IN THE run-up to London 2012, the eyes of the world will be on the Olympic flame as it tours Britain in an 8,000-mile relay.
As the torch arrives in towns and villages across the country, locals will seize the opportunity to show off the British talent for traditional pastimes, from cheeserolling to Morris dancing.
Brass bands, choirs and amateur dramatics troupes are also being recruited to perform, as local authorities organise festivities at each location along the route.
In Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, the council is planning a cheeserolling competition, in which contestants chase a cheese down a slope. The same event will feature a shin-kicking contest, in which competitors try to knock over their opponent by kicking their legs, and woolsack races, in which runners complete a course while laden with a sack full of wool.
In Brighton, residents are being encouraged to grow “seedbombs”, collections of wild flower seeds, to scatter along a guided walk as the torch goes past. There are plans for Morris dancers to perform in Hastings, East Sussex, and Borough Green, Kent.
Elsewhere, the torch relay is being used as an excuse for fancy dress. In Higham, Kent, locals will wear costumes inspired by the works of Charles Dickens, a former resident, while in nearby Gravesend, women will dress up as Pocahontas, the daughter of an American Indian chief who came to live in the town.
In Ludlow, Shropshire, togas will be worn, while an Edwardianthemed Olympics is being planned in Durham. Other areas are using the relay as a chance to highlight local crafts and delicacies.
The torch will be lit at the site of the ancient games in Greece, where it was burnt in honour of the gods and to signify peace between competitors. It will be transported to Britain, arriving in Land’s End, Cornwall, on May 18, then will pass through more than 1,000 villages, towns and cities before reaching the Olympic Stadium in east London on July 27. The torch is to take a number of methods of transport, including the Flying Scotsman train, an Isle of Man TT sidecar and a chairlift at the Needles on the Isle of Wight.
An average of 115 people a day will carry the flame, each holding it for about 300 metres. The list of torchbearers is due to be announced in March.
The precise route is still being kept secret by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, although it has announced which areas the torch will visit, as well as a series of landmarks it will pass.
The plans for Morris dancing to feature in the torch relay will help to heal a rift between Morris men and Olympic organisers.
Lord Coe, chairman of the committee, upset the Morris Federation when he was asked in 2008 how London could compete with the opening ceremony at the Beijing Games, and replied, apparently sarcastically, “Five thousand Morris dancers”.