Paralympic Closing Ceremony 2012

What can I say but wow. Definitely a once in a life time experience.

I was very irritated because I'd been through all of the ballots for Olympic tickets and got nothing. I left it late to try and get Paralympic tickets so got nothing. Then one day I was on the ticketing website and there they were, closing ceremony tickets. The trouble was they were £100 so I thought about it for about a nanosecond before I clicked the buy button. This was my chance and I wasn't going to waste it. I was so excited I couldn't wait to tell people. The day my ticket came through my letter box was fantastic. I finally had it in my hand. I didn't realise you got a free travel card for the tube so that was a nice surprise. Now I just had to wait.

The 9th September came pretty quickly. I wasn't sure about traffic to London so I set of reasonably early from Oxford. The Olympic Park didn't open until 17:30 but I wanted to get there when it did so I'd have time to take it all in. After all this was the last day it would be know as the Olympic Park, this was the last day of London 2012. When I got off at Marble Arch there were a lot of people about because of a gig going on in Hyde Park. I went down the steps to the tube. I hate the tube at the best of times so I wasn't looking forward to there being hoards of people. To my surprise they were all coming to Marble Arch and there were very few leaving. I got on the first train which was reasonably busy but nothing like I've seen. Then began my 22 minute journey on the central line to Stratford. As the train pulled in to the station I could see the familiar pinky coloured signs with Olympic Park and an arrow on them. This is where I began to feel the excitement. I was there. I followed the signs and eventually came out to a mass of people milling about outside the entrance to the park and Westfield. Of course with the gates not opening for another hour and a half I had to find something to do to occupy my time. First stop was to get water because the weather being hot I was parched after the tube ride. Then I wandered around the shops until I came to a bookshop. It was here I met a lovely couple dressed up in the GB flag sporting novelty accessories. We started chatting and it turned out they had been to numerous events. How come I only got to go to one? They ensured that I would have a fantastic time and we parted company. I think I spent 45 minutes in the bookshop then at around 5pm decided to make my way to the park entrance.

Walking down the barriered walkway I had an overwhelming sense of anticipation. The massive metal gates before security made it feel like we were entering a forbidden area. Getting through security was pretty quick. I did ask the chap if I should take my belt off, he said no and as I walked through the metal detector a familiar beep went off and I was asked to step forward. As I stood there in my star position I was padded down by a lovely RAF lady. I said 'I asked him if I should take my belt off' to which she replied 'Ah well it keeps us in a job'. I'm used to being padded down but there is still a little sense of embarrassment. I wandered off following everyone else then came the sight I never thought I would see...the Olympic Stadium. Wow. Walking down the bridge under the welcome sign I was just totally overcome with excitement. It was a mission playing camera dodging as everyone was taking pictures. I walked passed the Aquatics Centre and stood just taking it all in. That's when I asked a woman stood next to me if she'd take a picture and of course she duly obliged. One thing I have noticed is that everyone was so friendly and chatty which has not been the situation on my previous visits to London. I carried on walking and intermittently taking pictures. I had to document every second of this. I wandered over to the Orbit and took a million pictures from different angles before my stomach started growling. I decided on a jacket potato. £6 for a jacket potato and topping with a side salad. I guess extortionate prices were to be expected. I walked passed the London 2012 shop and am not joking when I say the queues were longer to get in there than they were anywhere else I had seen. It was a one in one out policy by the looks of it. People were obviously determined to get their last little reminder of London 2012no matter how long they had to stand there waiting.

At around 18:30 I decided to go in to the stadium. I took my time making sure I took mental snap shots of everything. I wandered over to Bridge A and looked up at the imposing structure in front of me. This was it. I had a look at the shops surrounding the stadium whilst keeping an eye out for section number 219. I went over to a London 2012 stall which was not that busy in comparison with the shop and bought some Team GB sweatbands. At £4 I think it was a small price to pay for my little bit of memorabilia. 219 was in front of me and so I went over and started to walk up the steps. I could see a glimpse of the inside and as I placed my foot on the last step and the arena opened up to me I was awestruck. Wow. The Gamesmaker pointed to my seat but I was too busy taking pictures. I certainly did not want to forget this. I went and took my place and just stared with my jaw solidly on the floor. The view was spectacular. Right next to me was an opening and there it was, the flame. For a little while I did wonder if I was actually there and this wasn't some crazy dream but I was, I was in the Olympic Stadium, finally.

