Wednesday 1st August

Day 5 –

The alarm rings at 5am, OMG we need to get up and out by
5.45am.

Showers done, quick cup of tea, sandwiches made and out of
the door. Off to Paddington to get the train to Slough and then a double decker
bus (Miss O survives the journey on the top deck this time) to Eton Dorney for the rowing.

The volunteers here are the best so far, so chirpy and witty
and many have megaphones to help direct and have banter with the fans. We find
a nice place to claim as ours at around the 1500 metre mark. We get some tea as it’s quite a chilly
morning.

The crews are warming up and there are huge cheers for all
the GB crews. All the coaches cycle up and down the tow path and they receive
big cheers as well.

The races begin with various semi finals and build towards
the finals where we have high hopes of securing a medal or two, we hear that
the Royals have arrived so another big cheer goes up to greet them.

We see some more Brits qualify for finals and they receive
huge support as they pass the fans and on up to the finish line, there is a big
screen so you can see the action and the commentator is brilliant at keeping
everyone informed.

Then we come to the first final of the day, we are waiting
and hoping for Gold in the woman’s pairs, the race start and the Glover and
Stanning are off to an amazing start. We cheering and waving our flags as they
pass glide past us with clear water between us and the rest of the crews, the
crowd keeps the noise going until they cross the line to scenes of utter
delight and rapturous applause as Team GB secure their first Gold of the games.

The feeling is hard to describe with such a mix elation and
emotion as well as being proud of being British, the victory ceremony makes it
all real and surreal at the same time.

We saw the first 2012 GB Gold winners at the rowing this am
– Well done Helen Glover and Heather Stanning and they did it in such
style! What a way to make our day –
never thought we would actually watch a victory ceremony with GB Olympic
Champions we can die happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We then watch the woman’s fours final and although we don’t medal
this time the crew seem to be spurred on by the cheers. The final race is the
men’s eights, what a race it proved to be. As the crews past us the GB squad
edge into a small lead which the crowd will them to keep as they race towards
the finish line, they are however pipped at the post, damn those Germans, but
we win a great Bronze.

Miss O has found a new look by wrapping herself in 2 GB
flags as it was a tad chilly until the rowing finished today, at least we didn’t
lose another one (this could be a wedding outfit for 2014, pictures to follow
another day as this is now apparently going to be her Olympic look).

We end our day by purchasing a tee-shirt to celebrate the
day. The organisation here was amazing, by the time we walk back to the bus
area, there are buses ready to ferry us back to Slough station to get the train
back into London.

Our day is not complete as we make a quick pit stop back at
the apartment and head back to Wembley, this time for men’s football South
Korea V Gabon.........we thought it would be quieter today but how wrong could
we be, there must be more fans here than last night. We arrive and proceed through
more airport security (I’m hoping by the end of this that I may end up on a
plane to somewhere nice at some point), the game is not a classic and we decide
we may well leave early. Our seats are just behind the goal this time and only
3 rows back, just behind where the goal was scored from last night. Miss O is
nearly asleep (remember after last night’s trauma we had three hours sleep
max!!). We decide to head off early, the final result was 0 0 so we didn’t miss
much. We arrive back for the highlights programme stocked with some wine to
chill.

Fantastic news we have another Gold.....Go Bradley Wiggins,
and also a silver through Jamieson in the pool.

Tomorrow is due to be a spa day and chill out and rest our
now stumpy feeling feet.