Scots keep Olympic torch alight

Apr 20 2008 By Kurt Bayer

Scots Keep Olympic Torch Alight

A SCOTS firm have adapted the famous miners' Davy lamp to keep the Olympic torch burning.

Gordon Dow's team were hired by Games bosses to produce a lamp that accompanies the torch on its global journey to the event in China.

It is used to relight the flame when it is put out by pro-Tibetan protesters.

And while the real torch is put out on flights for safety reasons, the Scottish flame keeps on burning.

Perth-based Spectraglass produced six of the speciality custom lamps.

Boss Gordon, 67, said: "In Paris when protesters blew out the flame four times, on TV you could see our lamp in the background.

"It can't be blown out and is there to relight the torch immediately if that flame goes out so it remains true to the Olympic flame.

"We only made about £3 on each lamp but you get pride out of being involved in such a thing.

"We made six lamps that are travelling around the world with the Olympic torch.

"It must remain lit in hazardous conditions, like on aeroplanes, and this is the best way to keep it alight."

Gordon's firm used to produce thousands of Davy lamps, used by miners to detect dangerous gases. He said: "The Davy lamp was designed so there was no open flame.

"We are the only firm left in Britain who are approved manufacturers of the glass for the Davy safety lamp.

"We had to adapt the lamps so the flame could be reached easily and the glass has to be precision-engineered to ensure they are airtight."

The Olympic flame has met storms of protest in its 130-country procession from Olympia, Greece to Beijing.

It is targeted in a bid to expose Chinese human rights abuses in Tibet.

The flame has passed through London, Paris, the US, Argentina, parts of Africa, Pakistan and India.

It arrived in Thailand yesterday and was carried through the capital Bangkok amid tight security.

A coalition of human rights and other activist groups staged a loud but peaceful protest in front of the UN's Asian headquarters.

They waved placards and chanted "Free Tibet" and "Shame, shame Hu Jintao", referring to China's president, as the torch passed by.

An equal-sized crowd across the street yelled pro-China chants but no violence was reported Thai authorities warned that foreign activists who tried to disrupt the relay would be deported.

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej lashed out at potential protesters, saying: "Whoever tries to destroy the flame is crazy and unreasonable."

The torch was due to leave for Malaysia last night.

CHINESE students protested outside the BBC in Manchester yesterday to oppose the media's "biased" reports about China's handling of riots in the Tibetan capital Lhasa.

They also objected to coverage of trouble during the Olympic torch's worldwide relay.

The BBC said: "Our coverage of Tibet has been extensive, fair and balanced."

PEAK ALERT

CLIMBERS on Everest are enduring security crackdowns over fears the Olympic torch will be targeted on its way to the summit. Teams have had laptops, cameras and phones confiscated by the Nepalese army and cannot go any higher than Camp 2 until May 10.

'We made £3 per lamp but it's about pride'

GORDON DOW

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