As darkness descended the place filled up pretty quickly. I can't begin what it feels like to be surrounded by 80,000 people. The couple next to me were lovely but the bloke on the other side of me was just on a mission to get pissed. The pre show started and I had no idea what the hell was going on. It was really bizarre then it all became clear when they raised an inflatable Agitos symbol. That's a lie, it still made no sense. Then they announced the athletes entry into the stadium. This seemed to take forever and I remember at least two calls for them to take their seats. For most of the show I had no idea what was going on. You must remember I didn't have the tv commentary explaining everything so I just sat there amazed and perplexed. It was great being next to the opening because a lot of the performers came out from there so I could get a sneak preview of what was next. When the little car chugged its way around the arena I had no idea that Prince Edward was in there. I obviously wasn't listening. There was just so much to look at and take in. Standing up and singing the national anthem with 80,000 was just unbelievable. Down below me were the Russian team amongst others and I kind of kept half an eye on what was going on down there whilst looking at what was going on and looking at the crowd, the performers coming out and the amazing light show going around the arena. I don't care what anyone says but Coldplay were fantastic. Yes it did turn into a bit of a Coldplay gig but it was still amazing. The moment that makes me laugh and made me laugh at the time was when I saw the boat below me getting ready for whatever it was going to do next. On the deck was a woman with short dark hair in bright orange. I decided to take a picture of this bright orange woman on the boat thinking she was just another performer. Yea, i'd totally missed the fact Rihanna was right in front of me. Such an idiot. After her performance she ran from the stage towards one of the exits with the biggest entourage and covered her head up in the process. What? Why not let the athletes and fans get a picture? Eventually she came back out and I'd noticed this chair being prepared just in front of the flame, guess who it was for? I have some very good shots of the back of Rihannas head.

Everybody was singing along and they even had the words on some of the tv screens around the stadium. The show was pretty weird mainly because I had no idea what was happening but the imagination behind it was brilliant. I remember when Boris Johnson came out to hand the flag over he got the biggest cheer from the crowd. Not as big as when Seb Coe thanked the Gamesmakers and volunteers, the whole stadium were on their feet applauding. We had to stand for the Olympic anthem which I thought sounded like it was the intro to an 80's soap opera. It is pretty dire for an anthem. Standing for the Brazilian anthem was a bit weird as well mainly because I'm not Brazilian but I did as was instructed. When the flame was extinguished there was a general feeling of disappointment. Being right next to it I was in a perfect position when it began to open up. Not to mention getting to see Jonnie Peacock and Ellie Symonds. I think the disappointment came over on the tv but the boo didn't sound half as loud as actually hearing it.

I just cannot get across how spectacular that stadium was. The performers on the ground, the light show flying around, the smells and the music. At one point I thought I was at a massive rave. None of it comes across properly on the tv. The fireworks at the end were dazzling, absolutely breath taking. Seeing it on the tv gives me a better perspective on just how amazing they were but nothing can replace being in that stadium and hearing the constant banging and looking up at them from below. I was also surprised at just how small the inside of the stadium is with regards to the floor space. I expected this huge expanse but it was tiny. This makes me think how even more spectacular the Opening Ceremony for the Olympics must have been with towers being raised etc. In my pictures everything looks far away but it really wasn't. It just shows how deceptive tv pictures are with regards to perspective. To be honest I was gutted when it ended. I'm sure many more would quite happily have sat there all night. There were loads of Mexican waves going around the stadium and it was a delight to participate. I don't think I've seen any on that scale but it just shows the general mood of everybody that was there. At one point there were two going round in opposite directions which was fantastic to watch.

Getting out of the stadium/park you would have thought would be a nightmare what with 80,000 others also leaving. I left my seat, walked down the steps and followed the crowd towards Stratford tube. On the way everyone was high fiving the Gamesmakers. At points the Gamesmakers were all in a line and people went high fiving them down the line and so many people took the time to thank them. We got to the Westfield and wandered through a bit I hadn't seen which had a mini stuck to the wall. We walked down some steps and through down to the platform. There was a train there but it was about to leave. I stood there for about a minute and another came. It must have taken 10 minutes, if that, to get from my seat and on to the tube. 22 minutes later I sat waiting for the bus which was half an hour late. I was very impressed with the speed at which they were clearing the park not so much with my late bus. I eventually got home at 02:30 but it was worth it.

