Press Release

Flying the flag for the Olympics

Thursday, August 21 2008

Over 50 Olympic flags, including one at England’s highest point on Scafell Pike, will be raised across the Northwest on Sunday (August 24th) to celebrate the official handover of the Olympic Games from Beijing to London.

Sports personalities, dignitaries and local communities will be attending celebrations and watching the flag-raising ceremonies at town halls, sports facilities and even castles. Flags will be raised after the Mayor of Beijing hands the Olympic Flag to the Mayor of London as part of the Beijing Olympic Games Closing Ceremony at around 2.30pm. This will be followed by Sing the Nation www.singthenation.org when choirs across the country lead spectators into song in 24 cities and towns.

Manchester and Liverpool are ‘Live Sites’ where huge screens will beam back images of the Handover party in The Mall to which 40,000 people have been invited.

Peter Mearns, Executive Director Marketing at the NWDA, said: "It is excellent to see that people and places across the Northwest are engaging with and getting excited about the Olympics coming to the UK. The journey to London 2012 starts now and will present many opportunities for the region to become further involved in the Games and to benefit from them.

"Northwest businesses are winning contracts to supply the Games, we have an Olympic venue in Old Trafford as well as pre-games training camps ready to host world class athletes. In addition, the launch of the cultural and educational programmes in September will mean all sectors of the community can participate in this historic event."

Events taking place across the Northwest include the following:

Scafell Pike. Ascent begins at 10.30am

A flag will be raised on Scafell Pike – England’s Highest Mountain – for two to three hours. Those taking part will include Sir Chris Bonington, mountaineer, author and Chancellor of Lancaster University; Joss Naylor MBE legendary Cumbrian fell runner and Laura Park a young championship runner from West Cumbria. The three will unfurl the London 2012 flag at 2.30pm to coincide with the closing ceremony in Beijing.

Preston. Flying the Flag: Streetwise Festival. Moor Park from 1pm to 5pm

Olympic gold medallist Tessa Sanderson will be at the event which includes a streetwise football tournament and final, streetfeet dance performers, climbing wall and sports try outs, dance workshops, Preston North End football skills sessions, a stage programme with music and live entertainment, and displays from the National Football Museum.
At 4pm Tessa will join the Mayor of Preston, Councillor John Swindells in raising the London 2012 Olympic flag.  

Blackpool. Stanley Park. 12.30pm to 3pm

Children and young people from across the borough will come together to celebrate the handover and take part in sporting activities. There will be a flag raising ceremony followed by Sing the Nation with children led by a trio from the Blackpool Gospel Choir. Performances will come from Giant Seagulls, Chinese acrobats, John Siddique (poetry), Hot Wheels (dancers on wheels) Dynamic New Animation (puppet show). A vintage car show and rock festival are also taking place.

Manchester 1pm to 5.30pm

From 1pm in Exchange Square you can watch the Closing Ceremony in Beijing and live television coverage of the Handover Party in The Mall. There will also be sport demonstrations and a chance to try out Olympic sports.

Albert Square is also a Live Site and here Manchester joins 24 cities across the nation in Sing The Nation. Musical Director Jeff Borradaile and a 100-strong choir will lead the crows in singing the Manchester regional song How Deep is Your Love? and the national song Summer Celebration. Manchester’s own Hallé Orchestra will be playing a free concert of classical favourites to celebrate their 150th anniversary this year.

Knowsley

All young people who are attending the North West Street Games Festival will come together with other youth groups from across the area and demonstrate their sports at River Alt Resource Centre Playing Field. This ties in with the National Street Games, which are being held in Manchester. Boxer Tom Stalker and decathlete Katarina Thompson will be appearing.