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Hello, Elle!
You do not know Alf Tupper?
Jeepers! That is astonishing!
Alf trained on fish and chips and I think he won every race he took part in.
An old hero of mine!
You should use Google to maybe learn a bit about him.
Yes, I think it is normal for events to start before the opening ceremony.
Sir Wiggo was the bookies favourite to carry the flag.
Big Andy will do a grand job!
Apparently, Sir Wiggo suggested a female cyclist to carry the flag, but I do not know which one. Possibly Trotty?
it is a dreichish evening here.
Have you checked out your Red Button service yet?

Hi, Rusty!
You could have told me that Alf Tupper is a fictitious character!
I have been racking my brains to think of a sportsman of that name!
( All that brain power wasted! )
The character has certainly been around for a long time!
I read that he was created in 1949!
Perhaps it had been Lizzie who was first suggested to carry the flag?
That suggestion would have been shot down as the present situation developed around her.
I think Andy is a good choice.
Malone has very kindly told me what Red Button numbers to use.
We have been gardening.......it is a lovely evening and cool enough to work now.
My freesias - in pots on the patio, and hanging baskets on the house wall, as they don't like the garden soil - are looking fantastic!
I have 25!

Hello, Elle!
Alf was some runner, all right!
I always thought Steve Ovett had a bit of Alf about him.
I really could not see Lizzie being Wiggo's choice.
Had to be double gold medalist Laura Trott, or just possibly Dame Sarah Storey, but she is in the Paralympics.
No, I'd say it was Trotty.
That was very helpful of Malone keeping you right.
Great news about the freesias.
They will set off the Hill's Hoist just jim-dandy!

Hi, Rusty!
Well, Mr Tupper has certainly broadened my education!
Your mentioning Sarah Storey has brought the Paralympics to the fore.
Drug cheats can be found even there.
I think you are right in saying that there is probably no sport that is not contaminated by drug abuse.
I doubt it can ever be contained.
One would need to have honest and strong "leaders", and a policy that was the same for every competitor.
No use having one rule for Russians, and, as you pointed out , letting Justin Gatlin run, for instance.
I see no end to all this.
The one thing that does astound me, though, is that I cannot see how a cheating athlete can get any personal satisfaction from his/ her win?
Knowing that it wasn't your own personal prowess - but just an additional strength and stamina produced by dope..........where is the satisfaction in that?
It is only 'false' glory.
Time for a coffee........(a "caffeine" shot? If you can't beat 'em, join 'em?)

Hello, Elle!
I like Dame Sarah.
She has competed at track cycling, road cycling, and swimming.
She was dumped by British Cycling (an awful organisation), too.
Same as Wendy Houvenhagel, Dani King, Jess Varnish etc
They did not dump Rebecca Romero though.
She got in first and withdrew from their Olympic programme.
No, drugs are everywhere.
Eddy Merckx dominated cycling like nobody before him, or after him did, but he still took drugs. Was just the way it was in cycling.
I look at the physiques of rugby players and know they are on something.
Probably the satisfaction is beating the system.
Mind that is not hard nowadays.
Wada say you failed a test, then IOC or CAS let you off.
Dreadful!

Good morning, Rusty!
A lovely day here! if a tad chilly as yet.
I am waiting for a friend to come and collect me and the dog and take us to the park.......
We are - hopefully - having our road resurfaced today.
So last night we had to relocate the car in a neighbouring road.
We obviously cannot move it this morning as we would lose our precious parking place!
Hence my lift!
I shall walk down to the end of the road and meet her there, as our road is now blocked for traffic.
Let us hope that this time around, the workmen do turn up!

Good morning, Elle,
Fine day here!
Hopefully your road will be mended today.
Very good of your friend to help you out.
I have noticed several cars in my area have been wheel clamped for non payment of road fund license.
That will be expensive!

Hi rusty
I hate to think what being clamped for non-payment of road tax would cost! Apparently the Swansea joke factory are £93 miilion down a year due to ditching the paper discs, which only saved about £10 million. There are other factors, such as more cars zero rated (but I think this is gradually being removed).

Did anyone else see the ITV news last night with 4 year old Chinese children being effectively tortured to make good gymnasts of them? These children have no childhood, train 10 hours a day and apparently get little if any schooling. I think that's actually worse than doping.

Good morning, Rosalind!
When I got home after seeing the clamped cars, I went straight online to check my bank account to ensure I was paying my road tax! I would prefer to have a tax disc I could glance at!
I do not know the cost to unclamp, pay the outstanding tax etc, but it will be very substantial!
I did not see the programme, but I remember seeing a similar one on Olga Korbut. There was no fun in that particular sport.

It seems that to unclamp is £100 in the first 24 hours, after which it doubles and the car will be impounded, at £21 a day as well. On top of that you have to pay £160 surety re getting the car taxed (which you can get back if you do it in 2 weeks).
However, that's only the beginning. The offence of not paying carries a fine of up to a thousand pounds and payment of back taxes or face having your car cubed. This also happens if you don't get it from the pound quite quickly.
Moral- don't go away leaving an untaxed vehicle on the street!
Or pay the tax. My car doesn't attract any but I still have to apply every year.
I can't get the pictures of the Chinese children out of my head