Welcome home Andy Murray!

Torrential rain this morning and I thought to myself as I drove to Dunblane: " Well, it is a dreich homecoming for our hero."


Approaching Keir roundabout some miles outside Dunblane I got an inkling of what was in store. Cars were piled up on the side of the road and a police car barred entry to the slip road leading to Dunblane.
No amount of rain was going to detour the homecoming of our local hero.

Hundreds, no thousands of people were walking in pouring rain for the town centre.
A policeman estimated a crowd of 15,-20,000.

There was a tremendous air of celebration about the day and what's more it stopped raining just as the double decker bus bearing the Murray family and friends stopped outside Marks and Spencer.
Murray began his walkabout signing autographs everywhere, moving from side to side of the road which was festooned with flags, children, dogs and folk of all ages.

( One woman whispered to me:" I hope he smiles." )

It looked as if young and old not only from Dunblane but rest of Scotland had turned out to welcome home their own Olympian.

Only a few weeks ago another celebratory event took place a few miles down the road with the El Sisemta and Gustavo Dudamel's Simon Bolivar orchestra playing in Raploch to launch the Festival Olympics.

So the rapturous welcome to Gold medallist Andy Murray today in his hometown marked a great end to the 2012 Olympics.

And for a brief moment in time we too had caught a bit of the stardust.


Oh yes, rumour has it Judy Murray has bought a house in Bridge of Allan. In the next road...

More photos in blipfolio Andy Murray