London 2012 Day 2 - Greenwich Park

Another 3:00 start this morning as I needed to get to Greenwich for 06:00. A quick shower, and then I had to drive all the way down to Dartford station, from where I could catch a train directly to Maze Hill.

This morning my team was assigned to the North entrance of the park, where we were to greet spectators as they came through the gates and prepare them for security. Despite the weather forecast, it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day, but by the time my team was all in position, the clouds were starting to gather..

My team in poistion at the North entrace

Today Zara Phillips was competing in the eventing dressage at 10:16, so from 08:00 until 10:00 it was extremely busy, as everyone wanted to get in before she took to the arena. Even after 10:00, it was still very busy right up until lunch. The Navy were running the security at our entrance, and you couldn't have asked for a nicer bunch of people to work with.

There are two workforce areas in Greenwich Park, where we take our meals and breaks. These are used by pretty much all of the venue staff and you can find yourself eating with police officers, soldiers, marines and sailors. Everyone is really friendly, and there's a great informal atmosphere. For two weeks we are all working together and it's a bit like a special club.

Eating lunch

In the afternoon we went to the stands, where we were to fill in gaps and provide relief for other Games Makers.

Just as Tina Cook entered the arena for Team GB, the rain arrived and the weather took a decided turn for the worse:

Tina Cook entering the arena

Despite the horrendous rain, Tina Cook did very well, but after she finished a break was called until the shower cleared. One of the problems we had this afternoon was spectators using umbrellas. They're not supposed to be used in the crowd during dressage, as it can distract the horses, but a lot of people (understandably!) refused to take them down.

The showers continued on and off for the rest of the afternoon, but it was still a fantastic day.