Like I said at the beginning, a once in a lifetime experience.

Ruby Wax Losing It

This journey started in March when i was temporarily on another planet due to the effects of painkillers. I was on Ebay looking at the Twit relief listings and i bid on Ruby Wax. That is my very limited memory of the incident in question. All i really remember was thinking it would be fine, there was hours to go and i would be out bid. Imagine my part despair, part excitement when it got to half an hour before the end of the auction and i was still the highest bidder. I'm not sure if anyone saw the cost of some of these listings but they weren't cheap hence the despair. I was confident however, as people usually bid on things right into the last seconds so it was fine. That is how i 'won' Ruby Wax.

I 'won' Ruby following me on Twitter for 90 days and the opportunity to go and watch her have Botox. Which is the main reason i bid because Botox has always intrigued me.

Now the Twitter thing instantly made me paranoid. I logged on to my account and furiously started checking my tweets to made sure i hadn't written anything offensive or there wasn't a lot of swearing. What if someone had already checked it to make sure i wasn't some sort of weirdo? Does this mean i have to be interesting? What if i tweet too much? I don't want to fill her timeline up with my pointless thoughts?

Let's get this straight, my brain works by reacting to situations by analysing them to the point of headaches. Questions, questions, questions, scenario upon scenario. I think of every possible outcome and then break it down to it's tiniest detail. Good, bad or whatever. It's like looking at a wall in a police drama when they are trying to solve a murder with everything on the wall linked to each other by coloured lines. When they introduced us to reflective practice at uni i don't think they appreciated just how practiced i was in Gibbs cycle of reflection. Description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, action plan. Anyway that is how my brain works and it was doing so excessively at that time.

After some communication i was asked if i had anything i wanted Ruby to retweet so i used the opportunity to whore myself. The only thing i would want anyone to retweet was the link to my Cardiac Risk in the Young blog in the hope i could get some more sponsors. I kind of worked as i had a huge peak in views alas no new sponsors. It was worth a try. My walking has given me focus. Sometimes i think i can't be bothered but then i force myself to stop being so selfish. I'm not walking for myself i'm walking to help others. It gives me time on my own as well. There's is nothing better than sitting in the middle of nowhere listening to birds chatting to each other and the running water of a river. It empties your mind of everything if you let it. Sometimes it doesn't work but it's better than staring at a wall. I do worry what i will do when i've achieved my goal. What will i do to keep myself occupied then? The less i have to do the more i have time to think. Not a good thing.


A few weeks ago i got a disappointing email telling me i couldn't watch Ruby have Botox. I was surprised at just how gutted i was. Another trait of mine is to expect the worst then it's a lovely surprise when it turns out better. I did the opposite and let myself get a little excited at the prospect and of course it led to disappointment. The reason i couldn't go was because the doctor wouldn't allow me in the room. I bristled a little at this because as far as I'm concerned it's the patients choice and if they consent to someone being with them there is no problem. Obviously there are certain situations which are exempt from this but to me this wasn't one of them. I think the tone in my response to that email was obvious to anyone who may of read it. As much as i tried to reign it in i think my frustration came out which i regret to some degree.

I already had one ticket to Losing It and the replacement was another. Forgive me for sounding ungrateful but it didn't blow my mind like what i initially bid for. I had gone from a unique experience to...? Some people told me to make a fuss and try and get something of equal uniqueness. I just thought be grateful for what you've got and stop moaning. This prompted an internal dialogue which mostly consisted of arguing with myself. Arguing with myself is an art i have perfected over the years. Who needs to talk to someone else when you can have a conversation with yourself. I will never forget the time i was sat in the car with my friend asked her a question then spent the next 5 minutes discussing it with myself. I only realised what i was doing when she started laughing. Anyway i chose to be grateful and take the opportunity on offer.

Fast forward a week or so and my friend and i am in London. The whole time before the show i was actually dreading it because i thought it was going to be a total disaster. The show would be terrible, Ruby would either be disinterested or just not speak to me at all and i would inevitably leave feeling disappointed with the whole thing. I don't think it helped that we got lost trying to find the theatre which was my fault. Are you getting the same impression i am of me here? Negative.

The theatre wasn't what i expected. It's not a theatre in the usual sense of the word. This was a small room essentially in the style of an amphitheatre. There were only 10 rows and we were at the back.

