Olympic Torch carried through Cockermouth!

Great excitement in town today! Things in town are generally well supported but we have never seen crowds like this! Cockermouth has one of the longest widest Main Streets in the country and it was lined at both sides for the full length of the Olympic Torch journey. I am quite short so had a lot of views of peoples backs and umbrellas before I found a little niche to peep through.

The torch itself was preceded by several lorries and buses with music and several London Metropolitan  Police cars and motorbikes. I must admit I was slightly confused by the Coca Cola float and the Lloyds Bank one that preceded the Torch Relay coach but it was even more bizarre when great big police outrider motorbikes came along. They were steering single handed whilst high fiveing anyone in crowd reaching out to them.

I nearly missed the torch when it eventually appeared!

This was the only shot I got of the torch itself!
 At this point the torch bearer was Mike Park  Team Leader of Cockermouth Mountain Rescue who over the last three years have been involved in some very diverse and emotional times in West Cumbria.

BTW Did you notice the Lime trees lining the sides of the Main Street? They were planted to mark Queen Victoria's Jubilee in 1887. Lime trees are quite big trees so these are regularly pollarded and last year they were all cut back quite hard . They have grown this year but still have that lollipop look that initially follows pruning and look as if they are very neat topiary.
Whilst writing this I had  a senior moment and couldn't remember the word topiary. I asked my DH what was the word used when trees are cut into shapes?

 The answer I got was "Wood carving?"
He is not a gardener. :o)

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When we got in there was a message on the phone to say that "Pink Roses and Sweet Williams" has won an award at the National Quilting Championships at Sandown. :o) I think it was for fabric painting but the phone call was breaking up so I will have to wait till someone emails me to find out what it was.

 How exciting!