News

From fire-eaters, stilt-walkers and face-painters, to live music, street entertainers and a giant firework display, a street party for the whole family is being held to celebrate the launch of the Olympic handover from Beijing to London on 24 August.

This massive free event on Dover seafront kicks off at 12 noon and will include live music from local bands, a Punch and Judy show, street statues, craft stalls, refreshments, locally produced food, and a massive range of free activities and entertainment. The event leads up to a giant firework display from the Prince of Wales Pier at 9pm.

The special event for the local area is being organised by Dover District Council in close cooperation with Dover Town Council, to mark the official launch of the four year build up to the London Olympic Games in 2012.

At 3.30pm the Chairman of Dover District Council, Cllr Bernard Butcher, the Town Mayor of Dover, Cllr Mrs Diane Smallwood and Dover and Deal MP Gwyn Prosser will raise the Olympics 2012 flag on the seafront to show local support for the games.

There will be a ‘Street Athletics’ event starting at 1pm, with a 60m dash along Waterloo Crescent, and the winners will be given the opportunity to go on to national finals in Manchester, (for further information, see www.streetathletics.co.uk). The celebrations also tie in with a special free swimming event all day at Dover Leisure Centre and Tides in Deal, provided by Vista Leisure.

A spectacular event is also being planned to launch the Cultural Olympiad from 26-28 September. Details of this are to follow at a later date.

Cllr Mrs Julie Rook, DDC Cabinet Member for Community, Citizenship, Youth and Sport said: “We are very pleased to be working with Dover Town Council on this event and to be coordinating what will be a great day out for the whole community.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to throw light on our campaign to bring the Olympic torch through Dover, as it came through the town when Britain hosted the 1948 games, and to celebrate the Olympic handover from Beijing to London.”

Dover Town Mayor, Councillor Mrs Diane Smallwood said: “We have been delighted by our positive meetings with DDC. Our Corporate Plan stresses the need for co-operative working with our partners, and this is a good example of that synergy.”