Got my CGA allocation - NGR!

I received my start time and my allocated CGA  and it's the one I wanted NGR AKA Nigeria.

Very pleased as it is not only the chance to meet some old friends from my GamesMaker work as NOC - National Olympic Committee - Assistant to NGR  but also make some new ones.

I received the news in an email:

We know you have been waiting with baited breath for this e mail so all the details you have been waiting for regarding your allocation are below:

Nation: Nigeria

Start Date: 7/12/2014 (mm/dd/yyyy)

Start Time: 1:30:00 PM

Where to Report to:  The Commonwealth Games Athletes Village (CGV)

We hope that you find this information useful and it would be great if you can now do some research of your own in to the cultures and customs of your allocated nation.

So the research begins.....

Preston Bus Station

We left Victoria Bus Station AKA VBS at one o'clock this morning en route for VST AKA Venue Specific Training this afternoon at two o'clock , now seven hours and twenty one minutes later we've reach Preston via Birmingham, Sheffield, Bolton, Manchester and a number of other places.

Preston Bus Station AKA PBS is a huge monolithic concrete monstrosity , a remnant from the Sixties penchant for what was aptly called Brutalist architecture. Today, after being threatened with demolish a number of times it is protected as a Grade II Iisted building. It was cold, quiet, deserted  at 8:15 on Sunday morning. 

The driver generously giving us 10 mins to use the facilities as the bus's had failed. Even better as unlike the money grabbing 'service providing' folk at VBS PBS provide their toilets for free & they were just as clean as VBS! 

Driver Training

GThe driver training started at eight am at FDV AKA Fleet Depot Vehicles and didn’t stop until close on five pm – packed sessions including the lunch!  The Transport FA team were great , made the day go really well .There were around 150 of us on the course , all looking very fetching in our high visibility jackets.

As was to be anticipated the training was very similar to the driver training course at London 2012. It even included the better driver matrix, which I still use to this day.

The biggest difference between Glasgow 2102 and London 2012 was that we were let out on our own in unaccompanied groups of three to follow a pre-determined route round Glasgow stopping at Games Venues in a given order. 

I was with Craig and Colin, they’ll be full time drivers while I, as CGA assistant will use a car as and when. The route we were given to follow is shown below, we shared the driving between the venues, each getting practice to drive the Ford and use of the radio to report position.

I had the same issue I had at London 2012; the Ford was manual and I’ve only driven automatics for the past n years. In the end it was fine,  driving the Ford was an easier experience for me than the BMW.

We had a ground hog afternoon as we past several places many times.  We covered 35miles  in 2.5 hours managing to visit 8 of the 11 venues in that time. The inbuilt SatNav was OK, we found most venues quite easily thou some were challenging to stop near as they were still being completed so entrances were restricted or barred.

Two places brought a smile to my face: a car park nicknamed The Beirut Car Park for obvious reasons (can't recall what venue this was next to) and Ibrox as my best friend's a Celtic fanatic couldn’t resist sending him a picture!

All the cars are fitted with vehicle location systems, tracking their positions real time by Control. The tracking is very real, as chatting to others after the driving I found out that some of those with local knowledge, using their own routes to the venues, were advised over the radio they were not on the approved route as described by the SatNav and should return to the approved route!

During the Games the GRN AKA Games Route Network - will be in place which’ll be the route to follow between venues supported by the SatNav. Don’t think you’ll miss the GRN as it will have these attractive pink signs:

All in all a busy, fun day, great to meet other Clyde-Siders and there was a real buzz about the day  - bring on the Games!

Uniformed and Accredited

Thursday 14 June was a busy day as not only did I mange to do my Driver Training but was also accredited and collected my uniform UAC AKA Uniform and Accreditation Centre.

Couldn’t resist photographing my accreditation being printed as from London 2012 I know how important your accreditation is – you aren’t dressed  if you don’t have your accreditation (and you’ll be going nowhere!).

Uniform allocation was quick and easy. All the sizes selected for me fitted well. The uniform felt very comfortable and looked good on me – even if I do say so myself! 

Here’s view of my kit but having looked again at the picture it I notice there are two items missing  - no prizes if you can spot them but you’ll have that warm fuzzy feeling ( like me!) of recalling everything we’ve been issued with to date!

Big thanks to CAG Relations Team for setting up my two session in one day - Driver Training & Uniform and Accreditation - couldn't have done it without their help.

More Delight & Surprise.....

Just over the road from Uniform & Acreditaton Centre aka UAC in Kelvin Hall was a huge pile of a building which seemed to go on forever -  the complex & majestic & imposing Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum. Yet another delight & surprise in Glasgow.

 

Countdown Continues....

Glasgow Central Station

Jun 12th

41 days 13 hours 58 mins 47 secs

to go!

Back to Victoria Coach Station

Here I am back at Victoria Coach Station on my way back up to Glasgow. As ever the Station was busy, packed , the whole place heaving. Came across this plaque celebrating its heritage. 

Surprised to find that such an ugly building as Victoria Coach Station has any award. OK it's functional but it's not pretty,  Art Deco 'style' really ? That's stretching the imagination.

It's a bus station not a design icon let's not get carried away!

Off to Driver Training

Going to Glasgow for my driver training in a Ford -as they are the proud sponsor of the cars - this Thursday and hopefully kill two birds with one stone by collecting my uniform on the same day.

Taking two overnight buses which worked so well  for Role Specific Training - my last training session. Up overnight day’s training down overnight – Megabus have it well organized making the whole experience painless, just as long as you turn up on time!

The folks at CGA Relations have been great as they managed to squeeze me on the very last driver training session and as I type they are trying to see if I can collect my uniform on the same day.

They had to squeeze me in as I had for some unknown reason said NO on my on-line application form to wanting to be a driver. Not being a driver would be a real impediment to being an effective ClydeSider as the Game's venues are spread across Glasgow and Scotland , I’m sure they’ll be great transport links nevertheless there will be times you’ll need to drive.