Exactly 10 years ago today, on Saturday 14th July 2012, the London 2012 Olympic Torch came to the Island, travelling from Yarmouth to East Cowes – via Totland, the Needles and Newport.
The Olympic torch relay had come to the Isle of Wight as part of Day 57: the Bournemouth to Southampton leg of the route. Can you remember where you were a decade ago?
The flame arrived on board a Wightlink ferry in Yarmouth at 12:44. It was taken down the Alum Bay Chair lift by David Ouston, who had been selected for his work in setting up the Street Pastors on the Island. On the beach, he handed the flame to Laura Carlisle whose grandfather, Peter Roland, had carried the Olympic Flame in 1948.
Other bearers for the Isle of Wight stint included Hattie Little, Christina Loosemore, Sophie Wade-Smith, Henrietta Gould, Lee Matthews, Jim Morris, Mark Roberts, Richard Pearson, Colin McArthur, Sarita Jarrett, Shula Smith, Shelia Ingram, Alison Austin, Ashlyn Dickinson, Aslan Khabliev, Barry Small, Aaron Reeds, Hannah Brear, Ruth Smith and Yingliand Zhu.
Shirley Robertson carried the Flame part of the way through the Island’s county town – Newport. Shirley won a sailing gold in the Europe class at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. 4 years later, at Athens, she made history by becoming the first British women to win Olympic gold medals at consecutive Games.
The flame then stopped off at Medina College, which was hosting the Isle of Wight Primary School Games, and then made its way to Osborne House where Annette Ablitt became the bearer – just as the weather took a temporary turn.
Dame Ellen MacArthur took control of the flame in East Cowes from Gerry North. She hit the headlines in 2001 when she raced single-handedly non-stop around the world in the Vendée Globe when only 24 years old. In 2005, she became the fastest person to circumnavigate the globe single-handed.
At 16:25, the flame left the Isle of Wight on a Red Funnel ferry from East Cowes to Southampton, bringing an end to the Olympic Torch Relay on the Isle of Wight – something many Islanders will remember for a long time to come…
VIDEO: Watch the Olympic torch passing through Newport and East Cowes
Remember it well. The Street Pastors were at Alum Bay to support David Ouston. A short time before the flame arrived, the heavens opened and we were drenched. Then the sun came out and it was wonderful. Still have my Coca Cola bottle too
Is this really news? It’s always going to be the 10th anniversary of something or other.