Well the day we’ve all been waiting for finally arrived and what a day it was. As the saying goes – you just had to be there.
The day began for me with the usual leisurely breakfast. Full English, or should that be Full Australian? I remember once asking at a guesthouse in Scotland for a Full English. I got some seriously bad looks.
I am waiting at the free press bus stop, or Load Zone as it is called here. I have a thought and rush back into the Business Centre at the hotel.
After that it is over to the Main Press Centre, which is a most amazing sight. Rows upon rows of desks, with computers on some and Games terminals on others. Games terminals allow journalists to access unbelievable amounts of information about all aspects of the Games.
10:30am and it’s time for the Daily Press conference. All the big names of the Organising Committee are on hand to make statements and answer questions from the assembled press. There are no major stories other than the fact it is the day of the opening ceremony, so lots of journalists try to concentrate on yesterday’s stories. The Indian official arrested for alleged indecent assault. The other was the four boys who broke out of a juvenile facility and broke into the Athletes Village. They were apprehended within 90 seconds.
It did not make for the most exciting press conference.
At the end of the session I did get the opportunity to do a quick interview with The Hon Mike Fennell, the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation. What a thoroughly nice guy. He is passionate about the Commonwealth Games and about the Commonwealth. He is really looking forward to the Opening Ceremony and, while not criticising Manchester, he is confident that the Melbourne Opening Ceremony will be the best one ever.
From here it is into the City centre to get some more voices for my reports back to the UK. I head for Federation Square, one of the main congregation points of the City. As I approach the Square I spot someone wearing a Manchester Games shirt. Could they be from Manchester…they are…I have my first Manchester voices.
They are Norma and Graham Smith who were Volunteers at the Manchester Games and who decided to come to Melbourne because they saw so little of the Manchester Games. We do a long interview and reminisce about the Manchester Games. I thoroughly enjoy this meeting. They would like me to say hello to all the Smith family in Rochdale, and to everybody at their company Granada material handling. Can we really do that?
As I arrive in the square I open my back pack and pull out my hastily made sign – Are You From The UK. Nobody is going to approach someone with a sign like that. WRONG!
I am immediately approached by people all over the UK, from Shropshire, Nantwich, Surrey, Edinburgh, Chester and elsewhere. I get all the UK voices I need for my reports back to the UK. My final requirement is a piece of music I had heard earlier. I head for the nearest record shop who don’t have it but they do tell me of a shop across town where I could get it. I head there and pick up a copy of I am Australian by the Seekers. I will be using that as the backing track to my voice piece for today.
I make my way back to my hotel room after an incident filled ride on the 96 tram heading for St Kilda’s Beach.
I begin to put my two reports together. It is now 2 o’clock, still 6 hours to the start of the Opening Ceremony. At 4:00 o’clock my time, I file my two pieces back to the UK and wait for my live broadcast with Mark and Heather on the BBC GMR Breakfast Show. We discuss the buzz around the city and I look over a couple of newspapers.
As soon as I am done, I head back out to the city and to Federation Square. I find a great vantage point, get a seat, and make myself comfortable. On my right a lovely lady from Argentina. The only thing I know about Argentina is Maradona and Gabriella Sabatini. Fortunately she loves football and we talk football for the next couple of hours. To my shame I cannot remember the two Argentinian players who came to the UK to play for Spurs. She is too young to remember.
Of course they are Ossie Ardiles and Ricca Villa.
NO WAY WAS I GOING TO LET THIS PASS WITHOUT A PHOTO
On my other side are a couple from Sydney who are in Melbourne to attend a show. They knew nothing about the Games but they are going to enjoy every minute of it that they can.
The square really begins to fill up and by 7pm there must be 20,000 people here. It is an awesome sight. I do my final report for the Breakfast show, and I am told the atmosphere could be felt back in Manchester.
Thousands more walk by heading for the MCG – venue of the Opening Ceremony. Still thousands more make their way to the banks of the Yarra River to enjoy the River Festival. I thought the Manchester opening Ceremony was BIG…this is AWESOME.
Just about the time I begin to get uncomfortable on my seat I spot a couple of faces I know. It is the Management team from the Westfield Sharks Sheffield who are here for a special presentation by Yorkshire Sport tomorrow, which will include the Minister of Sport – Richard Caborn.
I am invited to a rather exclusive bar where there is a party going on. Ah how the other half lives.
We settle down to drinks, eats and great conversation. And the Opening Ceremony begins! Oh BABY!
Mike S
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