Olympic torch seen by 50,000 in Colchester (From Gazette)
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Olympic torch seen by 50,000 in Colchester
6:11pm Saturday 7th July 2012 in Colchester By Will Lodge
AN ESTIMATED 50,000 people turned out to see the Olympic torch come through Colchester yesterday.
Essex County Council put crowd figures at around three times higher than expected across the county as more than 300,000 people lined the streets to watch the flame pass through their community.
Only Basildon saw higher crowds than Colchester on Friday, with 65,000.
Hatfield Peverel had 6,000 people flock to the village to watch the event, while Maldon had a 10,000-strong crowd.
Essex County Councillor Stephen Castle, responsible for the 2012 Games said: "It was an absolutely amazing day for Essex. I'd like to thank everyone who came out to watch the Olympic Torch and who contributed to making it such a fantastic event.
"The huge turnout in Essex shows that the Olympic spirit is alive and well in the county."
Essex Police's Assistant Chief Constable Sue Harrison said: "We would like to give a special thank you to the crowds, who were very happy, orderly and had a great community spirit.
"In Essex on Friday there were some of the biggest crowds supporting the torch relay so far, despite the morning rain. There was a wonderful atmosphere and I am really pleased local schools allowed their pupils along the route to experience this unique event."
Comments(19)
hughie-s
says...
7:01pm Sat 7 Jul 12
Basildon torch present 58 mins 65,000 = 1120 per minute.
6079 Smith W
says...
7:03pm Sat 7 Jul 12
Say It As It Is OK?
says...
7:16pm Sat 7 Jul 12
25414nora
says...
8:45pm Sat 7 Jul 12
6079 Smith W wrote:'Wow' 50,000 ? ..Thats more than 25% of the entire population of Colchester..
Just an after thought - but 50,000 people gathered in Colchester for one event. I'd hazard a guess this is some sort of record?
Wikipedia: office for national statistics.. state, Colchesters total population for year 2010 was 181,000..
Wouldent it be great if Colchester United F.C. could attract just a fraction of this percentage?
...Just an Observation...
Sdapeze
says...
9:27pm Sat 7 Jul 12
25414nora
says...
9:32pm Sat 7 Jul 12
Sdapeze wrote:Keep your wig on Mr Jephcot ..
Wouldn't it be great if Colchester United F.C. could attract just a fraction of this percentage? What a joke. How can you compare the two?
I did say it was just an observation.. Try to smile...
Say It As It Is OK?
says...
9:38pm Sat 7 Jul 12
25414nora wrote:Col U do Attract just a fraction of this figure! And that's after 35,000 signed they new stadium now petition so the signatures on the petitions didn't convert to 'bottoms on seats'.
6079 Smith W wrote:'Wow' 50,000 ? ..Thats more than 25% of the entire population of Colchester..
Just an after thought - but 50,000 people gathered in Colchester for one event. I'd hazard a guess this is some sort of record?
Wikipedia: office for national statistics.. state, Colchesters total population for year 2010 was 181,000..
Wouldent it be great if Colchester United F.C. could attract just a fraction of this percentage?
...Just an Observation...
25414nora
says...
9:48pm Sat 7 Jul 12
Say It As It Is OK? wrote:Signed THEY new stadium ?!!
25414nora wrote:Col U do Attract just a fraction of this figure! And that's after 35,000 signed they new stadium now petition so the signatures on the petitions didn't convert to 'bottoms on seats'.
6079 Smith W wrote:'Wow' 50,000 ? ..Thats more than 25% of the entire population of Colchester..
Just an after thought - but 50,000 people gathered in Colchester for one event. I'd hazard a guess this is some sort of record?
Wikipedia: office for national statistics.. state, Colchesters total population for year 2010 was 181,000..
Wouldent it be great if Colchester United F.C. could attract just a fraction of this percentage?
...Just an Observation...
Wots all that about then ?
Dont be so touchy 'say It'...
Chill out...
angryman!!!
says...
10:25pm Sat 7 Jul 12
6079 Smith W
says...
6:44am Sun 8 Jul 12
Sdapeze wrote:Yes, football, ruined by big money and rampant commercialism. Meanwhile, the Olympics remains true to its amateur ideal. I didn't see Samsung everywhere Friday morning, did I?
