to be pissed off that the Paralympic opening ceremony

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

is on a Wednesday?

A Wednesday FFS!? What other major one off events are ever held in the middle of the week?

I want to go to a opening ceremony celebration party, and the one I want to go to is about an hour away from where I live. Which means that we'd like to be able to stay overnight, but can't because dh has to work the next day. He's contract so doesn't get paid if he's not at work, and as its already a bank holiday week we can't really afford for him to take two days off. Plus lots of other people that we want to be able to party with have work commitments too.

Why couldn't they have delayed it for two days so that people who wanted to could celebrate on a Friday in the same way they did for the Olympic opening ceremony?

[fivegomadindorset]

Because the Parlympics are 9 or 10 days long and they finish on the Sunday and the medal parade through London is on 10th.

[WorraLiberty]

What five said.

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

I thought there would probably be some very sensible explanation that someone on here would know about, but I'm still pissed off! I want to celebrate properly, and so do lots of other people I know, and everyones put off because of it being midweek on an already short week.

I think that this country, as the birthplace of the Paralympics, should be celebrating as much as possible to raise the profile of the Paralympics to give the athletes the credibility they deserve. The bigger this event is, the more other countries will put money into Paralympic sports.

Oh well, it's going to be awesome either way.

[fivegomadindorset]

It is going to be amazing and I am really looking forward to it, DC's, especially DD is becoming so much more aware of disability and what everyone can achieve, her cousin regularly competes in the special Olympics trials in Ireland.

[WorraLiberty]

It's already set to be a sell out, I don't see what more they can do?

I've noticed some people on MN (not you OP) seem to be almost chomping at the bit to criticise the event for not being like the Olympics we've just had....there have already been a few threads by people 'outraged' that it didn't continue straight from the other Olympics and asking why it's a smaller event etc...

I can only imagine we'll see more of those threads over the next week or so.

It's a shame really because I think people need to see this separate event for exactly what it is...a separate event.

I have every faith that it's going to be brilliant and if people want to compare it to anything, they should compare it to past Paralympics instead of the Olympics.

[fivegomadindorset]

Absolutely Worra, I got given grief on another thread saying the same thing, some want the Olympics and Paralympics to be combined as it is unfair on the paralympians to be segregated.

[fivegomadindorset]

Sorry tryiing to say why it was separate.

[fivegomadindorset]

Oscar Pretorius ran on merit at the Olympics as he met the qualifying standard.

[WorraLiberty]

I know and that's quite apart from the fact the Paralympians want their own separate Olympics, ceremonies and torch relays.

And how on earth could they combine them when they have to make so many adaptions?

[Bellyjaby]

I think its a shame that it's a Wednesday and not a Friday or Saturday too. It does give the slight impression that the paralympics aren't as important an event as the olympics. But I'm not going to let that ruin my enjoyment of it.

Worral - Do people really not get that the paralympics don't follow straight afterwards as there's a lot of work that has to be done to convert the arenas/buildings so they're suitable for the paralympians and in some cases suitable for the different sports that are featured in the paralympics? Wow.

[Bellyjaby]

five - I was going to say Oscar Pistorius is my hero, but anyone who crosses that divide is. I think its wonderful!

[WorraLiberty]

It would seem so Belly

I do get the impression from some people that they're just waiting to pounce on the first thing they see as inequality and that's clouding their thinking.

Not just on MN but in RL too.

I'm just hoping the doubters get behind it in the end and support it...just like a lot of the doubters did with the Olympics.

[fivegomadindorset]

The major problem is that people without a disibility see things in a differnet way from those who have a disibility and until you have that disibility you are not qualified to comment on it in any shape way or form.

[fivegomadindorset]

Did any of you see The Best of Men on BBC2 about how the Paralympics started?

This year they have more countries than ever and more competitors, surely that is an amazing thing to celebrate?

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

I completely see where you're coming from Worra, I think quite often people want to find offence in things that just aren't there. I've thought exactly the same from threads on here and RL too.

This isn't like that though, I'm genuinely just pissed off because I want to make the most of a fabulous ocassion, and I don't feel like we can because of the timing of it. I don't think I can be the only one.

Five, I watched The Best of Men on iplayer, it was brilliant and had me in tears. It was really interesting, I knew that the Paralympics started at Stoke Mandeville, but I didn't really know how or think about what a massive step it would have been at the time.

[WorraLiberty]

I missed it five but I've heard a lot about it.

Freddos if the closing ceremony is on a Sunday, maybe there'll be more celebrations then?

At least we can be grateful it's in the UK so we don't have to get up at silly o' clock to watch it

[nikcname]

So excited about watching them! Holidays will have finished though so assuming viewing figures will be lower as schools kids etc will not be in during the day?

Unfortunatly didn't get tickets, really looking forward to it though. Does anyone know why there isn't a big torch ceremony rather than one in each of the capitals?

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

That's true Worra, at least it's going to be a sensible time, and Im looking forward to seeing how channel 4 do with the coverage. I think they are going to do a good job.

The closing ceremony being on a Sunday doesn't help me, I'll be back at school by then and so will my dc! I already feel like I'm being a bit naughty because ds2 is going to have his first day back at school the night after we have been to watch the athletics. He's going to be knackered

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

The night after??

You know what I mean

[threesocksmorgan]

the one good thing about it happening in school time is hopefully dd will get to see it and learn about it at school (sn)
my big gripe is that the coverage on tv looks rather tame compared to the olympics.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

The Paralympics is run by a separate organisation, the IPC. It is only relatively recently that they have been organised by the same committee in the host city - ie. Seb etc for London.

I do think people are looking to be offended, and without reason because these are clearly going to be the most high profile Paralympics ever - as they should be with the UK being their home.

We are really looking forward to it.

[Bellyjaby]

three - big gripe for me too. whilst I reckon 4 will do well with it, it doesn't seem like there'll be as much choice with the events as bbc's coverage of the olympics

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

I've quite enjoyed the programmes that C4 have been showing in the build up to the Paralympics, it's been on at 7.00 or 7.30 I think, can't remember now.

[threesocksmorgan]

I AM NOT OFFENDED.
i just wish they got the same coverage.
Olympics got coverage all day on BBC1 I would expect the same on C4

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

threesock - I suspect that C4 massively underestimated the public interest when they bid for the coverage and planned the programming. And let's be honest, if the Olympics hadn't been such a success both in general and for Team GB specifically then there probably wouldn't be as much interest and enthusiasm for them as there is.