Gold for team GB for Joshua in boxing. Silver for Fred Evans. Yip yip

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Originally Posted by Hayles66

Why not just go metric and round up or down that figure. Or is that just my female mind? Sentimentality can go too far I fear

Agree!! But that marathon history is interesting isn't it?

Scifan is very good at that sort of thing... Folk like me (you?), who aren't, probably need folk like him to keep us on the factual straight and narrow:-):-):-) Thanks sci! & also Richard of course.

Originally Posted by darkangelwitch

Metric? Swear word LOL Some of us oldies still only understand miles.....

Sorry, darkangel, I agree with Hayles re metric. I remember the horror of trying to cope with complicated LSD, not only at school but working in a variety of bookshops in holiday jobs (with paper & pencil, no digital tills or calculators then:-().

Mind you, I still now have problems with getting the decimal point right...so it's lucky I'm not in charge of the country's purse strings:-). BUT--now there are calculators, which, when they became so cheap & common, were a Real Godsend for me. I NEVER believe any of my own maths without checking & re-checking:-)

That said, I often have to translate stuff into proper Old money / miles / weights / temperatures etc for them to mean anything real!

I'm south African therefore brought up the metric way. Imperial is darn confusing. Annoying that it is still taught even now. Pointless. Sorry!

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Originally Posted by Hayles66

I'm south African therefore brought up the metric way. Imperial is darn confusing. Annoying that it is still taught even now. Pointless. Sorry!

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^^^^ +1

Originally Posted by Richard Brown

Yes, absolutely. However I'm OK with metric or Imperial.

There is a story about the marathon distance being increased so that the finish line was near Queen Victoria's Royal box. I will need to do some virtual research to sort out the facts.

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Check this article under 1908 Olympics in the distance section.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon#section_2

Originally Posted by scifan57

Check this article under 1908 Olympics in the distance section.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon#section_2

Yes, that's it, with many thanks, Scifan.

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Would I be correct in assuming that the temporary Olympic facilities,such as the equestrian facilities in Greenwich Park,will remain until after the Paralympics are finished?

Originally Posted by scifan57

Would I be correct in assuming that the temporary Olympic facilities,such as the equestrian facilities in Greenwich Park,will remain until after the Paralympics are finished?

Yes, I think so. There are Paralympic equestrian events in the programme. Greenwich Park will open for 10 days. I hope to visit on Bank Holiday, 27th August.

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Originally Posted by scifan57

Would I be correct in assuming that the temporary Olympic facilities,such as the equestrian facilities in Greenwich Park,will remain until after the Paralympics are finished?

Yes, all the para equestrian events will be held there too. I will be going on the 4th Sept for the para-dressage.

The UK are very good at many of the para events, but especially the equestrians and we usually do very well. Not surprising when the whole para-sports idea started near here in 1948 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire, UK. It was thought up by the staff as competitive therapy for those who had been injured or lost limbs during the war.

A small snip here from this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralympic_Games

>>>"The Paralympics have grown from a small gathering of British World War II veterans in 1948 to become one of the largest international sport events by the early 21st century. Paralympians strive for equal treatment with non-disabled Olympic athletes, but there is a large funding gap between Olympic and Paralympic athletes. There are also sports, such as track and field athletics, that are resistant to Paralympians who wish to compete equally with non-disabled athletes, though there have been Paralympians who have participated in the Olympic Games."<<<

NB : that last sentence is dreadfully out of date in its attitude...and is just not true any longer.

Among the British para-dressage competitors will be Lee Pearson OBE, MBE, whom I have seen riding at Wembley, together with one of our top able dressage riders, in a display with the famous Lippizzaner horses.

At the last count, Lee has won 28 gold medals in various world events, including 3 each at Beijing, Athens & Sydney. Until I actually saw him walk with crutches into the ring at the end of the show, I could barely believe the severity of his disability. He is utterly unbelievable once on his horse & you wouldn't know he had to face any challenge other than those of any other competitor.

See more here about the fast-growing, heartening attitude here in the UK of
"Can't?? Rubbish, of course you can."
http://btlondon2012.co.uk/BTAmbassad...dex.php?code=8

Note the video of Lee (10th in the group, which includes many of the sport heroes here, able & disabled mixed up together) talking of his 2012 Olympic bid.
His website has more about his history & startling start in life, written with his usual down to earth, sometime caustic humour:
http://www.leepearson.co.uk/

I will be taking my camera!

looks like the USA have it in the bag.