The Olympic Torch relay comes to Cirencester next week and preparations are well underway for what should prove to be a memorable day.
At 3.42 pm on Wednesday 23 May Cirencester will welcome the Olympic Torch relay. Starting at London Road, the torch bearers will progress along Lewis Lane, South Way and North Way, Market Place, Castle Street and Sheep Street before the convoy finally moves on to Stroud.
Although the actual relay only takes approximately 15 minutes there will be other events to entertain the crowd before and after the main attraction.
Cirencester Town Council is organising a ‘Bands in the Park’ event which features a number of local music groups, including: Ethemia (acoustic duo); Profound Poets (Hip Hop/ Grime); Ben Maggs (self-penned acoustic/folk); Kitten and Bear (pop/rock); Dylan Qioniwasa (acoustic); and The Black Feathers(acoustic duo/harmony.) This all begins at 11.00 am in the Abbey Grounds and will pause at 3.00 pm to allow crowds to gather along the torch route. The music will then resume for an hour from 4.00 pm to prolong the party atmosphere. Although the bands will not be charging an entry fee, fund raisers will be moving around the crowd hoping to collect some money for local children’s cancer charity the Timmy Mason Trust.
Additionally, the official sponsors – Coca Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung – will be carrying out advance ‘activation’ activities along the torch route which will feature some eye-catching modes of transport and include distribution of mementoes to the onlookers. These activities will start at about 3.00 pm and will last for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Commenting on the event, the Mayor of Cirencester, Cllr Andrew Lichnowski, said: “We very much hope that people will come into the town from 11.00 am onwards and listen to the music. A lot of people told us how much they enjoyed seeing local musicians playing when we launched the Christmas lights last year, and this event promises to be even bigger and better. There’s plenty of room for picnickers and the town’s cafes and restaurants are easy to hand for meals and snacks too. “
Leader of Cotswold District Council, Cllr Lynden Stowe, said: “We are very grateful to the Town Council for laying on the music which should encourage the crowds to come early and stick around for a while longer – this should ease any traffic congestion before and after the relay. The message is very clear – try to make as much a day of it if as you can and enjoy this once in a lifetime moment to the full. Fees for CDC car parks in the town have been reduced from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. – with motorists only having to pay £1.30 for up to five hours parking – and we expect this will encourage people to get into Cirencester ahead of any potential road closures related to the Olympic Torch relay. We do realise that the event will inconvenience some people for a while and we hope that the reduction in car parking charges will provide some compensation. We have also distributed a leaflet to local businesses with hints and tips about cutting down on disruption, and emphasising the potential for attracting more customers on the day.”
He continued: “I am also extremely pleased to see that personnel from the South Cerney-based 29 Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps will be acting as stewards alongside officers from CDC. This will no doubt strengthen the ties between the base and the local community and will add an extra dimension to the occasion.”
