Only in Hartlepool

[Julie noted]

As I drove down Park Road this morning I couldn't believe what I was witnessing; Muffin tops, beer bellies, wrong way round baseball caps all running down towards York Road. 
Has there been an accident, I wondered?
Are they rushing to be the first to get the footage on You Tube?
Are the council handing out morning after tabs, along with the morning after pill?

No, thousands of people lining the route to see the 'torch' go through the town.
On a cold, showery Sunday morning, thousands of people rising to catch sight of, in reality, a non event. 

What a damn shame we couldn't have had such a enthusiastic turnout for the local elections...we could be on the way to turning this town around. 

'Let's take their minds off the parlous state of the country; the MPs and ministers still being caught stealing with their 'expenses' claims; the billions we are handing to the E.U. to dole out to inept politicians in other countries; Let's send the 'torch' around the country for a couple of weeks, the 'Euro' games are on, soon it will be the Olympics and Wimbledon. Yes, that should keep the hoi polloi off our backs for quite a while'. 
And do you know what? It works.
Television and sport----- opium for the masses. 

[dangerman]

I understand that the cut off point was the Burn Valley. Police could not guarantee it would have made it past all the scrap yards from that point on going on southwards. This is probably why all those you mention were running down Park road to either weigh it in, or sell it on Ebay.

[mk1]

I hear Dumbo is claiming 1.5 million  spectators!

I was in Newcastle on Friday and the preparations for the Torch event meant chaos on the Tyne Bridge (long traffic jams) and most of the town centre was cordoned off and patrolled by about 1000 yellow jacketed security goons.

And whilst we are on about 'only in Hartlepool' I got the 18:43 GC train from York to Pool on Saturday. About 50 people got off at Hartlepool and most were half-cut or staggering about. One group of 5 blokes (25-30 years) bent over and dropped their trousers to do a full moon at the departing train. 3 of them were wearing suits.

One more.
Private Eye had a dig at GC  in the latest issue. One of their trains from London to S'land had no working toilets because  GC made a decision not to spend the 60 quid needed to refill the train with fresh water at Kings X. It seems the new German owners are keen to cut costs!

[steveL]

Bit of a missed opportunity at the Historic Quay, I think. The torch was at lunch here for an hour and everyone ended up standing around at a bit of a loss for the duration. There was a pipe band playing on the stage which provided nice background music but nothing much else to do but wait. Not so for the Councillors and Staff though who, if your name was on the clipboard, had a buffet marquee laid on for themselves even though the actual reception for the torch entourage was in the Maritime Experience.

The one leading the way in decency was the girl who carried the torch into the area - 'fraid I don't know her name - but she spent the hour letting people's kids get their photograph taken with the torch. It was obviously her own idea and whoever she was, she showed the way in understanding the real spirit of the event. Good for you lass, whoever you are.