The show itself was not what i expected. I don't know what i expected. It was more arty/dramatic than i thought it would be. I'm no reviewer so i don't know the correct words to use. I felt myself being increasing drawn in to what was being said. More worryingly i found myself seeing myself in what was being said. The more Ruby described herself the more i saw parts of myself. It was like a sudden realisation, like a light bulb had just been switched on in my head. That was me. Keeping busy, needing something to focus on, obsessing over things, the negative voices, the questioning voices, the disastrous lows. It's been a long time since i locked myself in my room for numerous days but i do have days where i just don't want to interact with anyone. I do my utmost best to avoid human contact on those days. On the other end of the scale you can't shut me up. I throw myself whole hearted into something and i will not stop until it is finished. My entire being revolves around that one thing.

Things have happened in my past but everyone has a history. I can pinpoint the exact time when my whole world collapsed and i turned into someone else. I remember my friend telling me that i never smiled. I remember considering extreme measures because i couldn't cope anymore and i didn't want to. That has happened a few times but a) i don't have the balls and b) it would be selfish.

Some of the audience members talked about using humour to cope with things. I have always done that. It kind of distances you in a way. If i find myself feeling uncomfortable i revert to humour to help me through. I have a very dry sense of humour and more often than not i have had feedback from people that when they first met me they didn't know how to take me. They don't know if I'm being serious or not.

Any Ruby Wax opened a rather large can of worms that evening. This started my internal Gibbs cycle going off again. Do i have a problem? Should i speak to someone? Am i imagining it? Am i just seeing what i want to see? What would happen if work found out? I spoke to someone at uni and it didn't do anything. It made me feel worse. Was i speaking to the right person? Will i implode eventually? What shall i do? Stop thinking about it. I can't. Stop it. Yea but do people know? Can they see these internal struggles? Would it matter? Yes. Why? They would treat me differently. So you know what to do, say your fine. OK.

We stayed in the bar after the show and Ruby came out and sat with some people. I practically downed a bottle of beer for some dutch courage. I couldn't go up to her so eventually my friend did. I think i did the Diana look and felt really embarrassed especially when Ruby got up and started telling the people who she was sat with who i was. As she was explaining i 'won' a visit to watch her have Botox but i couldn't go i told her i could of done it. She looked at me with surprise and asked if i was a doctor so i told her i was a nurse. Then she asked if i could give Botox so i said no but i need the practice with injections. Apparently it would be OK for me to practice on a model of her face but not her actual face. I found myself apologising to her an awful lot. I think every other word was sorry. I apologised for being too wimpy to speak to her and i apologised for asking for a photo. Ruby asked me if i wanted a book but i didn't hear her so i said the one thing i say that annoys me, what? Then i think i said that would be lovely. The book was already signed but she signed it with a Sharpie and when i said Tracey with an E she said 'Two E's?' So thanks to Ruby i have discovered another way of spelling my name. The photo incident was amusing. My phone was practically thrust into my friends hands. I love the reaction of 'Is that a cassette tape?' when people see my phone cover and Ruby duly obliged. I looked at the photo and was bright red and had numerous chins which i voiced. Ruby told my friend to get on a chair and take the picture from above and then told me i had body dysmorphia. Thanks but i already knew that.



The one thing that really shocked me apart from how short Ruby is was how just how nice she was. I don't mean that in a horrible way. What i mean is that from what i have seen of her on TV is that she comes across as quite brash, very in your face. Am i digging myself a hole yet? Is it time to throw away the shovel and get the JCB? Ruby was so warm and friendly and not as loud as i expected. Also in the show you saw a very vulnerable side which is usually hidden away by celebrities. This is what happens when you have preconceived ideas about someone. They are usually totally wrong. I am so pleased i got to meet her. I don't care that i didn't get to see her having Botox. Rather than Ruby thanking me for bidding on that auction i should be thanking her because what i gained from that one evening means so much more.



Thank you Ruby.

My first trip to Brands Hatch.

This is totally unbelievable and i can't believe it did actually happen but it did.

31st March 2011

I was on Twitter and Jason Plato (if you don't know who he is then google him) tweeted that he was going to put a competition up at lunch time. Lunch time came and went and eventually there it was. All you had to do was text what number he was going to race with this season. I thought easy, number 1 as he won the championship the previous season. So i got my phone and text which cost me £1.50. The prize was a trip in his helicopter from Brands Hatch and he would personally call the winners. I had entered and that was that, there was no chance i was going to win especially as it was something you could enter multiple times.

