More than 150,000 welcome Olympic torch
Published 25 July 2012
More than 150,000 are estimated to have turned out to welcome the Olympic torch as it made its way through the borough on day 67 of the torch relay.
Thousands turned out to see tennis star Boris Becker start the Ealing leg at the top of one of the iconic mounds at Northala Fields.
He passed the flame to football-loving Brentside High School pupil, Sydney Richards, who was nominated to carry the torch by Ealing Council. It then wended its way from Northolt to Southall, before travelling down Uxbridge Road to Ealing.
Another local resident, charity worker Tom Thacker, carried the flame on the final leg of its journey. He was cheered by a crowd of 16,000 people attending the free evening event in Walpole Park as he lit the Olympic cauldron.
Council Leader Julian Bell, who addressed the crowd as they waited for the torch to arrive, said: “From Fred Perry to Dame Kelly Holmes, Ealing has a strong sporting tradition and I was so proud to see the thousands of local people who turned out to support our torchbearers. I’m delighted we won the right to host an evening event. The park was packed, the weather was lovely and Ealing really made the most of its chance to shine.”
The council has put together a photo gallery showing the day in pictures.