I have tickets to the Olympics. I will confess, they are not to the most high profile events; I am watching the archery at Lord’s and the rowing at Eton. I also have tickets for the Olympic Park, where, essentially, as my mother has reinforced, I have paid £10 to not watch anything. Yet I am excited about it. I find myself getting excited at the prospect of the torch coming through both my work and home towns. I think it truly is something worth getting excited about. I also went to the Flotilla for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. I didn’t get to see any of the boats directly, though I did manage to take a few photographs, because I hadn’t been patiently waiting for a space on the riverside for three days. But again, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the conviviality , the overall sense of something momentous. Continue reading →