Olympic and Paralympic athletes parade: sign in - and sob - here

[caramelwaffle]

[MrsVamos]

We can reconvene at half 8 to watch the best bits on BBC1 if you like ?

[headfairy]

ooh nice music playout BBC :o

[paRaahhlympiansgoingforgold]

oh. It's over

little

[MrsVamos]

Poof. All gone.

[caramelwaffle]

All over.

T'was fantastic.

[caramelwaffle]

Best bits? Half past eight you say....?

[headfairy]

whoever asked about tour of Britain.... they're starting the last stage in our home town next Sunday :o Brad and the Cav confirmed as taking part :o

Can't wait! Ds is getting a load of cycling gear for his (5th) birthday on Thursday because he wants to be just like Brad so he is super excited!

[MrsVamos]

Yarrrsssss.

See you then !

[OodHousekeeping]

Bradley is coming almost past my work this week.. Got annoyed about the traffic problems then realised it was him!

[OhYouGreatGreatBritain]

it has been splendid to enjoy the olympics and paralympics with you all, it made it so much more fun.

What a summer!

[Moln]

I missed most of it. Stupid work.

Came home around the time of a young lady whose name I don't know playing the guitar and sing. Glad to have seen the althletes group together.

Sadly did see the Pet Shop Boys (why? Just WHY? So much musical talent and they chose THEM? Why?)

I now feel all empty inside. What do I do? (can't imagine what I'd be like if I still lived in Britian and could have partaken!)

[Elephantscanwearorangeandgold]

I refuse to belive its all over.
When i get up tommorow, the olympics will just be starting.

[Iwantacampervan]

I caught the end of the C4 coverage as BBC1 had finished - great poem (it was on last night as well).

I liked the fact that the presenters (most of them) got really involved and were not 'just doing their job'.

Highlights tonight then flags up again for SPOTY.
(Looks to see whether we can get to the final stage of Tour of Britain next Sunday)

[headfairy]

Ooooh MrsV, we'll have to adopt some kind of MN code so we can recognise each other :o

[headfairy]

I'll be the one screeching at a teeny tiny lycra clad cyclist dementedly wheeling around crowded streets!

[JugglingWithBocciaBalls]

MrsV - wondered for a minute what your DC's had done to upset you

[JugglingWithBocciaBalls]

sorry that was MrsV page 4, 16.20 ...

... telling DC to fuck off !

[JugglingWithBocciaBalls]

Oh poor old DC ... I've just seen him on the news - hoped his advisers hadn't just told him about the latest post on Mumsnet's Olypmpic & Paralympic parade thread. You do wonder sometimes !

Still, at least he promised more money which makes a change !
Though, fair enough, he said other things were important too.

[PurpleAndPoppyWearer]

Sad to say, what MrsD's friend said about how us Gamesmakers were treated at the parade today was true. We couldn't see very much, only the floats as they went past, but we couldn't see the signs saying which sports, and we were 10-20 deep. Most of the athletes we facing the dignitaries on the other side.

Couldn't see the stuff in front of the palace at all, in spite of big screens. Could hardly hear it. Very few snacks and drink available to buy at Games prices. Disgusting portaloos. No seats at all. Had to arrive early and stand for four hours.

They refused to let us onto the Mall in spite of a crush. Bearing in mind that we have Home Office clearance and training as stewards in crowd management! Wanted us gone ASAP. School kids who didn't even know who any athletes were (apart from the "Judo man what was in Big Brother") were given priority up-close access and the athletes were whisked away from us. Dreadful. Talk about leaving a sour taste in the mouth. I'm gutted. I gave up my family's summer....

Wish I hadn't got a ticket and had just gone and stood in the crowd or watched on TV.

[showtunesgirl]

This is just shocking. I would contact the papers if I were you.

[MrsVamos]

I was just thinking and about to post the same thing, showtunesgirl.

PurpleandPoppyWearer I am disgusted on your behalf.

You should contact the papers. That's utterly wrong.

Juggling

How very dare you suggest I would tell my darling DCs to eff off.

Actually, I do sometimes, just not quite like that.

[PurpleAndPoppyWearer]

There were plenty of press around, and we were chanting "let us in" very loudly. I don't want to put a downer on the Games, I think the parade was organised by Boris and the London lot rather than the Olympic/Paralympic Committees. Their security firm (NOT G4S!) were awful. The police did their best for us but had their hands tied. Lots of people were saying they planned to complain - but what good would it do.

[MrsVamos]

It wouldn't do much good, except to emphasise to the public once again, that the people we have in power throughout our country don't actually give a fuck about any of us 'little people'.

The whole thing was sold today on tv as being a way to say thank you to the public and the gamesmakers for their support and hard work...if that was not the case, I think you should scream it from the rooftops.

Big Society ? Big Load of Bollocks.

[PurpleAndPoppyWearer]

I'm watching the TV highlights and it's so deceptive, the only people allowed down to the front to watch were the Forces (fair enough), Athletes' families (ditto) and the random school groups.

Then empty swathes of Tarmac behind them. Then a cordon of police. Then us, contained behind barriers to either side, on the pavements, straining for every word, having to lift cameras high above our heads to see anything. Empty road down the middle of The Mall.

[MrsVamos]

I saw that too.

I think it was such a 'rush job' to organise the Parade, that it wasn't done properly. There were obviously several GMs who were also still working with people.

I think it's disgusting, and that there should be something formal as I said earlier, as a way to say thank you to all the GMs.

But then I guess that's the whole point of volunteering. You do it because you want to, and don't expect any thanks.

I also think that Team GBs success from the Olympics and Paralympics was unexpected, which threw the organisers to do 'something'.