Blog 3! From secret location to Stadium!

Wow! What can I say? The Olympic Stadium is absolutely awesome. More on that later though.

Last weekend, I was back home in Coventry for fathers day but travelled home early on Sunday morning to attend an afternoon/evening rehearsal in the 'Top Secret' Dagenham location.

For some reason, it was such hard work to get through the rehearsal. I spoke to a few different people on the day who all felt the same. I think the fact that it was a) Sunday evening - its work the next day, b) Fathers Day and c) Pollen Day - My eyes were streaming and I couldn't stop sneezing due to Hay fever, really didn't help and we couldn't wait for the evening to be over. It also didn't help that I knew I would have a near to two hour journey home ahead of me! Ugh!

With that being said, we were all still very productive and managed to crack on with blocking and rehearsing our section. We weren't the only performers there on Sunday as we were actually rehearsing with everyone that is going to be performing in our section. It was amazing to see how everyone slots together within our 17 minutes. It was also a great opportunity to meet a few people from the different groups and learn more about what they are doing as part of the ceremony.

I actually left on a high as it was a great feeling to see it all coming together and I couldn't wait for the next rehearsal - in the actual Olympic Stadium.

So, I arrived at the Olympic village on Tuesday evening to be greeted with a massive queue of performers waiting to get in - Great!! With that being said, I was actually in the Olympic Stadium within 30 minutes, sitting in one of the stands, waiting to start!

I've never actually been in an Olympic Stadium before - actually I tell a lie, I did visit the one in Berlin during a school trip, but I definitely cant remember what that was like - but I have to say, I was actually expecting it to be much bigger thank it actually is. It actually looks bigger when you are standing in the middle of it, but that's a whole new paragraph to talk about!!

Once we had our bib's on (I'm number 837 by the way just in case you wondered), we were called onto the main stage which is also known as the Field of Play. We spent a good hour blocking where each performer will be standing during the athlete's parade. I'm not one to brag, but I have a fantastic position meaning I will be really close to the athletes - result!

Done! We were all set in our places as if it were the actual ceremony. The only thing that was missing was the 80,000 live audience - gulp! We were guided to where our starting positions would be... way back into the actual stadium itself, behind the Queen's box, behind where the audience are seated - hidden from everyone!!

ACTION! We were set to go! It was great to make our way to through to our destinations on the Field of Play. It was a great feeling knowing that all eyes and cameras are most probably going to be upon us. I couldn't begin to imagine what the feeling will be like when we have a full stadium of shouting, cheering, screaming, music, whistling and lots of flashing cameras.

The rest of the evening was spent rehearsing our next part (which is Top Secret but I can guarantee is going to sound (did I just write that!!) amazing!!!).

Why is it when you are having so much fun, it has to end so suddenly?! The five hours just flew by. It didn't feel like we were there that long but everyone let out a massive cheer - it wasn't just me that was enjoying the experience, everyone was!! The stadium was erupting in noise. I suppose that (times by 80) is what it will sound like on the night.

The next rehearsal over the weekend is also in the Stadium. Although it's an early start (far too early for a weekend morning), I know that i am going to be there, raring to go! It will also be the first time that my whole section is in the stadium too so that's exciting to see everything over again!!

Knowing that you are going to be part of the 'Greatest Show on Earth' is an amazing feeling and I'm so grateful to be part of it.

Until next time...

Craig.