The Olympic torch will pass through 14 Shropshire towns and villages next year as it makes its way to London for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Games, it was revealed today.
The flame will visit the county twice as it makes its way from Greece to the capital with torchbearers carrying the flame through Ludlow, Clee Hill and Cleobury Mortimer on May 24.
And it will return to the county on May 30 when it will pass through Oswestry, Pant, Llanymynech, Shrewsbury, Cressage, Much Wenlock, Benthall, Broseley, Ironbridge, Telford Town Centre and Newport.
Nationally the flame will pass through more than 1,000 villages, towns and cities on its 70-day, 8,000-mile relay in the run-up to the games, starting at Land’s End in Cornwall.
Today’s announcement was welcomed at launch events in Much Wenlock and Ironbridge by county officials who described it as a ‘great honour’ to have the flame visit the county and added it would be a ‘once in a lifetime chance’.
Shropshire Council said there would be a special welcome for the torch in Much Wenlock, where Doctor William Penny Brookes founded the Wenlock Olympian Games in 1850 and inspired the revival of the modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.
Councillor Steve Charmley, from Shropshire Council, said: “By passing through Shropshire the flame will offer everyone a chance to celebrate and take part in the countdown to the biggest cultural festival to happen in the UK for years.”
By John Kirk
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I bet it’s not only me who thinks this government would earn itself more credit from the public if they said “You know what, the economy is a mess, people are suffering as a result, we can’t afford this – cancelled !!”
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No way I have waited all my life 60 years to see the olympics in this country I just hope I am still around when they do arrive.
paul.
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I would not have been bothered had we not won the right to present the 2012 Olympic Games, but now that we have spent as much money as we have already, then only an idiot would suggest cancelling at this stage and miss out on all of the income that will arise from it.
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I totally agree Shropsman. This has cost us all a gross amount of money and, as usual, all the benefits are going to the overcrowded, overpriced and inaccessible South.
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Shropsman you are a sad individual. It’s at times like these that a positive, upbeat attitude is needed. I bet you will shed a tear when you see the results & more when we get medalists. If you don’t, then I feel sorry for you.
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I agree with the lead comment. The 2012 London Olympics are a massive and unnecessary expense which should never have been launched in the first place.
How appropriate that it should all be topped by such an infantile, brainless logo.
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What a misery Shropsman is! I shall be seeing the torch and going to the games. Lets keep politics out of sport.
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I agree with Shropsman, it’s a waste of money, like the hideous millienium monument in Shrewsbury – when council tax is going up and costs are being cut to save money, they are wasting it on a torch? Priotities are all wrong here.
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Council tax going up to pay for this?! Strange – I thought council tax was frozen till at least 2013!
Back on topic: The law of economics dictates that there will always be ups n downs in the economy, but these pass. However, the Olympics is a once in a lifetime event.
I for one will celebrate the arrival of the torch and ensure my children see it and retain it as a memory they can relay to their children – “I was there”.
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As wages go down and prices go up, who can afford to go to the Olympics? Another event for Cameron and his friends. I can’t afford to go but I am looking forward to seeing the torch and watching it on the telly.
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Ridiculous. Olympic tickets started at quite reasonable prices. The only problem was getting hold of them due to massive demand. Further evidence that the games are not just for ‘Cameron and his Friends’.
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I’m with Twiggo. Its not just ticket prices to pay for, its travel, accommodation etc. I can’t afford the bus fare to the shops, nevermind to stadiums. I wanted to take my child to this once in a life time event. Phaeox – As prices are so reasonable, how about you pay for us?
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Why should he/she. It’s been common knowledge for six years now that London was having the Olympics. If you’d have put £1 per week aside instead of grumbling about the prices of tickets then you’d have over £300 saved. don’t blame others because you can’t go..
Ps, i’ll wave to you from the velodrome whilst you’re sat on the couch wishing you were better organised..
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We were lucky enough to get tickets to three events. I can’t afford bus fair some weeks, but I saved hard to afford our bottom priced tickets. And we’re saving hard again to be able to travel down there. But as a working mum, you’ll know all about being organised and planning in advance won’t you?
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ditto twiggo!
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Only fools would think that we would benefit from the money saved if this was cancelled…i’d rather see the money spent on the Olympics than given to the banks..
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Shropsman…how empty is your half a glass?
Yes, the economy is a mess. Cancel Christmas, the Olympics and anything else that brings us some joy shall we?
Embrace it man and you might shock yourself and enjoy iy!
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Surely Newport Town Council will be objecting to this? After all, it objects to everything else.
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Whilst the symbol of fire has always been a part of the Olympiad, The modern Olympic torch carrying relay was a stunt started by the Nazis in 1936 (by Joseph Goebbels). Hardly an ancient tradition that should be celebrated?
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To working dad and husband, I have been putting a pound aside each week…. to save for my childs education/wedding/housing. I’m not grumbling, just found the ‘ridiculous’ comment insulting. It may not seem expensive to some, but its a lot of money to others.
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I can’t afford to go to Hawaii yet i don’t feel insulted by people who can.
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The Olympics are a waste of money but other than that all the events are minority sports.
How many people would pay a Sky subscription to watch swimming, running, high jump or long jump?
Answer not many.
And that is why we should not have bid for the Olympics, all the Olympics will show is how much of a mess our country is, every single faction will be using the Olympics to demonstrate and show our lack of utility in this country.
Perhaps the money should have been spent on getting the World Cup by fair or foul means.
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All sports are minority interests, just some are less of a minority than others.
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I shall be following the torches progress with great interest. Mind you, I am a moth.
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Oh that’s good the torch should hopefully pass near our house then if it’s going from Ludlow up to Clee Hill (we live in Middleton which is just off the main Clee Hill road – I wonder if it will actually go through Middleton and Bitterley on the way up to Clee Hill, or whether it will just take the main road straight up?)
Looking forward to seeing the flame but not really bothered about the actual Olympics. Was really put off any sports by school as I had undiagnosed Dyspraxia and Asperger’s and had really bad experiences with P.E, mainly ‘cos we only ever played football or rugby and it was awful being stood out in the freezing cold in shorts and t-shirt for an hour watching everyone else play when I was always put as far away from the ball as possible ‘cos I was useless at kicking it or catching it.
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Who cares?? I mean really. This is the worst news ive ever heard. And where’s Much Wenlock again? No body knows where it is! And just because some nobody dedcided to have a sports day a 100 years ago im going to have to sit in traffic AGAIN!!! Whatever!!
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