Feeling the love in London

Paulton Gordon, Sunday Gleaner Writer

The Olympic Games are winding down, but the warmth of the host has remained at a constant high throughout the entire event.

A consistent view is that the outpouring of love for Jamaican fans has been overwhelming, resulting in a positive Olympic experience.

Could this be linked to the excellent track and field results or is it related to the swagger and aura that is emitted when we are in the house?

Whatever it is, the view is that the volunteers, tour guides, store assistants - and Londoners, in general - are showing a distinct bias to those from the land of the hummingbird.

Ticketing dilemma

The support and assistance rendered to Jamaican fans have been excellent.

A case in point is the lengths to which the staff of the ticket resolution office went to sort out the ticketing dilemma of Dr Glen Strachan and his family.

On the night of the men's 200m final, his four tickets were basically in different locations. And, with two young kids, this was shaping up to be a nightmare of an experience. Suffice it to say, the staff of the ticket resolution office worked beyond the call of duty to change the ticketing locations and ultimately got them seats together that were literally in touching distance of the athletes.

This was a logistical miracle, especially considering the fact that these tickets would have been sought after and purchased probably a year in advance of the Olympic Games.

Their son, Brad, became an instant celebrity as after the race BBC TV focused on him as a way of portraying the thrill of the Jamaican fans.

In another case at a nearby mall, a Jamaican fan misplaced his bag with a cluster of highly sought-after track and field tickets, his camera, as well as other personal items. Apparently, a good Samaritan realised it belonged to a Jamaican by scrolling through the camera shots. He then alerted a group of other Jamaican fans, who he identified by their colours, eventually leading to the return of the items to the distraught fan.

Note clearly that the tickets cannot be replaced, and even if you could, the price tag makes the exercise prohibitive.

As we continue to celebrate Jamaica 50 in London, our Caribbean neighbours have joined the party and the love and affection is spreading like wildfire.

The Bahamian victory in the men's 4x400m on Friday led to spontaneous celebrations outside the Olympic Stadium and the Jamaican fan is always up for a good time.

The athletes are performing, the fans are ecstatic and the local pub awaits the next group of Jamaicans to set the place alight.

One love!