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Olympic torch will not stop in Shropshire
Wednesday 18th May 2011, 11:50AM BST.
Olympic and Paralympic mascots Wenlock, left, and Mandeville
SHROPSHIRE’S BID for the London 2012 Olympic Torch to stop overnight in the county during its 70-day journey through the UK has been snubbed.
The county is one of only six in England to miss out on an overnight stop, despite bids from both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin councils. But the UK’s International Olympic Committee member today vowed the torch would pass through Much Wenlock.
The town is widely regarded as the birthplace of the modern Olympic movement.
The county put in bids for the Torch Relay to stop overnight at either Much Wenlock or the Ironbridge Gorge. But hopes were today dashed with the announcement that the three West Midlands overnight stops would be in Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and Coventry.
Richard Sheehan, managing director of Shropshire Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise, said: “Given that Much Wenlock is the home of the modern Olympics I think it’s astonishing that we haven’t got an overnight stop here.
“Leisure and tourism are a very important part of the business make-up and economic drivers. An overnight stay of the torch would have raised awareness of that profile. It’s deeply disappointing that once again a rural community has been overlooked.”
George Candler, area director from Shropshire Council, said: “The entour-age that surrounds the torch is about 300 people strong. An overnight stop would bring the economic benefits of overnight stops such as bed space occupancy.”
Officials said they were now focused on making sure the torch’s route passed through Much Wenlock and Ironbridge.
Britain’s IOC member Craig Reedie said: “The intention is to run the torch all around the country. It will go to within an hour’s travel of 95 per cent of the population.
“It will also have a British sporting history element to it, so the torch will be run past many of those famous sporting venues such as Wimbledon, Old Trafford, St Andrew’s and of course Much Wenlock.” London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe said: “The Olympic Flame will shine a light right across every nation and region of the UK.”
By Andy Richardson
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So long as it passes through whats the problem??
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Absolutely. What’s the problem, as long as it vists? ‘Snubbed’ is really silly and lazy journalism. Also this is NOT the final route and London 2012 made clear loads more stops are to be added. So Richard, Nick and Hilary are being rather premnature in their complaints and have no means of knowing whether wwhat they say is true.
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The problem is are they telling the truth? On last night’s One Show showing the route the torch was giving the whole of the West Midlands a very wide berth, like someone was going to rob the torch if they passed through!
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Not surprised the torch won’t stop in Shrewsbury – the organisers presumably know what an inward-looking Council we have and thought we’ll go elsewhere. Is it true the Council wanted a 4 mile exclusion zone around the torch??
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Great comment Richard
Please apply to sit next beside me when I am 60+ and try and run the Republic of Shrewsbury better than it is now.
We have no trains, we have no cities we have nothing in Shropshire except an inward looking council that you have superbly highlighted.
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Much Wenlock is not impressed! Local people and local businesses are angry at this decision. We certainly feel that we are not too small to host this event. WENLOCK is the name of the Olympic Mascot, it should be top of the list as a place for the torch to stay. It is the birthplace of the Modern Olympic movement. Who makes these decisions???
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i have a petition going and i have wrote the prime minister,the queen etc,etc i am determind to get it there over night if some of these narrow minded idiots on here would actually read up on there history they would know the signifigance of it they wouldnt like it if it was there town
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I think this a disgusting decision, as the birthplace of the modern olympics. They should honestly recall this and be respectful, because without Much Wenlock, where would the Olympics be?
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This is disappointing news. Again Shropshire is left out of mainstream events – I think the lack of good transport links has again worked against us. We are the only county in England without a direct rail link to London and now one of only six counties not getting on Olympic torch stop-over!
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They use the Wenlock mascot but can’t be bothered to stop here? Who do we complain to?
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i can’t stand those creepy looking cyclops mascots,don’t care if they don’t come to wenlock.
i know lets have mascots that look like alien cyclops’s with a 3rd eye in the top their heads.the uk will love them.
dont mind the fact kid’s find them as creepy & weird as adults do,lets keep them.
good job ignoring the publics distaste & rejection of those new mascots,it’s just shows how much the powers that be don’t give a damn about what the public wants.
