Tom Daley brings back memories of a soggy Olympic Torch relay

Nub News editor Francesca Evans recalls covering the Olympic Torch relay as it passed through neighbouring Lyme Regis in 2012

Back in 2012, an excited Lyme Regis was told that it was to be part of the route for the Olympic Torch to be carried across GreatBritain, ahead of the London Games.

Despite being a bit peeved that no one from Lyme Regis would actually be able to carry the torch through their hometown – so much so that we later held our own 'relay' with local sporting heroes carrying a replica torch in the kind of event only Lyme Regis would stage – there was still much anticipation for the real deal to arrive.

I was then working for the View From Lyme Regis newspaper and we carried a countdown in every weekly edition as we released more and more snippets of information about the torch relay.

Finally the morning arrived and the entire town must have let out an almighty groan as they pulled back the curtains to find torrential rain hammering down.

"It'll brighten up", we kept telling ourselves as we geared up for the big event – how wrong we were.

Almost the entire View From staff were sent out to cover the event, each positioned at different spots along the route – it didn't matter it you were a reporter, graphic designer or in sales – if you could press a button on a camera, you were going out.

Never prepared for the weather, I wrapped up in the most pathetic pac-a-mac and headed to my appointed spot of Cobb Gate Square with my camera for what turned out to be a six-hour stint covering the build up.

Residents and schoolchildren were soon lining the street and waving flags in high spirits, despite the ongoing downpour, with whispers of "it's in Dorchester", "it's in Bridport now", and "it's just around the corner" spreading like wildfire.

When we were all as wet as could be, a presidential level of police vehicles and Coca Cola Christmas advert-style motorcade finally appeared around the Guildhall corner (how did they make it without hitting that window?), eventually revealing a complete stranger carrying a torch with a tiny flame that somehow defied the onslaught of pouring rain.

I clicked away as quickly as I could – my camera also now dripping wet – and "sprinted" half way up Broad Street after the torch (in hindsight, I really should have trained for this event).

By the time the torch reached the end of the Cobb we may as well have all jumped into the harbour – we wouldn't have been any wetter – and we retreated to the Harbour Inn for hot chocolates.

I'm not sure a single photo of mine was used in the coverage – seasoned pros Richard Austin and Rob Coombe having done a much better job – and two days later while out covering the summer floods my camera eventually conked out through water damage.

Despite the weather, my broken camera, lack of by-line, and the slightly anti-climatic arrival of the torch, the day remains one of my fondest working memories – working alongside family and long-term colleagues, many who had become life-long friends, soaking up the buzzing atmosphere as the town put its very best foot forward – despite the damp circumstances.

These memories came 'flooding back' (excuse the pun) on Monday, when it was announced that Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley would be cycling through West Dorset and East Devon on his 'Hell of a Homecoming' challenge for Comic Relief this week.

Not quite the same build up as we only had two days notice, but there was still plenty of excitement on Wednesday as crowds lined the streets to welcome the Devon-born diver. And the weather forecast wasn't much different!

I instantly had visions of me stood on Charmouth roundabout in a torrential downpour as Tom whizzed past in a flash. But as it turns out, I wasn't able to get out and about as I did for the Olympic Torch.

Now editor of LymeOnline, as well as the Axminster and Seaton Nub News websites, and with this week's print deadline looming, there was no time for another six-hour stint in the rain. Thankfully, I'm still able to rely on Richard to get the perfect shot.

I remained in the office to run live updates on Tom's progress on our websites along with constant posts on social media, and our readers sent in plenty of their own photos and videos.

I don't think anyone even thought to film the Olympic Torch Relay back in 2012, and social media? Who needed that?

How times have changed!