Wednesday 8th August

Day 12 – Today we don’t have to get up early so have a nice
lay in and chilled morning, it also gives us chance to update the blog. It
takes more time than you realise to get from A to B and the early morning and
late nights means our adoring fans have again had to wait slightly later than
usual for updates. After a lazy morning we will be heading to Olympic Park for
the semi-finals of the woman’s hockey, GB play in the 8pm game, the early one
is at 3.30pm. Today we are taking a little picnic with us. You can take some
food in with you and an empty bottle to fill with water. The food and drink is
pricey but the standard of food is not bad, however we feel like a change so we
have some bread and cheeses and will take a blanket as there is also a grassed
area near the hockey arena that doesn’t seem to get as overcrowded as
everywhere else. Live music is also played there and as the weather is looking
ok we think it will be a nice way to spend the day.

Well we have a nice chilled morning, and realise we only
have a few days left of this amazing adventure. People seem to be enjoying our
tales and sharing our experiences.

We head off back to get the central line to Stratford, after
yesterdays chill we don’t think Miss O will need her jumper today as it hot and
sticky. By the time we get to Stratford we are baking so the slight breeze is
quite enjoyable. We join the merry throng to the Olympic Park, and go through
the security ritual we have now become accustomed to and will no doubt expect
it to happen the next time we visit Tesco’s.

We head to the Hockey Arena (Riverbank) once we arrive which
is a fair walk as it is on the far side of the park. As has been the case for
the duration of the games everyone is friendly and jolly and taking in the
atmosphere. As we approach the Arena we notice lots of GB fans trying to exchange
their semi final tickets for the later one which GB are playing in. We are not
sure how many will be lucky enough to do that. We enter the Arena and meet the
volunteer chap who is amazing he seems to know where exactly every seat is in
his section, and there are a lot, it holds some 16,000 in total. The first game
is New Zealand V Holland, we decide to support the Kiwi underdogs in this one
and sit back to enjoy the game. I have never watched high level hockey so am
looking forward to the match, Miss O answers my every question, and I am
somewhat disappointed they no longer start with a bully-off, however I am
pleased that part way through the match there is one (this happens these days
when the is uncertainty about a decision and who should have possession). The Kiwis
go into an early lead and at one stage look set of an unlikely victory. The Arena
is an open venue and the sun bakes down on the blue and pink pitch, we are
beginning to melt. Part way through the first half John Invedale joins the
crowd and shuffles up to the back to take a seat. It is a great game to watch
and it is much easier watching a game where you are not supporting your own!!!
One big ouch from the day is a Kiwi player getting smacked round the head with
a stick, she is helped off with blood streaming from the wound, which is constantly
replayed on the big screen in the corner. Then a couple of volunteers have to
come on to wash the blood off the pitch (maybe another job not to volunteer for
Trudy). Miraculously the player returns once bandaged up.

The game ends 2-2so we have extra time and then a shoot out,
which is basically a player having 8 seconds from 25m out to try and beat the
keeper. The Dutch are much better at this and win the shoot out to progress to
the final. The place is adorned with a sea of orange, the best being a group of
girls in jumpsuits depicting the Dutch flag and some guys dressed in orange
sumo suits.

After the match we head off to have our picnic. On route we
just happen to bump into some friends Angie and Jenny and Jenny’s sister, how
random and likely is that with so many people about. We have a catch up as they
are off to Hyde Park to watch the GB game, but luckily we have tickets. We
agree to catch up again in a couple of weeks as we are all in Manchester. We
say our goodbyes and go grab a beer and
find a table and bench to eat, we chat to a couple of guys who seem to have
tickets for nearly every hockey session and we chat about what we have seen and
the different sports we have taken in, for us it was water polo and them
handball. Ellen who has now moved from the veledrome to the BMX meets us to say
hi and shows us some pictures from the previous day in the veledrome where we
were again so successful.

All fed and watered we say goodbye to Ellen, she has a
couple more days volunteering left. We head back to the Hockey Arena and head
to our seats in the opposite corner to last time. The crowd is now a sea of red,
white and blue with the odd sky blue and white for Argentina.

The roar for the home team goes up as the match gets
underway, the band strikes up several tunes and the we are wait and hope for
victory, sadly the Argies have not read the script and soon leap into a 1-0
lead, we don’t seem to be able to keep the ball and nothing we try goes our
way. The Argentine’s are very skilful and the race down the pitch again to
score a dubious second that was hotly disputed. Half time comes and go and
there is more urgency in the second half and the a golden opportunity comes and
goes as rather than smacking the ball the player scuffs the ground instead, with
a few minutes left GB score to get a lifeline but it is too little too late.
The guy next to us kept us entertained with Welsh humour and the dejected sea
of red, white and blue sea of people gradually disperse after giving both teams
a great reception (it now seems a good idea we didn’t get the tickets for the
final as well). Miss O now calm’s herself from the animated person she had
become in the Arena and we decide to go and get a tube back to the apartment. On route to the tube we now know London is a different place, the police and smiling and high fiving everyone, the fabulous police horses are happy to be patted and have their pictures taken.
They are not too busy but stifling hot. Once in I have a cold shower to cool myself
down, we watch more highlights, bit of a barren day for team GB but I’m sure
there are a few more medals up for grabs in the coming days. Tomorrow joy of
joys another lie in and then a 5 course tasting meal at Gary Rhodes restaurant
before heading to Wembley for the woman’s football final between USA and Japan.
I think it’s got to be ‘go USA’.