3 August 2012
After reading yesterday’s blog’ my lovely’ pointed out the futility of me recording what everyone else was getting from their newspapers or other news sources. Of course, she is right and I should restrict what I record on this blog to exceptional circumstances, possibly, in the case of these Olympics, any triumphal win by Team GB.
So, in that spirit , I should record Victoria Pendleton’s disappointment at being disqualified, together with her partner, Jess Varnish from one of the cycling events in which they were almost certain to win a gold medal. The disqualification arose over a technicality involving inches of one wheel being in front of the other, rather like foot fault at tennis. A number of critics said that the rule was too strict and must be changed.. As one commentator put it, “Imagine if you drive a car at 65 mph and there is a small white piece of tape on the road. That is what you have this to see to mark the changeover.” In other words, damn difficult even if you practised it 1000 times. We are talking like 100th. Of the second; a blink of the eye, Pendleton said. Unfortunately, there is no appeal on such disqualification. So that was that, no medal. However, she made up for it by winning gold in the individual sprint and gold again for our men’s pursuit cycling team.
One of the most exciting gold medals won by Team GB, .today was that won Catherine Grainger and Anna Watkins in the women’s double sculls rowing.
We also won a clutch of bronze medals. There was Rebecca Adlington’s third-place in the women’s 800 m freestyle swimming. Finally, there was well deserved bronze for Karina Bryant in the women’s +78 KG Judo.
Olympics aside, Chloe and the three grandchildren came down for a brief period over lunch. Although the weather looks very clement, apparently there was a possibility of a shower and for this reason ‘my lovely’ decided we would eat in. In any event, although I did not spend a lot of time with children, who all looked very bonny and were all pursuing their own interests with a degree of success. Seb., For example, was on his way to purchase another fish for his aquarium. I think one of his previous stock and unfortunately been eaten by another inmate of the tank!
Alice and I were embarrassed in failing to remember. Chloe’s wedding anniversary, 31 July – can it really be 19 years since our lovely wedding in the marquee on our so-called croquet lawn?
In keeping with our new practice nobody spends more than an hour or so with me in order to preserve my voice – which tends to get weaker and weaker if I talk too much – the little family went, shortly after lunch, to the before heading for home. From my point of view their visit was perfect. Long enough for me to see them all and catch up with their news but not so long as to exhaust me.