We were in the park....

.....before 7am this morning, I admit  it was only a couple of minutes before 7, but it was nevertheless, before 7am, on a Sunday morning. 

AND

.....and we had already been into the city centre to wave the torch off on it's next leg of it's journey. 

We were up by 5am, and in the city centre just before 5.45.  And we couldn't find anywhere to park!!!  Unlike Sutton Park, Victoria Square was not deserted.  There was a couple of thousand people there, { or so they said on the TV tonight.}  Not everyone had got up early, a fair few were still on their way home from Saturday night.

         People gathering to listen to the brilliant band and choir in the Victoria Square...Queen Victoria's statue (and me),  shivering in the cold morning sunshine.

          .....The torch bearer, waiting nervously for the flame to be carried out to her from the council house where it had been kept overnight.....

          ....The Lord Mayor of Birmingham in all his finery, been interviewed by the local radio station...

                ......a previous torch bearer proudly showing off her torch, and telling us how the support team had warned her not to let go of her torch before she ran, and how scared she would have been if she had had to admit to them that she had lost her torch before she even started her turn.

     We thought about driving on and joining in again, but in the end we headed for home, a walk and a Sunday fry-up to celebrate. 
      This afternoon we went to the Vintage fair in Sutton Town Hall.  It was packed, vintage is very trendy round here at present.  Girls you would have loved it....so many treasures to be had and so many good ideas to pinch.  I was so tempted to buy a little cute wall shelf, but I need a little encouragement and enthusiasm from one of you lot....Dad is not exactly known for his enthusiasm for buying someone else's old junk when we have got so much of our own at home.  Can't you just hear him????
       However, he stood quietly and watched that stunning group of girls singing old songs, dressed in stockings, suspenders and tiny little mini-dresses.  I thought they were rather good, dad simply forgot to listen......talk about VINTAGE!!!!!.....Cave-man is more in mind.