University of Liverpool student Maggie Hayes lights Professor Tom Solomon’s torch
Hundreds of staff and students turned out to welcome the Olympic Torch to Liverpool as it made its way through the University and into the city centre.
Friday’s event saw English undergraduate Maggie Hayes, from the School of Arts, carry the torch along Mount Pleasant, before handing the flame to Professor Tom Solomon, Director of the Institute of Infection and Global Health (pictured). Colleagues and students donned white coats and stethoscopes to cheer on Professor Solomon as he made his way from the Metropolitan Cathedral to the Philharmonic Hall.
Professor Tom Solomon
PhD student, Chris Thompson, from the Institute of Translational Medicine, carried the torch on its route through Birkenhead.
Liverpool Guild of Students hosted a festival of music, dance and drama in University Square in celebration of the torch’s arrival and the Victoria Gallery & Museum hosted a barbeque.
The Metropolitan and Anglican Cathedrals rang their bells for 20 minutes, in an orchestrated bell relay, culminating with the ringing of the 15 ton bell in the Anglican tower, Great George. The bell rang out five times to signify the five Olympic rings.
Sport Liverpool are developing a number of participation based events to celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Games coming to London in 2012. The “Sport Liverpool in 2012″ project has been granted the Inspire mark by the London 2012 Inspire programme which recognises innovative and exceptional projects inspired by the Games.