1st April 2011

I had had the most awful day which was mostly spent in tears. My whole world seemed to be crumbling around me and there was nothing i could do to stop it. Feeling very down i sat on my bed mulling over what had happened that day with nothing else on my mind. At about half five in the evening my phone started ringing with an unknown number. I had made a few calls that day so i assumed it was somebody replying. I answered the phone and got this response 'Hello Tracey, it's Jason Plato'. He had rung to tell me i was one of the winners of his competition! I was speachless but not enough so i didn't ask him if this was an April Fools joke. Which he said it wasn't, obviously. Then i went into rant mode of 'But i didn't get tickets, i didn't think i was going to win! Can i get one on the day? Do they sell them on the day?'. To be honest i felt sorry for the poor bloke. He was absolutely lovely and patient but after 2 minutes of my shocked rambling he said 'I'd better go i've got to crack on'. I put the phone down in absolute shock, so much so i was shaking. Then came the 'i must tell everybody' moment. Of course most people didn't have a clue what i was on about but then they don't follow the BTCC so that's understandable. Of course i instantly posted my news on Facebook and Twitter which was retweeted by Mr Plato much to my delight. Then people just started congratulating me on Twitter which was so strange but lovely. I could not believe it. I had gone from despair to delight in the space of a few hours, from one extreme to the other.

2nd April 2011

This day was spent trying to work out how the hell to get to Brands Hatch. I had never been to Kent before and never driven on the M25 so was getting a bit OCD about things. I had two satnavs, a map, written instructions and i had memorised every junction of importance. There was no way i was going to get lost. I checked my car filled it up with the various fluids it needed and was set. All i needed now was some sleep. Yeah right.

3rd April 2011

I set of at 7:30am and the roads were pretty clear. The M25 was confusing. 3 lanes, no 5 lanes, no 2 lanes, no 3 lanes is better, no let's have 4, no let's stick with 3. What?! Anyway i negotiated this randomness and got to Brands two hours after i set off. What surprised me was how tiny the circuit was. I've only been to Silverstone and Thruxton so i was a little taken aback. I got there for the first Formula Renault race which was a little dull. The Ginetta Juniors however was good. I was stood near the start of Paddock Hill Bend. You can't believe how steep the bottom of that bend is until you see it! Anyway one of the Ginettas went straight into the wall at the top of Paddock Hill and took out a couple of cars which resulted in a dust shower for us from where the car went into the gravel trap in front of us. The race was red flagged and restarted as it was a pretty nasty crash and totalled the front of the poor lads car. Fortunately he got out of the car seemingly unscathed.

Next up i saw the first BTCC race which was also delayed because someone had a problem and the car parked up on the run up to Druids. It was a fantastic race. From where i was stood you can see a lot of the circuit. The only completely blind spots were the pit straight and the top of Druids because there are trees in the way. That is why i missed Matt Neal being punted into the gravel. Bloody trees. Jason Plato won anyway so i was happy. After lunch was the second race by which point i was getting rather nervous because straight after this i had to go to the Chevy stand. To be honest i watched the race but i didn't really take it in because i was stressing about getting in this helicopter. JP won this race as well which was fantastic. A good start to the season. I still can't get over how short the Indy circuit is.

After the race i made my way up to the Chevy stand, massively nervous by now. I got there and one by one all the winners arrived. We sat at a table and chatted. The chap that was with us said Jason was hopefully going to come over to say hello before we left if not he would see us after. I was rambling on, i think through nerves and then had a panic because i thought i'd forgotten my camera! I'd just forgotten where i had put it. Anyway the chap said we had better make our way over to the chopper which was a long walk for me as i was now terrified. We got to the silver helicopter and one by one had our pictures taken stood next to it, then a group one. There was a chance to sit in the front, not a chance! We had a briefing and were told that when we landed we had to get out with the rotors running. As if i didn't have enought to worry about! For someone who is scared of flying it does beg the question why i entered a competition to go in a helicopter? I've learnt over the years that you should take every opportunity you can because you never know what is around the corner. Despite my nerves i was looking forward to it with huge excitement.
So we all got in i sat facing forwards on the right hand side. The pilot was lovely and said he was going to do this this, that and the other including checking everything was working to which i replied 'Good!'. The sick bags were also pointed out to us. I was still rambling on mostly through nerves. They took some more photos of us inside the chopper with our headsets on.

