Want to welcome the Olympic torch to Solihull this weekend, but worried about your lie-in/breakfast? All may not be lost!
The flame will arrive in the borough on Solihull Lane at a painfully early 7.32am on Sunday (July 1) before travelling along Streetsbrook Road towards the town centre.
It will then be carried onto the High Street at 8.06am. Several cafes are opening early and, after the flame has passed through there will be a community parade will take place along the High Street featuring music, dance and entertainment and people can engage their competitive side in Mell Square with games such as table tennis, table football and air hockey.
After the High Street the flame will travel along Church Hill Road, Prince’s Way and Blossomfield Road, passing Tudor Grange Leisure Centre at 8.20am. Solihull Methodist Church (next to the station) will apparently be selling bacon/sausage butties in their car park.
The relay will continue onto Marshall Lake Road and then travel by car from Blackford Road (boo hiss! why can’t it run by the entrance to our village?!) so it will not be visible for a while (see this map for details).
At the respectably late hour of 9.16am the flame will reappear and then travel through Earlswood from Salter Street on Shutt Lane and leave the borough at 9.30am.
Apparently there are sponsor processions before the actual flame giving away all manner of brightly coloured tat…sorry merchandise…and these can be as much as an hour before the actual flame comes past so make sure you stay until the flame itself!
There will be a rolling roadblack in Solihull from 6am-10am and free parking in the town centre until 10am too. For more on what to expect click here.
We’ll see you there, flags a-waving!