VIDEO: Day 51 of the Olympic Torch Relay – it’s Luton

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Published on 11/07/2012 17:28

HUGE crowds lined Luton’s streets to see the Olympic Flame and cheer on torchbearers including Lewis Hamilton on Sunday and Monday.

The Formula One star carried the flame from St George’s Square on Monday morning, then spent 45 minutes meeting fans and posing for pictures once the torch had moved on to Dunstable.

The Olympic Flame arrived in Luton on Sunday evening, day 51 of the 8,000 mile relay, and was carried from Stockwood Park to the welcome ceremony in Popes Meadow.

Torchbearer David Cole, who carried the flame into Popes Meadow, said: “This is one of the best days ever, the best of my life.”

The former Luton Sixth Form College teacher, 71, has lived in Luton nearly 50 years. He said: “Luton has been very very good to me the past 48 years. It gets a lot of bad press which it doesn’t deserve but it has an awful lot going for it. Well done Luton.”

Mr Cole was greeted by Mayor of Luton Councillor Syd Night, and Olympic medallist Judy Grinham, before lighting a celebration cauldron with his torch.

The audience in Popes Meadow were treated to entertainment from acrobats, local choir Cantores, High Wycombe band Young Guns and Britain’s Got Talent 2010 runners up Twist and Pulse.

Rain poured down on the daytime festivities on Sunday, but stopped when the torch arrived in Luton, and the sun shone for the rest of the evening.

Despite the early start on Monday, thousands of people were in the town centre to see Hamilton and other torchbearers carrying the flame.

Torchbearer Stuart King from Luton carried the torch for the last part of the Luton to Dunstable leg.

He said: “It was really good. They sent the bus out in front of us so everyone was shouting my name when I went past. At first I thought ‘I’m really popular’, then I realised they’d all been told my name. It was great though.”

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VIDEO: Day 51 of the Olympic Torch Relay – it’s Luton

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