't that be a pity!).


Ever eager to provide a service to its readers, and so that no one misses out on the overwhelming excitement of the occasion, Munguin's Republic links here to a map of all the exciting places that this exciting Nazi torch will visit, in order that you can be prepared with your bunting (handily also useful for jubilee street parties in the rain).

Meanwhile I understand that David Cameron, who has, of course, we understand, nothing at all to do with handing out honours, has instructed civil servants that athletes who win golds will not automatically get gongs. They will have to prove that they have put something back into sport before that will happen. (Suddenly remembering about legacy, Dave?) But I wonder what honours will be heaped upon those who have "organised" this shambles.  Lady Tessa? Sir Boris? and heaven knows what we can give Seb. He's got everything bar membership of the royal family.


I'm reminded that, when asked about the GB football team to be playing at the Olympics and the fact that the Scottish and Welsh FAs were very dubious about be subsumed into the English FA, Coe said:   "Yes to 2012 GB footy team – The Scots and Welsh? F*** 'em". (Footy!!!!... don't you just love it when posh people try to be common. Anyway, right back at ya Seb!!!


Well, there you go. The People's Olympics for all the people's of these islands.


Pics: (1) The authorities won't be happy that two Cornish flags and no butchers' aprons appeared in this photograph. BTW, has the fire gone out in that pic? (2) Dear old Annie carrying the flame off the plane, with Cleggie, Coe and Becks (surely Sir Becks after this). (3) Apparently this is British Airways' "moment to shine" (click to enlarge the pic). If so, all I can say is I hope they have a lot of polish, because it is, without exception, the worst airline I've ever flown, added to which, it's half owned by the Spanish!!!!