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David Burrowes is the Conservative MP for Enfield Southgate, the father of six children was first elected in to Parliament in May 2005.

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Feature Item:

News Vanessa joins ‘Real Relay’

Friday, 20 July 2012

Vanessa Redmond will be running the Enfield leg of the Real Relay

By Ruth McKee

AS the official torch relay makes its stately progress across Britain, for diehard sports fans the “Real Relay” is the only authentic way to welcome the Olympic Games to Britain.

While the official torch relay is a relatively sedate and civilised affair with no one running through the night and a plethora of support vehicles on hand the Real Relay is a tougher animal.

With torchbearers running every step of the 8,000-mile running through the day and night the replica flame will be carried in an unbroken chain from Land’s End in Cornwall to London.

And, like the official route, it has taken in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales on its journey to the capital.

Running the Enfield leg as darkness falls over the borough is Bristolian Vanessa Redmond.

The 52-year-old Ofsted inspector will accept the torch in Whetstone at 8pm on Saturday and will then run ten miles through the borough, taking in Church Street, Southgate College and The Broadway before passing the torch on in Bruce Grove, Tottenham, at 9.45pm.

Vanessa, who only took up running two years ago, said: “It’s really amazing because it relies on so many people to sign up. If there is even one gap in the chain, it won’t work.

“It is great that it has kept going right the way across the country.

Unlike the official relay, the runners carrying this torch aren’t followed by support vehicles or television cameras – and no celebrities have so far been caught tweeting as they run.

But the runners have gathered their own support teams and Vanessa has roped in two friends from London to help her out on the night, keeping her company on their bikes while she pounds the pavements.

When the last leg of the relay is completed on Sunday, with as many runners as possible descending on the Olympic Park in Stratford, it will mark the 672nd leg of the torch’s journey.

There is currently a petition calling on Lord Coe, the head of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, to allow the runners into the Olympic stadium to complete a victory lap.

To sign the petition, visit www.facebook.com/ Endurancelife/posts/438468392843140

Copyright Tindle Newspapers Ltd Sunday, 26 May 2013

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