Adeu, Joan Antoni!

The Kings of Spain came to Barcelona today to bid farewell to Juan Antonio Samaranch, the former President of the COI, who died yesterday, and who on 17th October 1986 in Lausanne, famously announced that the Olympic Games of 1992 would go to 'la ville de Barcelone'!

It really was the start of a wonderful story that changed the face of Barcelona forever, and gave it an international standing which it never had before. I was living in the city in 1992 and remember the roar that went up when they lit the Olympic flame with the legendary flaming arrow! Thinking of it now still sends shiver down my spine!

Today's shot: It has been a very exciting day for me as I had no idea that I would blip royalty! I read about the Samaranch funeral service in the paper and went along before the appointed time and somehow with my camera slung casually over my shoulder, and bag round my waist, managed to take up position in the main press gallery, 20 feet from where the Kings would pass. I was surrounded by TV and still cameramen and women, and although my lens was shorter than most, nobody including the police batted an eyelid! So I have spent a few hours wth 'the pack' and it was great fun hearing their banter...'what an awful wig!', being just one choice remark as we all pressed the shutters at some poor man who passed in front!