OLYMPIC TORCH 7.25pm: “It’s amazing to say ‘I saw the Olympic torch’. When is that going to happen again?”

The Hastings Sea Cadets were invited along by organisers, the Hastings Lions Club, and had a big presence in Grosvenor Gardens where they remained after the torch passed through watching television coverage on a screen they had set up.

Michelle Diett, who proudly showed off some super photos she had taken of the torch and torch bearers, said: “We got to line the route as the torch came out and it was brilliant. Bexhill Road was absolutely packed and we were all so excited.”

In overcast but thankfully dry conditions, with a steady breeze, the streets were packed full of people desperately seeking to catch a glimpse of history.

Natalie Ades, also of the Hastings Sea Cadets, added: “The Olympics is a big thing. It is great for the country and it is amazing to say ‘I saw the Olympic torch’. When is that going to happen again?”