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Cotswold District Council confirms Olympic Flame route

The route that the Olympic Torch will take across the country and through the district was unveiled today. In November it was announced that Cirencester and Chipping Campden were to be two of over 1,000 villages, towns and cities through which the Olympic Flame will be carried by Torchbearers, during the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay.

Jamie Nesbit, Head of Leisure & Cultural Services for Cotswold District Council said:

‘2012 is an exciting year for our nation and it’s a privilege to have the Olympic Flame carried through our district. With the torch carried through Cirencester and Chipping Campden, the eyes of the world will be upon us and I’m sure that people of all ages will line the route and celebrate this special occasion.’

On Wednesday 23 May, on only the fifth day of its journey, the Olympic Flame will come into our district for the first time having travelled from Swindon. It will arrive in Cirencester at 3:45pm where it will be carried along London Road, Lewis Lane, South Way & North Way before entering the Market Place and then onto Castle Street and finally Sheep Street before it continues in convoy mode along the A419 towards Stroud.

Some 39 days later on Sunday 01 July which is day 44 of the Torch Relay, the Olympic Flame will arrive in Chipping Campden around 12:35pm and will be carried down Conduit Hill before heading along Sheep Street then onto Lower High Street before turning into Cidermill Lane and heading out of town via Station Road before it continues from Castle Nurseries and onto Newbold-on-Stour along the B4035 in convoy mode.

Also announced today was that Terry Parker has been chosen as one of the Torchbearers. Terry Parker is an incredible individual who has dedicated 13 years to giving disabled adults and children in Gloucestershire the opportunity to play tennis. These disabilities range between mild learning difficulties including autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, to severe mental and physical problems, and in a good many cases both. He currently teaches tennis to children at 4 special schools in Gloucestershire on a weekly basis and runs an after-school club for children with Special Educational Needs at Oxstalls Tennis Centre, Gloucester. Most of the work Terry does is free of charge, including coaching junior and adult wheelchair tennis players to competition standard, where he currently has a British Champion. Terry is an inspiration to everyone he meets and his enthusiasm for tennis has opened the door to so many.

The Torchbearers confirmed to carry the Flame today include those that were successful through the public nomination processes run by LOCOG and the Presenting Partners, Coca Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung. LOCOG has endeavoured to slot all community Torchbearers within an hour of their nomination address so family and friends can cheer them on. Each Torchbearer will wear a white and gold uniform which been designed by adidas.

In the build up to the start of the Games, the Olympic Flame will make its journey from Greece and arrive in the UK on 18 May, ready for the Olympic Torch Relay to begin the following day.  Representing peace, unity and friendship, the Flame will start its 70-day journey around the UK towards the Stadium carried by 8,000 inspirational Torchbearers.

The Relay will start its 70-day journey at Land’s End, Cornwall on the morning of 19 May. On leaving Land’s End, the Olympic Flame will travel an estimated 8,000 miles around the UK giving thousands of communities and individuals a chance to see it and celebrate.

The streets along the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, which can be viewed in full at www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelay, gives street-by-street details and proposed start times for when the Olympic Flame will travel through Cirencester and Chipping Campden. Residents living in and around these two towns can find out when it will be travelling along their nearest high street, through their town square or past their local village shop.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG added:

‘Today we bring the Olympic Torch Relay to life. The Flame symbolises the Olympic spirit and its journey around the UK will bring the excitement of the Games to our streets. Now the people know the route the Olympic Flame will be carried along and the Torchbearers for their community, they can start planning how they might  celebrate and make it Cotswold District’s moment to shine.’

Further information:

London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay.

An average of 115 Torchbearers a day will carry the Olympic Flame during its 8,000 mile journey around the UK before it arrives at the Olympic Stadium on 27 July 2012 for the lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony, signifying the official start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) has worked closely with representatives from a number of sectors in each Nation and Region of the UK to devise the route and is taking the Olympic Flame to within ten miles of over 95% of the population.

Schools across the UK can now access free learning resources linked to the Olympic Torch Relay through Get Set (www.london2012.com/getset), the official London 2012 education programme. The activities are designed to help schools and colleges make the most of the Relay by lining the route, and cheering on their local Torchbearers. Resources include ideas for making Flame hats and shakers to welcome the Flame, an assembly presentation to get the school behind a Torchbearer and a film showing one Get Set network school's preparations for the Relay.

Evening celebration at Cheltenham Racecourse

Cheltenham Racecourse has been chosen as one of 66 locations across the UK to host an Olympic Torch Relay evening celebration.

The family event on 23 May will be free to attend and will revolve around a free stage show featuring an exciting mix of music, dance and digital media. The main stage show will be presented by the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) together with presenting partners Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung. The highlight of the evening will be the arrival of the Olympic flame and the symbolic lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

There will also be entertainment throughout the evening showcasing sporting and artistic talent from across Gloucestershire. Local bands, dance groups and arts organisations will be performing in the Entertainment Arena on the Parade Ring and an interactive sports village will feature a wide range of demonstrations and have-a-go activity stalls.

More details will be provided about the event over the coming months.

Ends

Media contact: Bob McNally, Cotswold District Council Press Officer, 01285 623 120