Celebrate the Arrival of the Olympic Torch in Charnwood
The Torch will arrive in Charnwood by train as it travels from Leicester to Quorn along the Great Central Railway. It will then visit Loughborough, Loughborough University and the town centre before heading for Hoton and Wymeswold.
It will take in quintessential Charnwood landmarks such as the Great Central Railway, the Sock Man, the university’s state-of-the-art training facilities used by many Team GB athletes, and some of the Borough’s picturesque village centres.
Crowds waiting in Loughborough Town Centre will be treated to a live marching band, dancers and performers from about 9am before the Torch arrives.
Torchbearer Carol Dixon will pick up the flame during a torch ‘kiss moment’ as it enters Loughborough on Epinal Way.
Carol co-ordinates HeartSmart, a scheme run by Fusion Lifestyle and Charnwood Borough Council, which helps heart attack survivors fight back to fitness. She was nominated by one of her members.
She said: “I am very happy and honoured to be taking part in this once-in-a-lifetime event. My family are very proud and my son is trying to get back from Australia to see me, along with the HeartSmart gang!
“I’m not going to sell my torch. It will be really sentimental and I can’t wait to carry it.”
Councillor Paul Harley, Charnwood Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, said: “The big day is almost here and we cannot wait to give the Olympic Torch Relay a massive Charnwood welcome.
“We are extremely excited and honoured to be playing host to this historic event and hope there will be plenty of vocal support for the torchbearers who have the very important job of carrying the Olympic flame.
“A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to make this a celebration of the Games and the Torch Relay so I hope people grasp our moment to shine under the glare of the world’s media.”
People are being advised to arrive early and to only line the route where Torchbearers will be running – not when the Torch is in transit.
Stewards will be on hand to help and there are designated areas for schools which have been specially identified for the safety of children.
Torch Timings:
08:47am Torch set to arrive at Quorn & Woodhouse Station where it will be collected by the first Torchbearer who will begin the Charnwood leg of the relay along Forest Road and Woodhouse Road before heading onto Loughborough Road. It will then be driven to Loughborough.
09:09am The Torch is set to arrive in Loughborough on the A6004 Ling Road and Epinal Way where it will be carried along to University Road and into the grounds of Loughborough University where it will snake its way around the campus.
10:35am The Torch will leave the University onto the A512 Ashby Road where it will make its way into Loughborough Town Centre via Market Street, Market Place, The Rushes and Baxter Gate before joining the A60 Nottingham Road where it will be driven to Hoton.
11.20am The Torch will arrive on Prestwold Lane in Hoton and travel through the village centre before joining the A60 Rempstone Road where it will be driven to Wymeswold for the final leg of its Charnwood journey
11:30am The Torch will arrive in Wymeswold on the A6006 Rempstone Road before visiting Far Street and East Street before being driven out of the Borough towards Asfordby.
Day 46 of the Olympic Torch Relay, which is touring the UK, will see the torch travel from Leicester, through Charnwood, Melton and Rutland before settling for the night in Peterborough. It is making its way to the Olympic stadium in London for the opening ceremony on July 27.
Traffic on the route of the torch will be controlled by a rolling road closure. As the torch progresses, the route and all side road entrances ahead, including car parks and driveways, will be closed.
Roads will typically be closed off approximately 10 to 15 minutes in advance of the arrival of the torch and will open again approximately 30 minutes later, once the torch convoy has passed.
With an event of this size, some traffic disruption is inevitable but the approach is designed to minimise hold ups and ensure that the event keeps to schedule.
Leaflets about the relay containing travel advice have been delivered to homes and businesses on the route and signs are being put up to alert motorists.
Copies of the leaflet and more information are available at www.leics.gov.uk/olympictorchrelay or by calling 0116 305 0001.
The street-level torch relay route is available at: www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelay .
For more information about the Olympics in Charnwood, visit www.charnwood.gov.uk/pages/the_olympics_2012 or call 01509 263141.
You can also follow the Torch’s progress through Charnwood live by following the Council’s Twitter feed @CharnwoodBC #olympictorch
