Day 361 Boxing Day

Today saw us have my family's traditional Boxing Day. It also saw eldest daughter attend her first football game. It was a non league game, my home town team, Spennymoor Town. I use to see them when I was a boy and a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to go, eldest and mummy both wanted to so we headed down. Spennymoor won 2-0, we then popped back to Nana's for home cooked chips, fried egg and turkey our traditional Boxing Day lunch, yum yum.

Day 303 white trainers

Eldest daughter has been walking round the house today in her new bright whiter than white trainers. She looks like a throw back to the 80's in her pink leggings to match. Never the less she's happy and it keeps her quiet during half term week, in my day white trainers got stood on ASAP to christen them....

Now the hard work starts

So the Olympics and the Paralympics are over. I am so proud that the country paid attention and enjoyed the Paralympics just as much as they did with the Olympics. When a country hosts these events the Olympics is always thought of as outright and from my previous experience the Paralympics has then been placed on the back burner, it's great that the UK was different and had the Paralympics get the required attention it deserves.

This isn't the post I originally set out to write, I want to write about how proud I have been of the job this country has done and about how proud I am of being British. The whole worlds eyes have been on us not just for these past 2 weeks, but the past 6 years since the games were awarded to us. They've been waiting, eagerly at times for us to fail, or for something to go wrong for these games. Whether it be stadia not fully built, security concerns, or a poor showing from the home team in the medal table. But once again and like many times in the past this proud nation has risen up, worked hard and done our job.

This is shown in the 1,000's of volunteers who have gave their free time to the games, many I know aren't in fact British but have came from far afield to be part of our games. As a nation we've cheered on, not just our own athletes but athletes from all nations and have been able to bask in the glory of some stunning displays of greatness. Our home grown athletes have done themselves rightfully proud and will go down in the history of British sport as well deserved custodians of legacy. It initially seems that the motto of the games, "Inspire a generation" is well at work, but we need to keep building and working on the momentum  that these games have generated.

For me the hard work starts now, the games have been and after the Paralympics gone. The stadia is still here but many will be scaled down. Memories will be shared and stories of where were you when will be shared and passed, but it would be easy to say we've done well now lets just continue. If we want to truly inspire a generation then key descions have to be made from the top down. It's easy for politicians from both parties to argue and bicker saying that we need to invest in this aspect of sport and we need to do this, but as with many key topics the politicians need to put their point scoring with the public to one side and truly decide what is in the best interests of this country.

Sport to me is important, I won't hide that fact. I have studied sport and fitness is my profession, so to give a balanced argument is hard. But lets look at what the Olympics has done for us. Now I'm not saying the Olympics is the reason why we've finally got some good weather, but the Olympics has firstly made the 9 o'clock news a lot more bearable, it hasn't been all doom and gloom and about corrupt politicians or greedy bankers whose economic incapability is scary. Instead it has been about how people have been enjoying sporting greatness and been inspired to give sport a go themselves. Now that is what Pierre De Coubertin wanted the Olympics to do over a 100 years ago, the Olympics for me has truly came home and back to its core roots.

We've seen and heard the images of children being inspired and seen many people dusting off their trainers and giving sport a go. This is what needs to continue to truly rule these games as a success. The knock on effect of having a nation that participates rather than observe can only be good for us, you've got the obvious fact that people will become more healthier and then live longer, have less diseases and become less of a burden on the NHS. People will feel better and probably get on more with each other and be friendlier to one another, and in my eyes this will play a part in helping to gain economic stability. I mean think about in the industrial revolution did'nt leisure play a big part in making us a force to be reckoned with?

We've all seen the images whether it be a regular everyday person holding the Olympic flame through their community or it be Jessica Ennis crossing the finish line to claim her, our Olympic gold medal these images can inspire the future. But not by themselves, we now need to remember the feel good nature these games have given us, with the feeling of winning and keep being inspired to do sport. For me changes need to be made to allow children to do more sport in school. I had 2-3 hours a week at school when I was a child and that wasn't enough. Yes I understand the argument that some children plain don;t like sport but they need to understand why sport and health and fitness are important to them and how it can contribute to the country. This is what the Olympics needs to ensure it does, many children only get to try a few track and field events and then rugby, football and cricket in schools we need to invest in coaches, the infrastructure of sport in schools and professional clubs and ensure that every community has access for children and adults to always participate in sport.

The games were fantastic and Team GB did us proud, but now the legacy needs to continue and only by ensuring this momentum keeps going will these games be seen as true success....

Day 247 Publicity

Today at work our marketing leaflets came they look pretty nice and professional. Then I turned it over and noticed they used the picture of me that shows my double chin! Thanks, thanks a lot!

Day 242 The Bike

I've got a new bike to go with my new house. I've been particularly pleased that with our recent move I'll be close enough to run or bike to work no problems. So I no longer have to drive everywhere although I will kiss listening to the radio station

Day 225 Hoopla

Eldest daughter went to a car boot sale this morning with her nanny. Needless to say she came back with something, a hula hoop. So of course she wasted many an hour trying to wiggle her bum like a professional hula hoopist....

Day 218 Role models

After Team GB's performance on Saturday night I saw this posted on Facebook the other day. I wanted to share this to all my readers as I 100% agree with this. It was a fanatstic performance by our athletes at the weekend and they are all worthy rolemodels. I hope that there performances inspire not just the younger generations to particpate and more importantly continue to participate but also adults for the health of this nation.

Being a father of two fantastic girls I hope they decide to look up to people such as Jessica Ennis, instead of opting for the superfical idiots of Jordan and TOWIE people. I certainly as a father will be encouraging them to do so without putting too much pressure on sporting results....

Day 172 The Olympic Flame

Today the Olympic flame came past our house. Now I know many people are sick of hearing about the Olympic Flame, My mothers own words when I told her I and the children were going to see was, 'I wish the bugger would go out'. Obviously for those who aren't into their sports it's something that causes disturbance to their routine and lives in one way or another. However for me, being a keen sportsman it's an important symbol. The Olympics, ideally is all that's best with sports, traditionally, should I add, that it was about amateurs representing their countries, something that should be the proudest moment of any ones life.

Now I'm not defending the moder day Olympics, each Olympics is dogged by Political agendas, Governments seeming to use the games as an excuse to showcase their ideals of cause controversy, look back at the history of the games and this is intertwined. Also couple that with the fact that the games are sponsored by some of the worst companies in the world and it's clear to see that the Modern Day Olympics has come a long way from the traditional modern day Olympics set up by Pierre de Coubertin all those years ago.

But the games do bring out a lot of good, and I for one am proud we're hosting them in this country and looking forward to watching them, so the symbol of the Olympic flames represents to me all that is good with sport, bringing communities closer together and showing passion and pride in you country.

Come On Team GB.....

Day 161 The Bed Race

 Today was the knaresborough bed race. This, for those of you who don't know is a race through the streets where teams push a bed and see you does it in the quickest time. Teams decorate there beds and parade them through the town then strip them down for the race.

 Unfortunately we were a little late to see the parade but managed to catch the race itself. It was great fun and the girls enjoyed it. Hopefully next year we will get to see the floats themselves and have a beer or two (not the girls obviously)