Dear Blog,
So on my day off from the pressure of intense competition, I took the opportunity to visit the local museum to complete a section of my research which had been causing some problems. Conflicting evidence needed resolving about Godiva’s first world record holder. Complete? Joking!! For every answer I found I ended up with two more questions so another trip to London will be needed. Now, it is hard to believe but shielded and hidden amongst the modern urban sprawl of the suburbs of London is a little gem. Although now in a conservation area, Walthamstow Old Village has remained untouched for years and years. If it wasn’t for the very occasional car crawling along the narrow confine of streets, the impression you get is of a Georgian / Victorian film set; except it not a man built set but a man built real life village which time has passed by. Slowly. A gem with a capital ‘G’!! The old church, the churchyard full of listed 18th and 19th century sarcophagi and tombs of the local rich gentry, the alms-houses, the pub, the narrow streets, the half-timbered buildings, the museum. Unbelievable. Vestry House itself is worth a visit. The whole lot about a mile walk from where the family was camping for the Olympic Games. Half way between was the local civic offices where the Godiva Awakes Cyclopedia finished its trek to London from Coventry for the Cultural Olympiad. Type ‘Godiva Awakes’ into your search goggle and highlight ‘images’ Blog. It is worth it. Remember my son-in-law was responsible for the engineering involved!! The camp site where we were staying was a sports complex of half a dozen 5-a-side all weather pitches encased in netting cages, a full size pitch with stands and seating for the local football club, two grass pitches and a full size all weather pitch which could be subdivided into four smaller pitches when required. One of the grass pitches, a small all-weather pitch and the odd bit of spare ground was given over to tents for the duration of the Games, most being occupied by the Volunteers. The place was crammed but did have the advantage of 24 hour access to showers, kitchen facilities and the bar which opened at 4am for breakfast for the early Volunteers and continued until 11pm serving meals for those late returning Volunteers who were in need of sustenance after a long day at the various venues. Six large screen TVs were available in the bar and the recreation room for the campers to view what sports they had missed during the day. Although the camping areas was rammed and we were squashed up against the meshed fence next to the large all weather pitch, the advantage was that I could sit in the sun during the day and evening watching the footballers train. During the day from 9:30am to 3:30pm, it was the various Spurs youngsters being put through their pre-season suffering by the Premier League club’s coaches. Most interesting. What was illuminating was the fact that despite the possibility of mega bucks in the not too distant future, very few of the footballers put themselves out by driving their bodies too hard; too often cutting corners in their training routine by doing the acceptable minimum. The footballers didn’t seem to understand that going the extra mile and pushing themselves just that little bit more might make all the difference to their future prospects of success; and quantity of available mega quids! Reminded me of modern day athletic training with the coaches and their armful of badges!!
And three miles up the road was Epping Forest for the odd trudge or three.
Colin
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