Everybody is packing up, just leaves us with the final instalment from the Secret Games Maker. Thank you Mr Pete Lewis for your posts, much appreciated from all at Sports Pulse Towers. Here is to the Paralympics in a couple of weeks, let the games continue and the legacy begin.
Day 9 - Last day
It had to happen sooner or later and sadly the day came yesterday with the final shift of the Olympic Games for me.
Sun was beating down and shining brightly and it was a wonderful afternoon in Stratford. Got there in plenty of time to chat and mingle with the friends I've made amongst the photographers and media guys and of course begging for more pin badges! Turns out I only got 1 and that was from European Photopress Agency, but another one nonetheless. Had a quick volunteer team photo before starting my shift and it was quite funny seeing about 400 people being marshalled into position in the stands.
First match up was the small matter of GB V New Zealand for the women's bronze medal and I got first dibs on where I wanted to be. I chose the opposite corner to the main media entry to the field of play so I could at least be pitchside, in the sun and soaking up the atmosphere. If I'd been a bit quicker, just as I left to walk to my position, Kate Windsor nee Middleton, walked right past where I had been standing and I could have got a pic of her. Was looking the other way at the time and missed out
Cracking game it was with GB fully deserving their 3-1 win and taking the bronze medal. The roar in the Riverbank was unbelievable and even though we're not meant to outwardly show our support, it was hard not to join in when you look round and see all the other Games Makers clapping, smiling and jumping around!
I even got involved in the celebrations as a couple of flags from the crowd had been thrown towards the pitch to give to the girls so someone had to go and pick them up and pass them on to our victorious girls... :whistling: We'd see them again later on though for the medal ceremony after the final.
Dinner next and it was sausage lyonnaise with boiled new potatoes and veg or some other weird and wonderful concoction that I didn't understand but it was a veggie dish so I left it. They also gave us huge slices of sponge cake for dessert, but even at my fattest and greediest, I'd never have polished off a piece of cake that size. Plenty of unnecessary wasted food around the break area due to cake not being eaten.
Time for a bit of sunbathing before a briefing on who was going where for the final and how we'd be operating for the victory ceremony.
I was quite disappointed that my position was at the back of the stands pretty much as far away from the medals as you could get and with a crap camera phone, I was never going to get any decent pics. I did have the advantage of being about 10 rows behind the Dutch brass band who are infinitely better than the British guys.
The Riverbank was a sea of orange for the final and the Dutch took the game to Argentina and beat them convincingly in the end. However the Dutch showed true Olympic spirit by giving the Argentinians an almost equally as loud a cheer when they went on their lap of honour as they give their own team. The third loudest cheer was reserved for the British girls as they came out for the medal ceremony and plenty of Union Flags appeared around the Arena. As my photo position had nigh on emptied I went down to pitchside for the anthems and got a video of the flags being raised from about 10ft away, if that! Also filmed the British girls coming off the pitch with their medals and flowers and managed to get some discarded flowers to take home for my fiancee.
Back into the office for the final time and the good-byes, and also receiving our certificates and a little pin badge from LOCOG and the IOC thanking us for our efforts during London 2012.
Walked around and said my good-byes to the media guys and swapped email addresses and got some pictures coming my way from them
It was hard not to have tears in my eyes as I walked out of the Park for the final time last night. I lived my 24yr old dream out in my 'home' city. I saw the Olympics come to my country and was a part of it. I was involved. I did my bit at the Games, however insignificant it may be in the grand scheme of things. I saw Team GB deservedly win a medal and get it awarded. Am I sad I won't be doing it again? Definitely! Am I happy I did it? No. Really? I'm over the moon I did it!!! I met some wonderful people from across the World and made some amazing friends. I would urge anyone to apply for these sorts of things if/when they come up again. Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games is the next big thing over here, so it's likely they'll want volunteers. For those 'oop North' I would highly recommend it. It's a feeling that is hard to be topped.
It had to happen sooner or later and sadly the day came yesterday with the final shift of the Olympic Games for me.
Sun was beating down and shining brightly and it was a wonderful afternoon in Stratford. Got there in plenty of time to chat and mingle with the friends I've made amongst the photographers and media guys and of course begging for more pin badges! Turns out I only got 1 and that was from European Photopress Agency, but another one nonetheless. Had a quick volunteer team photo before starting my shift and it was quite funny seeing about 400 people being marshalled into position in the stands.
First match up was the small matter of GB V New Zealand for the women's bronze medal and I got first dibs on where I wanted to be. I chose the opposite corner to the main media entry to the field of play so I could at least be pitchside, in the sun and soaking up the atmosphere. If I'd been a bit quicker, just as I left to walk to my position, Kate Windsor nee Middleton, walked right past where I had been standing and I could have got a pic of her. Was looking the other way at the time and missed out
Cracking game it was with GB fully deserving their 3-1 win and taking the bronze medal. The roar in the Riverbank was unbelievable and even though we're not meant to outwardly show our support, it was hard not to join in when you look round and see all the other Games Makers clapping, smiling and jumping around!
I even got involved in the celebrations as a couple of flags from the crowd had been thrown towards the pitch to give to the girls so someone had to go and pick them up and pass them on to our victorious girls... :whistling: We'd see them again later on though for the medal ceremony after the final.
Dinner next and it was sausage lyonnaise with boiled new potatoes and veg or some other weird and wonderful concoction that I didn't understand but it was a veggie dish so I left it. They also gave us huge slices of sponge cake for dessert, but even at my fattest and greediest, I'd never have polished off a piece of cake that size. Plenty of unnecessary wasted food around the break area due to cake not being eaten.
Time for a bit of sunbathing before a briefing on who was going where for the final and how we'd be operating for the victory ceremony.
I was quite disappointed that my position was at the back of the stands pretty much as far away from the medals as you could get and with a crap camera phone, I was never going to get any decent pics. I did have the advantage of being about 10 rows behind the Dutch brass band who are infinitely better than the British guys.
The Riverbank was a sea of orange for the final and the Dutch took the game to Argentina and beat them convincingly in the end. However the Dutch showed true Olympic spirit by giving the Argentinians an almost equally as loud a cheer when they went on their lap of honour as they give their own team. The third loudest cheer was reserved for the British girls as they came out for the medal ceremony and plenty of Union Flags appeared around the Arena. As my photo position had nigh on emptied I went down to pitchside for the anthems and got a video of the flags being raised from about 10ft away, if that! Also filmed the British girls coming off the pitch with their medals and flowers and managed to get some discarded flowers to take home for my fiancee.
Back into the office for the final time and the good-byes, and also receiving our certificates and a little pin badge from LOCOG and the IOC thanking us for our efforts during London 2012.
Walked around and said my good-byes to the media guys and swapped email addresses and got some pictures coming my way from them
It was hard not to have tears in my eyes as I walked out of the Park for the final time last night. I lived my 24yr old dream out in my 'home' city. I saw the Olympics come to my country and was a part of it. I was involved. I did my bit at the Games, however insignificant it may be in the grand scheme of things. I saw Team GB deservedly win a medal and get it awarded. Am I sad I won't be doing it again? Definitely! Am I happy I did it? No. Really? I'm over the moon I did it!!! I met some wonderful people from across the World and made some amazing friends. I would urge anyone to apply for these sorts of things if/when they come up again. Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games is the next big thing over here, so it's likely they'll want volunteers. For those 'oop North' I would highly recommend it. It's a feeling that is hard to be topped.
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