Olympic Torch Relay

The OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY

Dates: Saturday 19th May 2012 - Friday 27th July 2012

The Olympic flame, having been kindled from the rays of the sun using a parabolic mirror in a ceremony on the 10th May at Olympia – the home of the ancient Olympic games arrived in the UK at RNAS Culdrose on Friday 18th May 2012. The flame had flown from Athens in four lanterns (in case any went out) secured in cradles in seats 1A & 1B of flight BA2012 – an A319 Airbus painted in a Gold livery and named ‘The Firefly’. Having spent the night under armed guard, the flame was then flown by an RAF Search & Rescue helicopter to Land’s End some 25 miles away on the Saturday morning where the official Torch Relay commenced.    

It was at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games that a full torch relay was staged for the first time in the history of the modern summer Olympic Games. Previously at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games a flame had burned for the first time in the modern summer Olympic Games. 

To celebrate the Olympic Torch’s journey through the four countries of the United Kingdom, Royal Mail issued 70 individual postmarks (same design only the date and location name changed) for places that the Torch passed through prior to its arrival at the Olympic Stadium, Stratford on the 27th July 2012. The 70 places and dates are listed below:

Four Capital Cities Torch Relay