The Olympic Flame is in UK hands! On 17 May at the imposing restored marble Panathenaic Stadium, symbolically the venue for the first modern Olympic Games, the Olympic Torch completed its journey around Greece following the Lighting Ceremony at Ancient Olympic and was handed over to The Princess Royal. For me these events were emotional moments after many months of preparation. Despite the unusual and very British downpour in Athens, the Greek and British spectators turned out in force to welcome the Flame and the UK Delegation. I don’t think I have even seen so many umbrellas open in any one place in Greece!
In a ceremony involving the imposing Evzoni, the traditional Presidential guard in their pleated white skirts, and classically-inspired dance by actresses performing as Priestesses, the Flame was run around the stadium accompanied by a symbolic olive branch cut from the oldest tree in Greece, before being handed over to the visiting UK delegation. It was a special moment when The Princess Royal, a former Olympian herself, held aloft the golden British Torch, letting the world know that London is ready for the Games. Now our responsibility, the Torch was handed over to its own special Metropolitan Police security team and the Flame was carefully transferred to a small British-made Davy Lamp in which it would later fly back to London.
But not before it had put in a unique VIP appearance at the subsequent Handover Reception at the Ambassador’s Residence in Athens. Of course, the official VIP representatives and the Olympic Flame were not the only special guests at the Ambassador’s reception. No one entering the Stadium last week could be mistaken whose name the audience was chanting, yes, ‘Sir’ David Beckham as the announcer called him in perhaps a moment of wishful thinking (and indeed, parapraxis is a Greek word). The adulation was palpable.
No one can have failed to appreciate that Greece is going through tough times, economically and politically. After elections on 6 May, it proved impossible to reach agreement on a coalition government. So, as the UK delegation were in the air en route to Athens, the name of the caretaker Prime Minister was announced, paving the way for a second general election in mid-June. But for a short time Greeks were able to put politics to one side and to celebrate something of national pride that goes beyond politics. And for us the visits of The Princess Royal, the Minister for Sport and Olympics (Hugh Robertson) and the Mayor of London (Boris Johnson) were an opportunity for the Embassy to showcase the strength of our bilateral relationship, and bring together British and Greek people from the world of commerce, shipping, education, culture and sport to celebrate our shared successes.
This was also a very exciting finale for me too. The Handover is personally symbolic for me as it marks the end of my time here in Greece. I’ll follow the Flame back to London shortly and look forward to getting reacquainted when it passes through my local community in south east London. And so, not one to miss an obvious opportunity for a final sporting analogy, I’ll pass the baton to my colleague Catherine who will no doubt be shortly blogging in my place.