Andrew's Blog from Paris (formerly London / Bordeaux / Sheffield): Britain's Olympic Heroes (and McCann case libel)

When I got off the train at Charing Cross today I had thought it was just going to be a largely uneventful day spent working hard in the Maughan library. A few minutes later I knew that wouldn’t be the case. Within seconds of leaving the station I had been given three leaflets and a giant blue foam hand, something was clearly happening today.

There was a police presence all along the Strand and when I got to the Royal Courts of Justice (nearly there) there was a larger than usual press pack gathered around the entrance. I have to admit curiosity got the better of me at this point and I ventured over and arrived just a group of people emerged from the building and addressed the press.

Fiona Payne addressing the press - 16/10/08

The press event I was witnessing was the statement issued by Fiona Payne (one of the 'Tapas Seven', who that day had been awarded a part of a total £375,000 of damages from the Express Newspapers for articles they had printed on her involvement in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (BBC article)*. I had inadvertently stumbled upon headline news – it was terrifically exciting.

Once this had dispersed there was still a large police presence around, so I decided best to ask one of them what was happening. “Oh, it’s the parade of Britain’s Olympic Heroes today. It starts down the road at Cannon Street and should be passing through here shortly.”

Needless to say I decided to stay around and congratulate them on their efforts in Beijing. Thankfully I had packed my camera so some photos I took are below.

It was a really lovely event but my only reservation is the timing – alright the organisers did not know the economy would be as it is when they scheduled it – but to have the parade a full two months after the end of the Games when all the buzz had subsisted?

If it was up to me, I’d have held it much sooner, way back in August…

Chris Hoy