Olympic Flame in Sandwell

I am a born and bred Brummie. Birmingham however is split between three different boroughs. Birmingham, Walsall and Sandwell. I live in the Sandwell bit. It can get all a bit complicated for example my one friend lives in the Birmingham bit but her daughter goes to a Walsall school. My other friend lives in Birmingham and her daughter goes to a Sandwell school. Anyway to be honest I was a bit spoilt for choice as to where to see the flame come in today.

My one friend saw it in at the National Memorial Arboretum. My other friend in Willenhall in the Black Country. My other friend in Walsall. I plumped for West Bromwich.

We set off an hour a fifteen minutes before it was due armed with a map off the council website and a Sat Nav. Stumbled right across a cracking spot. There was a car park spot waiting for me and we were away. Whoop.

The atmosphere was lovely and incredibly multi-cultural. I stood chatting to an Asian fellow who lives in London. The flame will pass his flat but he wanted to watch it arrive in his home town.

There was a real carnival atmosphere.

We picked a brilliant spot as the torches 'kissed' in front of us.

This is the the approach of one torch bearer to pass the flame to another. The lady receiving the flame is Jessica and she runs the swimming club in Haden Hill and has done so for 35 years.

It was a once in a lifetime thing. Sadly DH was working so it was just me and the kids but we loved it. We had a subway in celebration. X