Nostalgia

Ki Bo Bae

One way or another it has been a time of nostalgia.

Aida Roman

Mariana Avitia

For the past few days I've had a real blast from the past. In the dim and distant past I was a pretty competent (no better than that!) archer. In fact it was due to archery I met my husband, though I have to admit I can't remember the first time I met him, he was just around! So, thanks to the wonderful technology from the BBC, I have been watching the cream of the crop. Yesterday was the last few rounds in the women's competition. Expected to be a clean sweep for the Koreans, two brilliant Mexicans decided to spoil the party! The winner was Korean, Ki Bo Bae. She beat Aida Roman into silver medal position by virtue of a 'sudden death' closest to the middle single arrow. Mariana Avitia took the bronze.Well done to all of them. But especially for their sheer nerve at the crunch moments. I just hope the men can do half as well today. Congratulations too to whoever decided to use Lords as a venue. It seems to have been a huge success.

I actually went past Lords in a Green Line bus on Monday. For some peculiar reason it had been decided that a planned visit to the British Museum to see the Shakespeare Exhibition should take place on the first Monday of the Olympics. The result was an amazingly easy bus journey, and an almost deserted British Museum. As for the exhibition, highly recommended. Especially for the First Folio, and the Robin Island Shakespeare signed by Nelson Mandela. Do go and see it if at all possible.

Coming away from there we decided to visit the Bomber Command Memorial at Hyde Park. This was an eyeopener. The inscription is from Pericles, and is so apt for the men who are being remembered. My father was not Bomber Command but he was aircrew during the war. He flew as navigator and bomb aimer in a Mosquito with his friend and pilot, a Canadian called Ken. The plane itself was very fragile, and they made most of their flights by night. Much courage was needed. But they did have lucky charms! Mosquitos were twin engined, and each engine was called after the wives, Marjorie, my mother, and Millie, Ken's wife. It must have worked because both men came through the war without a single scratch. This one is in the Mosquito Museum, a place that is full of Foggy Dewhurst type enthusiasts.

Glad to see I appear to be getting better at the technicalities of this blogging lark! The pictures are the ones I wanted, and in the places I wanted them! Thats a decided improvement on the frustrations of earlier posts - though I have to admit to seeming to lose this at one point and almost have an apoplexy. Great joy all around when I found it.