Summer is going to be very British this year

London 2012 Olympic Stadium

Summer is coming.

It is, it really is.

I know this seems unlikely with the current weather conditions being what they are (I’m a little over sensitive to the climate at the moment as our boiler is broken and so the heating has been off for a few days. A cold wife is not a happy wife).

I always have loved fast women

But around the corner, the Sun is rubbing its hands together and blowing on them to get ready for a hard season’s shining – trust me.

In London, summer’s imminent arrival can mean only one thing.

The Olympics.

For all of the tax expense, for all of the travel disruption, for all of the anticipated lack of gold medals – I for one am excited. Never before in my lifetime have I had a chance to go to the Olympics and chances are I never will again. This is it – this is my chance.

And guess what – I’ve already been.

On Saturday – last week.

Where most of our golds will be found, I suspect

As part of the preparations for the facilities, LOCOG have been running test events. These help to train the volunteers as well as check the processes and procedures about the park in time to make any last-minute amendments before the main event. And we got us some tickets.

So we went and explored the Olympic Park in a very chilly Stratford.

It is pretty impressive; I can truly report that Britain has done a bloody good job. Be proud of it you Brits – we can hold our heads up high. The Stadium is awesome, the Velodrome looks fantastic. The whole set-up seems very well thought through.

They just need to work on the coffee. They’ve got time and this is the point of test events after all – tasteless over-priced coffee that you have to queue up for three days to buy is not the future. Get it right guys, this is a make or break situation. The park was only a quarter full and coffee was a major headache. I get a bit David Banner when deprived of caffeine.

Jo tries very hard to get over the lack of a good coffee

We watched Team GB take on the Australians at Hockey for an exciting three-all draw, then went into the main Stadium to watch University athletics, followed by an awful so-called celebrity official opening thing. Watching the athletics was great. It really gave you a feel of what it will be like to see the real thing. I especially enjoyed watching the women athlete’s bottoms bouncing about – but then I would.

The Orbit - absolutely awesome piece of art

The show was dire. Really. But that didn’t take anything away from the moment. Sitting in that arena with the floodlights shining like beacons of hope, the boys loved it, Jo loved it, I loved it. The Olympics are coming, and we are ready.

Team GB have a crack at the hockey

Come Summer you will find team Staples watching the male artistic gymnastics (not quite sure how that happened and not too happy about the glint in Jo’s eyes every time someone talks about gymnast’s bodies – I hate it when women treat us men as objects to be leered at). Then in September, we are back in the stadium to watch Paralympic Athletics, which I truly am excited about.

London 2012 – Being British doesn’t have to be embarrassing.