LAURA CARTLEDGE Warm glow from the Olympic torch was all over in just a flash

I won’t deny that as umbrellas began to line the streets I began to get excited.

Rooting out a union flag from my desk drawer and wrapping around my shoulders – the office put work on hold as we placed one eye on the website showing the live camera and another on streets below.

The atmosphere was brilliant too. Showing real British spirit that we wouldn’t let mother nature rain on our parade.

And it was nice to be able to have our own local slice of the big game pie.

I guess my main moan is that for a once-in-a-lifetime experience it was all over a little too fast.

Something which wasn’t helped by the delay in the video, meaning we very nearly missed seeing the flame at all.

Thankfully the cheers alerted us, so we had just enough time to clamber to the windows with cameras in hand.

Only to return to our computer screens afterwards and see the online footage still showing the previous torch-bearer smiling and waving.

My pedantic side also has an issue with it being called a ‘relay’.

Sure they ‘pass the flame’ but why go through the rigmarole of turning one torch on and the other one off.

Why don’t they just hand over the torch? Or call it a flame relay instead?

I don’t mean to be such a grump. It just felt like a bit of an anti-climax.

Roadclosures and countdowns making a lot of fuss for a fleeting moment.

However, it has left me wanting more.

Which I guess is the point, so enough of the waiting – let the games begin!