It was at this point that Jason appeared. Bless him. He shook all our hands and chatted very briefly before the doors were shut.

Our seat belt consisted of the same thing you get in an airplane and the windows were huge. It was so noisy once the chopper was started up and i have never pooped my pants as much as when the thing took off. I instantly went quiet. Jason was still on the ground and waved to us as we flew off, which was nice. I have a problem with airplanes but that is nothing i have discovered compared to the problem i have with helicopters. I cannot even begin to describe how i felt. All i had to hold on to was the leather seat, there were no arm rests. It is such a bizarre sensation. You don't feel like your moving but bobbling up and down a bit with the wind which by the way i hated. All i could think of was that it was going to drop out of the sky. Planes seem very sturdy and safe whereas this seemed flimsy and unsafe. It's clearly not as i am still alive able to write this. I looked out of the window but there was no way i was looking down. A head for heights is a necessity.

We flew passed the Queen Elizabeth bridge and follwed to Thames up river. I was taking loads of pictures of everything. Most of them i don't even know what they are! Lets just say i got a bit trigger happy with my camera. As we headed towards London we could see so much but it was a little cloudy. If it had been a sunnier day we may have been able to see further. At one point we could see City Airport, the Thames Barrier and the Millenium Dome.

We flew right passed City Airport and the planes looked so tiny. Well everything did to be honest. We also saw the Olympic Stadium from afar. I would put my picture up but it looks a bit like a spot the ball competition.

We flew over the Thames Barrier which was pretty impressive. I don't know many people who can say they've done that in a chopper.


We travelled a bit further up river and just before the Millenium Dome we turned to go back.

It was at this point my hands clamped down even harder onto the seat as we banked left. If you looked left you could see the ground below practically. I on the other hand prefered looking out of the window next to me at the sky. I don't think i said two words on the flight. That is how bloody petrified i was, to the point of silence. We flew back to Brands and i took photos of various things including a random golf course. It just made me chuckle seeing it from the sky.

We didn't actually fly over Brands which was disappointing but we got to see a little of it from the air. It is absolutely tiny. I thought it was a tiny circuit from the ground but it's even smaller from the sky.

I never even thought about the thing landing and that was almost the worst part. It wasn't to bad until we got close to the ground at which point it felt like it was going to fall to the ground. Anyway it landed and i don't think i could have got out of it any quicker than i did. Headset off, legs slid onto the ground, head down and run. It's funny as soon as i was out of the chopper i started talking again. Albeit slowly but it wasn't long before i was rambling away. I didn't let on just how ill i felt. I would never have forgiven myself if it had had to be cut short because i am a complete wimp. It was amazing and i'm so pleased i did it. How many people can say they have flown up the Thames and across the Thames Barrier in Jason Platos Agusta 109 twin engined helicopter?

The other winners were lovely and if i'm honest i do feel a little bad because i did ramble on a lot. Nerves and excitement were to blame i suspect. Afterwards we went to the Q&A session for Plato and McDowell which was enjoyable. My favourite question was 'How much did you laugh when you punted Matt Neil off into the gravel?' It was directed at Alex McDowell who said he had to losen his belts but i creased up when JP interupted and said 'I undid mine!'. When the Q&A session finished he came over and we said thank you etc. I said 'I must apologise i think i left some claw marks in your seat'. What a thoroughly lovely bloke and a surprisingly strong handshake.

As usual i managed to make myself look hideous. I was trying to see the camera screen but the sun was glaring on it so i leant back, hence my numerous chins. everytime i get a picture with someone it always turns out crap.

So that was what happened after i sent one text with the expectation that nothing would come of it. It just goes to show you never know what is going to happen. To be honest despite being terrifed that has got to be one of the best things i have ever had the good fortune of doing. It was an amazing experience which i shall never forget. A day of firsts for me. The first time i've been to Brands, the first time i've been to Kent, the first time i've been on the M25 and the first time i have been in a helicopter (and possibly last).

Well done to Jason on winning the first two races and lets hope the winning continues. Most importantly of all is a thank you for Mr Plato for letting us have a ride on his chopper.