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Not surprised, the Council would probably want to put a 4 mile parking exclusion zone around it.
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I totally agree that it is a disgrace for it not to stop overnight in Much Wenlock, or even Iron Bridge.
But where in those towns can 300 people be put up for the night, i.e. Torch Entourage?
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300 people in the torch entourage!!!!!!!
The world has gone mad.
I can validate perhaps 3 people. The two who’ll take turns running with the torch & the other who would I guess read the map & make the sandwiches. As for the other 297!
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Do people honestly think that having a one-eyed snake mascot named after their town is a good thing?
Oh dear, and now this snub.
They’re all laughing at you, Much Wenlockers. Time to rise up and do something about it methinks. I’ll approve, after all you do have exquisite pork pies.
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What a shock to see some people from Wenlock assuming they have a right with all things Olympic. How about you all pipe down and realise how arrogant you all sound. Let’s be honest I can’t blame them for not wanting to stay in Wenlock- It’s the only place where people protest about a house being built…because they aren’t “local”.
Get over yourselves, you are not as important as you like to think.
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The point is that they named the mascot after Much Wenlock due to its significance to the modern Olympic movement – so its crazy that there wont be an overnight stop, or any attempt to milk the potential tourism for all its worth!
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Couldn’t agree more!
Imagine running all that way to Much Wenlock with the torch only to find there’s absolutely nothing to see or do when you get there! Gutted!
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If Much Wenlock is so bad, why use their name in your moniker Boy?
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If all the angry people in Much Wenlock had bothered to read the details correctly they will see that there are a further 1000 places the torch will visit, all to be announced later this year………………………………………..
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What a lot of fuss over nothing.
Not much going on in Wenlock then I take it if this is all you have to complain about?
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Rumour is that Olympic torch will pass through Dublin!
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Im not surprised they wont stop in Much Wenlock. Its like a ghost town. Locals dont even bother to get out and support events people in the village and outside arrange for them .i.e. they would rather go to a large supermarket than support a farmers market on their doorstep! And how would Wenlock accomodate 300 hundred people in a field perhaps.
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I for one am glad. The modern day Olympic relay was started by the Nazis in 1936 and has no relation to the ancient games whereby a fire was lit to appease Zeus.
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This article has been badly reported and is ambiguous. The Olympic Torch will pass through Much Wenlock!
With a large entourage following the torch, I doubt the very small town would have had the capacity for overnight stays.
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Wenlock is the home of the modern Olympic games so surely the whole route should have been planned around this historic town. If you think it is a ghost town, then get out of your comfy chair and frequent the brilliant pubs and eating places especially if you like curry-get down to the Bilash.
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How come Elton can bring his candle in the wind to Shrewsbury but we can’t get the torch to Wenlock?
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I bet the Olympic Committee wish they’d never called the ruddy thing Wenlock now. Stop whining and be proud that the mascot is named after your town.
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Putting to one side the absurd number of people to accompany (upto 300) what is essentially an oversized cigarette lighter, there is little excuse for saying there would be problems finding accommodation for that many people.
Wenlock is what, 15 mins from Telford? Where there are nearly 500 hotel rooms in the centre alone (Int Hotel: 101, Grays: 90, Holiday Inn: 150, Park Inn: 153) not to mention places like the Telford Golf and Spa hotel (114), Madeley court (50) and the countless travelodges and Premier Inns.
I reckon they could easily accommodate over 1000 people all within 20 minutes dive of Much Wenlock.
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Get a grip, hardly a disaster is it? a silly few games that will cost us millions a knighthood for coe and his other poorly mannered oiks and thats it.
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Can’t see Coe being too bothered about a knighthood,seeing as he’s already a lord, but otherwise I totally agree with you.
…and we’ll still be paying for it long after the hopping, skipping and jumping has been forgotten….
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