Paralympic Flame Fizzle

Just returned from a very disappointing event at Meadowdown Sports Centre in Edinburgh.

Martine and I had tickets for the Paralympic Flame Festival. They were free, which was some consolation. The warning should have been noted along the bottom: no smoking, no alcohol, no food, no 'passout' (not sure what that means - possibly from boredom?).

Arrived at six. Stood in a very long queue for quite a long time.

To enter a drab and undecorated sports pitch.

Two burgers, chips, and a drink came to over £14! No wonder you weren't allowed to take food in, they needed to hold you to ransom. Family event my arse, imagine having a couple of kids with you, you'd need a second mortgage.

The festival atmosphere was further infused with yawnsome capitalist twaddle from the likes of BT and Sainsbury's. To be fair, the latter were handing out free apples and bananas so at least the low-income families wouldn't starve.

We sat there for an hour and a half, growing colder and damper.

Martine took a wander round and surmised that there wasn't any information on local disability organisation or their work. Edinburgh University Student Disability Services, Capability Scotland, Edinburgh Council, Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living, Inclusion Scotland - where were you? Or were you simply not invited?

Worse than that was the complete and absolute lack of any form of entertainment in the run-up to an extremely able-bodied Joe McElderry taking the stage. 

In fact, the Olympic Torch Ceremony with Zara Philips at Cheltenham Racecourse was more representative of the Paralympics than this. At least they had wheelchair breakdancing.

The message I took from this was either that:

1. Edinburgh is completely devoid of Disability arts groups, or
2. The organisers of the Paralympic Flame Festival don't particularly care whether they exist or not.

Either of those statements is rather disappointing.

The lack of interim entertainment was even more shocking when you consider there was an entire fringe festival going on down the road. Surely somebody could have rustled up some jugglers, dancers or musicians.

Instead we had to make do with a single, sprightly, six-foot Olympic mascot skipping about the stage.

After an hour-and-a-half, we called it quits. The allure of red wine and a cigarette were far more appealing. 

What an incredible homage to corporate greed and lack of imagination.

Not to mention the whole Paralympic wheelchair ticketing discrimination fiasco.

Still, on the happy side, look at these two dapper dudes:

Image link to Independent article

Piece in The Independent on the Rwandan sit-ball team.

Guy on the left is Dominique Bizimana, head of Rwanda's Paralympic Committee. He, I and Martine sat through many a Disability Working Group meeting in Kigali. So proud they're here, and wishing them the very best of luck.

Also, some great news from my friends Jo & Pierre, who were recently in Rwanda sorting out their house. Apparently the Rwandan Dictionary of Sign Language I was involved in has led to signed programmes on TV, including the news! Way to go.