Big Day Arrives For Chiswick Torch Bearer
Ben Cooper will carry the flame in Hounslow
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Chiswick torch-relay bearer Ben Cooper will be carrying the Olympic flame at Lampton Park tomorrow (Tuesday, July 24).
The 51-year old father-of-two says he is “excited” at being the 74th torch-bearer as the Olympic flame passes through the borough of Hounslow, and delighted that there is sunshine forecast for the historic day.
He is expected to be handed the torch around 12.30pm following its arrival into Hounslow and journey's end at Lampton Park.
Ben was nominated for his work encouraging Youth and Junior Sailing in the UK.
He told ChiswickW4.com that he would celebrate the historic occasion with family and friends by attending the public event in Lampton Park in the afternoon.
As the torch is not going through Chiswick, local people will have to catch a glimpse of it as it enters either near Kew Bridge, or follow it along Brentford High Street or into Lampton Park at the Civic Centre.
It will arrive at Kew Bridge at 11.21am and will be carried along the middle of the bridge, technically right above the centre of the river before turning towards Brentford on its way to Hounslow.
In Brentford, the party will kick off with a gold-themed carnival atmosphere from 10am including an array of music, performers and activities centred around Market Place.
As the Torch passes through at around 11.35am there will be walkabout entertainers, gold-coloured stilt-walking dragons, jugglers and living statues mingling with the crowd, as well as face painters and stalls selling arts, crafts, food and drinks.
A two-hour programme of live music including jazz, pop and reggae will be on hand from 10 am to noon, with the main stage surrounded by country-style hay-bale seating as the spectators await the arrival of the Olympic flame.
In Hounslow, the High Street will reverberate to the sights and sounds of Bollywood song and dance from 11am until noon, when the Torch arrives in the town centre.
Dhol drummers will march ahead of the relay from Douglas Road to Bell Corner as the Torch passes through, before the Bollywood entertainment re-commences from 1pm – 2pm.
At Lampton Park, a free family-oriented event will start at 11.30am, headlined by Brassroots, a 9-piece powerhouse group of horns and drums packed with boundless energy and led by American trombonist Jerome Harper. There will also be a feast of carnival dance from around the world. The Torch will arrive at 12.30pm to be greeted by the Mayor of Hounslow, Cllr Pritam Grewal.
In the afternoon the torch relay will be taken by motor vehicle to Surrey before proceeding to Hillingdon and the evening celebration at Ealing. Over 8,000 tickets were allocated for that event several weeks ago.
Hounslow Council’s website has an Olympic torch relay route for with more information. The Council will also be on Twitter with updates and images and on Facebook.
People are invited to upload their own photos to the summer of celebration Facebook pages (www.facebook.com/hounslowcouncil) or if they include the #HounslowTorch hashtag into their own tweets, they can be added them to the Council’s own Twitter account and re-tweeted. The Council is at Twitter - @LBofHounslow.
Ben Cooper is married to Deborah, who nominated him to be a torch-bearer. The couple have lived in Chiswick for several years with their two children. Their son Oliver is also an aspiring Olympic sailor and is in the last year of the youth programme, having already won a European Championship in 2009.
A map of the route through the borough is available at www.hounslow.gov.uk/torchrelay
Anyone wishing to travel to join in the celebrations is advised to come by public transport, preferably by Tube as there will be some bus diversions. Drivers can avail of car-parks in Hounslow Town Centre, and there is a small visitor car-park at the Civic Centre though these may fill up early. The surrounding streets are mostly in a CPZ. There are three road closures around Lampton Road; there will also be the rolling closure up Lampton Road to the main park entrance. The postcode for satnavs to the Park is TW3 4DN.
As the Torch relay passes through the borough, motorists can expect some delays along the route between Kew Bridge Road and Lampton Park.
High Street, Brentford will be closed from 10.30am to 1pm between Half Acre and Tallow Road, with traffic diverted via Half Acre, Boston Manor Road, the A4 Great West Road to Gillette Corner, Syon Lane, Spur Road and back onto London Road.
Bulstrode Avenue , Queen’s Road and Alexandra Road in Hounslow will be closed between 11am and 1pm.
Westbound bus diversions will be in place in Hounslow Town Centre from 10.30am to 1pm, and at Bell Corner from 10.30am to 3pm.
The nearest stations to the Torch relay route are:
- Kew Bridge (South West Trains)
- Isleworth (South West Trains)
- Brentford (South West Trains)
- Gunnersbury Station (London Overground and District Line – a 10 minute walk to Kew Bridge junction)
- Hounslow East Underground Station (Piccadilly Line)
- Hounslow Central Underground Station (Piccadilly Line
July 26, 2012
