Week 6 - Summer Holidays 2012

"Can we go to the Paralympics?" Archie asked on the Sunday before the Games started. As this seemed like a perfectly brilliant idea and I was pleased he was so keen I quickly looked up online to see if there were any tickets left. We were lucky and managed to  get some Excel Day Tickets at £10 per adult and £5 per child and for that price it seemed too good an opportunity to miss.

So off we went last Thursday not really knowing what to expect or what we would manage to see. 

The first thing we went to see was table tennis. I found it quite difficult to concentrate on just one game with some many matches going on at the same time and it always seemed to be the furthest away table that had the best action!

We then went off to look at the Judo competition. Luckily we took Archie's friend James who does a lot of Judo and competes too so he explained all the rules and regulations and kept us informed about what the judges hand movements meant. As I've never seen live Judo before this help and guidance made the whole thing much more interesting. The fact that the competitors were blind/partially sighted was just incredible.

The highlight of the day came next and we went and got our places early for the Sittingdown Volleyball match of Team GB versus Russia. The atmosphere in the arena was fantastic and the whole build up to the game made the waiting go so quickly. We cheered, we sang, we danced in our seats, did mexican waves and got really hyped up for the arrival of Team GB.

We were even entertained during the timeouts as two pairs of cleaners came on each time and did a perfect sychronised sweep of the court to the delight of the crowd every time they jumped their brushes!

Unfortunately Team GB didn't win the match but by Set 3 they were really showing that they are a great team. 

It was a wonderful day and I'm so glad Archie suggested it as it was a great way to end the school holidays and was another once in a lifetime experience for us. We are still enjoying watching the games on television and, as with the Olympics, it is going to be sad when they come to an end. 

The school holidays didn't end quite so well for Oscar who managed to break his foot at the first rugby training session of the new season. Another fluke accident and another six weeks not playing rugby, riding his bike, going on his scooter ..... I have a feeling it is going to be a long six weeks :-(