Fakenham Laundry lands contract for Olympic Torch Relay

A Fakenham firm has landed a contract to wash all the clothes of staff working on the 70-day Olympic Torch Relay.

The national event will start at Land's End, Cornwall, on the morning of May 19.

On July 4 and 5 the Olympic Flame - which will travel an estimated 8,000 miles - will be carried through Norfolk and Suffolk.

General manager David Lott, of the Fakenham Laundry, based in Holt Road, Fakenham, said his company was delighted.

He added: 'Geographically we are in the centre of the country on the north south divide.'

The company, which employs 211 people, can wash between 320,000 and 450,000 pieces in a week.

The torch will reach Norfolk on July 4 and will be run through King's Lynn, South Wootton, West Rudham, East Rudham, Fakenham, Holt, Cromer, Aylsham, and finally into Norwich.

There will be a special celebration event in Chapelfield Gardens that evening.

The Olympic Torch will then travel to Hethersett High School for an event early in the morning on July 5, before being run through more parts of Norwich, Acle, Filby and finally through Great Yarmouth.

It will then make its way on to Suffolk, starting at Lowestoft

It will then move to Wrentham, Reydon, Southwold, Kelsale, Saxmundham, Aldeburgh, Wickham Market, Ufford, Melton, Woodbridge, Felixstowe, and then Ipswich, where it will make an overnight stop at Christchurch Park for another special celebration.

Then on July 6 it will briefly leave Suffolk to go to Colchester but will then make a return to the county to Haverhill, Bury St Edmunds and finally Newmarket.

The Olympic Torch will go through 1,000 cities, towns and villages during the 70-day relay and on July 4 will go past Fakenham Laundry.

The next London Calling supplement is out on Tuesday, February 28.