Olympic Torch

Appleby in Westmorland.
Daughter's village school closes at 2. Grammar school in Appleby at 3.
So I have to find a friend to take my Life Drawing class as I have children to pick up.
We meet in the new ice cream parlour and watch the empty "Sands" gradually fill. Placards dictate where various Primary Schools have to stand, striped tape tries to direct our feet and bright yellow tabards with Appleby Rotary on them, smile and talk into walkie talkies.
Seems like we wait for ever, children begin to clamour for a flag (£2!) or a medal (£3!!) and the teenagers hang out, instructing me that it is NOT cool to say Bye, when they leave their friends' parents to hang out on the other side of the road.
A strange Mini with an stranger trailer attached (never did find out it's "role") hands out free coke, the grammar School's Samba band Samba on and pupils dance a dance showing all the Olympic sports, up and down the Sands.
At last! A coach! Another coach!
Police motorbikes with smiling policemen drive by. They high five us all as we crowd into the road (we don't do Health and Safety in Appleby).
Another coach! A lorry! Another coach!
Suddenly a woman in white jogging past carrying a long golden cone with The Flame burning.
She's gone. Behind her some more pupils jogging their little bit of History.
And the jugglers. Look, there's Sean, and Toni, and Mr Bean!

Then they are gone.

Quick, free teas at the Bowling Club. And so there is, home baking by the dozen, tea and coffee and sandwiches, quiche, scones, sausage rolls, fruit juice, cakes and plenty of tray bakes.
"We made these sandwiches in Food Technology" says my son.
We sit on the grass by the river and ponder how the Olympics came to Appleby.
"it'll be at Penrith by now" we say between crumbs as the children scramble up the trees and I see lots of people from choir.