I have been lucky enough to spend a couple of days up in The Lake District this week – it’s a beautiful part of the world and well worth a few days pottering about if you get the opportunity to do so. It’s an excellent place to walk, cycle or drive. On my way home I drove along the A595 from Whitehaven, eventually picking up the M6 just beyond Grange Over Sands….
….I loved the A595 – not because it was a fast road but because it was a very involving drive with tight bends and inclines to negotiate. I couldn’t help but think – what would be the ideal car to use if I was to do that route again?
Top of my list would be the Audi S3 – small enough to use on those roads and with the added benefit of 4 wheel drive. Second place would go to the new Ford Focus ST and in third place would be the Lotus Elise….though last time I drove one of those it was not a graceful exit as the darned thing is so close to the ground!!!
So if I win the lottery expect to see me heading down to the Audi or Ford showrooms then heading off to The Lakes – but jolly early before anyone else gets up 🙂
Olympics
It’s finally happened. After months of struggling to stir up any feeling or excitement within myself about The London Olympics I can honestly say I am feeling quite giddy about the opening ceremony this Friday. It’s a kind of nervous excitement, hoping that it’ll all work out well. Having seen our man, Bradley Wiggins, win the Tour de France this afternoon I am sensing that we are due a bit more excitement and success in the coming few weeks. I hope that the Olympics acts as a catalyst for a sense of national pride and I am looking forward to the shared experience of watching the big events alongside using Twitter…. I think that by the end of the games there will be some new national heroes and I am actually wondering if Tom Daley will replace David Beckham as the official national darling of the sporting world.
Daley has experienced personal loss, he has grown up in the spotlight of the media and he seems to display a natural charm ‘on camera’ appealing to young and old/female or male. He appears well grounded and his media coverage so far has been remarkably free of controversy. If he brings home a gold medal (and I hope he does) could he be elevated to the heady tag of National Darling?
That aside, I hope that we do well in The Games – and I hope that the experience we all have will be a positive one. It would be a terrible shame if the media take a critical angle on the proceedings – fine to do a post mortem months afterwards but let’s keep the national mood upbeat and positive when The Olympics are on.
It’s like having visitors coming to stay for a few weeks. Maybe not everyone in the family agreed with sending the invitation – and we have had to clean up and redecorate here and there in anticipation of their arrival – but, hell, they are on their way now so let’s make the most of it and have fun. Let’s not argue in front of the visitors. Save that for after they’ve gone.
Have a safe and enjoyable Olympics full of excitement and a huge sense of pride…….plus a healthy number of medals. Let’s hold our heads high and not shy away from some vigorous flag waving…
Paulson500 
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