Wouldn't it be great if Colchester United F.C. could attract just a fraction of this percentage? What a joke. How can you compare the two?
Say It As It Is OK?
says...
7:28am Sun 8 Jul 12
25414nora wrote:'They' should have been 'their'. Just a slip Nora, most would not pick up on such things and I don't usually...but I do make exceptions.
Say It As It Is OK? wrote:Signed THEY new stadium ?!!
25414nora wrote:Col U do Attract just a fraction of this figure! And that's after 35,000 signed they new stadium now petition so the signatures on the petitions didn't convert to 'bottoms on seats'.
6079 Smith W wrote:'Wow' 50,000 ? ..Thats more than 25% of the entire population of Colchester..
Just an after thought - but 50,000 people gathered in Colchester for one event. I'd hazard a guess this is some sort of record?
Wikipedia: office for national statistics.. state, Colchesters total population for year 2010 was 181,000..
Wouldent it be great if Colchester United F.C. could attract just a fraction of this percentage?
...Just an Observation...
Wots all that about then ?
Dont be so touchy 'say It'...
Chill out...
For your information wouldent is spelt wouldn't or would not.
What's that all about?
6079 Smith W
says...
9:43am Sun 8 Jul 12
25414nora
says...
10:22am Sun 8 Jul 12
6079 Smith W wrote:Thanks 6079. Glad 'you' understood my my comment.
Perhaps this all got a bit petty when a U's fan wished they got bigger crowds. For heaven's sake, what's wrong with that?
Yes I do praise everything about Colchester, even our average football club.
I'm sorrie I seam to have offendid Mr 'Say It' wif my bad spellink I wil tri to git it rite nixt time.
6079 Smith W
says...
10:41am Sun 8 Jul 12
Say It As It Is OK?
says...
11:23am Sun 8 Jul 12
25414nora wrote:No offence taken Nora.
6079 Smith W wrote:Thanks 6079. Glad 'you' understood my my comment.
Perhaps this all got a bit petty when a U's fan wished they got bigger crowds. For heaven's sake, what's wrong with that?
Yes I do praise everything about Colchester, even our average football club.
I'm sorrie I seam to have offendid Mr 'Say It' wif my bad spellink I wil tri to git it rite nixt time.
I was just pointing out we all make errors from time to time, only some of us just accept it and we don't attempt to belittle what other people's errors, as you seem to like doing!
I have obviously touched a sore point. Try chilling a little!
romantic
says...
9:22am Mon 9 Jul 12
Winston could be right, this may be the biggest turnout for a single event in the town. As I´m sure he knows, the estimation of a crowd size can be very uncertain. If it had been a union or anti-war rally, they would have estimated about 3,000 max! But I would say 50,000 is about right if it was lined all the way as on East Hill.
I do feel it´s a bit of a shame that it´s the only connection many of us will have with the Olympics. Reading about the last time the Olympics came to London (1948), it truly was another era. Now, it is such big business, and there is so much money floating around, that it doesn´t feel like we have much connection, even though it is just an hour away.
But anyway, the day the flame came to town should be remembered as a day when much of the town were together and united in support.
Talbot-Harrington
says...
6:34pm Wed 11 Jul 12
Every time I go to one of these events there is always someone who has to large it up or be loud and bombastic, it smacks as a type of wannabee self importance show.
One does wish that Colcestrians would shut up and be a little more polite sometimes.
For the 15 seconds of seeing the little flame on a Golden Cornetto I suppose was life meaningful.
Noah4x4
says...
4:03pm Thu 12 Jul 12
But it's still wonderful that the town got an uplifting feel good (free) moment. But then it wasn't actually 'free'. We have all paid something via Council charges and Income Taxes Maybe more would support the U's if match day tickets were similar subsidised by all local ratepayers? Obviously not realistic, (and I am not advocating) but let's not lose sight of the relative finances of local events, and local prosperity and the propensity of people to pay.
Thank God for Robbie Cowling and his generosity. My view; more should get behind OUR local team - then we MAY enjoy many more days in Colchester of sporting glory rather than following a Torch just once in any century (or longer).
6079 Smith W says...
7:01pm Sat 7 Jul 12