Amelia Hempleman-Adams poses with the Olympic Flame on top of a London Eye pod on the Torch relay leg through London. Picture: Joe Giddens/LOCOG/PA

London 24: Olympic Torch continues journey through the capital with visit to London Eye

Sarah Shaffi, Olympics editor (news) Sunday, July 22, 2012
1:33 PM

The Olympic Torch is more than halfway through the second day of its week-long journey around London, and has so far today been taken on the London Eye, rowed across a lake and been carried by dance group Diversity.

Diversity carry the Olympic Torch onto the stage at the Dagenham Town Show. Picture: Thomas Fuchs

On day 65 of the relay, the Torch has so far visited Redbridge and Barking and Dagenham. It is now in Havering, and will this afternoon go to Bexley.

It started its day at the London Eye, where Amelia Hempleman-Adams, 17, took it on top of one of the capsules. Amelia, from Surrey, at the age of 16 became the youngest person to ski to the South Pole.

The Flame was taken across Fairlop Lake in Redbridge in a boat, accompanied by London Youth Games sailors, before being taken to Valentines Mansion, which The Queen visited on her trip to Ilford earlier this year, and then to Redbridge Town Hall.

In Barking and Dagenham the Flame was taken onto the light railway, and then to the Dagenham Town Show, where dance group Diversity carried it onto the stage.

The Flame is now in Havering, where it is due to visit Romford Market Place and the Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch.

Hayden Wheeler is waiting for the Torch at Romford Market Place. The 49-year-old said: “I’ve got tickets for the athletics in a couple of weeks so this is getting me in the spirit before then.

“This brings it all to life. You see so much about the Olympics on TV and in the newspapers and it’s nice to be part of a massive event.

“The Olympics haven’t been in this country in about 65 years so it’s unlikely I’ll get a chance like this again. Now I can say ‘I was there’. The country’s at a bit of a low point so this is something to bring people together and get people excited!”

The Torch will then be taken across the Thames and go through Bexley to its final destination for today, Danson Park, where boxer Lennox Lewis will be the last torchbearer of the day.