Test Event - day one... Thursday

If you thought that the weekend was a debacle then read on........... Thursday, again raining hard and very cold and this is May!!!  Arrived at the Olympic Park at exactly 7.55am and six minutes later we had run the gauntlet that is security - third frisk.  At the buggy park no buggies - no surprise there - a good ten minutes later several buggies arrived at the pick-up point, but not the wheelchair accessible one (yes there was at this point ONE buggy that took ONE wheelchair, there were suppose to be four/five others but although in the country they had not yet been delivered and this was day one of the test events!) 

It turned up - but I was told that couldn't use it as I was staff and the buggies were for spectators, (this is at 8am and the gates for spectators didn't open until 9.30am) radios were red hot by this time and eventually I was allowed on, and then the fun began - they wanted to tie me down (remember on all forms of London Transport I was as free as a bird) - the driver was not too pleased as his boss turned turkey red and shouted at me, but he drove away when I assured him that I took full responsibility should I fall out!  I would point out here that I had a snowball's chance in hell of falling out and that those just sat like poor Mr S were in much greater danger..................

Arrived to check-in 25mins after my shift was supposed to begin, but as it was still raining play had been delayed until at least 11.30am!!!!  Out came the knitting and I settled down to a quiet few hours.  The announcement came through that play would begin at 1pm, which meant that I had to leave the relative comfort of the 'Team Tent' and make my way court wards collecting the stats equipment on the way! 

Sounds simple?  Well it would have been but...........................................I had to go all around the centre court, down in a lift, outside and round the main building, pick up the stuff, go back around the main building and down onto the courts - it took 20mins....and my shift was for two hours on an outdoor court!  In the meantime my name had come out of the hat as one of two Games Makers picked to meet the Duchess of Gloucester!  Well at least I got to wait in the warm - she was charming and I think that I said the right things, but obviously no curtsy!  Back to court and collecting stats and boy was it cold!  There were two matches scheduled for my court and by the time I was relieved at 3pm they were all but done and I was finished for the day................

One little hiccup I should mention was the fact that lunch was served between 12.30 and 2.30 no exceptions and I was working 1-3pm this meant (in view of the journey to the courts as described above) I had less than 10 minutes to eat it............

As play was over for the day I was told I could go home..........the nice lady in the accessibility tent radio for a buggy with wheelchair access.  10-15mins later a buggy turned up - no wheelchair space!  Re-radioed (is that a word?) for an accessible buggy, nothing came, another call for a buggy went out and another buggy arrived, again not accessible, finally after 45mins the right buggy turned up and we made our way out of the Olympic Park and into M&S for some thermal underwear!!  My legs were blue and it took several hours, lots of hot water bottles and massage from Mr S to bring them back to a reasonable temperature.....................

That was the first day, things could only improve couldn't they, it was a Test Event there were bound to be a few snags along the way - that's why we were there to help sort them out...............