The FLAME......

Smoking used to be good for you? The very sensible no-smoking ban is comparatively recent - I remember how horrible it was to be in a plane with smokers. They had to sit at the back, but the smoke did not seem to know it was not supposed to waft around!
Isn't the flame fuelled by some sort of gas canister? Or am I thinking of the eternal flame on JFK's grave?

The flame went out yesterday after is was ceremoniously lit , much to the embarrassment of the 'goddess' who was carrying it.. one assumes they just relit it . It does seem ridiculous.

Apparently if the flame goes out they are suppose to return to Greece to relight it. I can see that happening in a hurry!

I think it is a bit of flagrant marketing. Was it invented by Nazi's as suggested by someone yesterday? Yes probably - if the closing ceremony at Athens games (high kitsch) was anything to go by, that is bang on the money. (cue ride of the Valkyries dum dudu dum dum...)
Bit like the "druid ceremonies" at the Eisteddfod, which are a 19th century invention.

tanith I think she was meant to be a "priestess" not a "goddess". It's interesting that priestesses are always portrayed as young women in movies, television representations, Olympic torch ceremonies, etc., when older priestesses actually had seniority and were more highly valued.

Such a load of old tosh.

Oh, I'm such a killjoy. I cannot raise any enthusiasm for anything to do with the Olympic flame and although it will be passing quite near to where I live, I won't be rushing to go and see it!!

You're right absentgrana, I was getting carried away with it all..lol its going to be passing closeby to us too my 7yr old granddaughter is excited I think they had been talking about it at school..

I think it is carried on the plane in something akin to a Davies lamp. Not sure of spelling. As in miners lamp. Invented by ? Humphrey Davy?

We are not so gullible us lot....When I think of all the tommy rot that my parents and granparents believed, the fact that I believed in Father Christmas (sorry if you still do)was very tame...How much longer can any government get away with feeding us rubbish,not as long as they would like to think they can I feel....I hear that the Empire Medal and the M.B.E. C.B.E. and all others with such a title are being done away with or changed to a more relevant award.

The mushroom culture where they fed us sh** and kept us in the dark is fast becoming obsolete...hurray for technology and the educators in the system that make us mere mortals capable of understanding what really goes on ..IMMORTAL FLAME MY B*M.....

All praise for teachers...without them we would be fried,grilled,or possibly end up in an omelette....

I read in the DT yesterday that the flame WAS carried on the plane in various types of retardant packaging. The Princess Royal as President of the Olympics Association is overseeing it I believe. Will she be travelling on the same plane, I wonder? It seems madness to me to transport a live flame - what do the Elf & Safety do gooders say? Nothing as far as I can make out, but if I want a member of staff to go up a ladder I have to have TWO staff members trained - one to up and one to hold the bottom, even if the bottom holder never ventures on a rung.

It appears that on an aeroplane the flame (or one of several stand-bys lit from it) is transported in an enclosed lamp.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7327079.stm

It does all seem a bit silly......

I said it was like a miners lamp!

So you did, jeni! You are so knowledgeable....

The Olympics are on the curriculum for this term in GS school, is that so the little ones will put pressure on us to take an interest

I know! [smug] emoticon

Goldengirl I've never seen a bottom holder !!!

You're lucky! Have you never been to Italy?

Jeni