23rd January 2012
A town in Scotland has created its own Olympic Torch made from energy saving LED lights to celebrate this year's Games.
Hawick in the Scottish Borders will be showing off its own symbol of the 2012 Olympics by passing round the torch to various schools in the area.
Designed by local jeweller Hamish Smith, the torch and flame is made from gold-coloured aluminium and illuminated by adapted LED Christmas lights that shine through hundreds of hand-drilled holes.
Mr Smith told reporters: "I've spent countless hours on it, but the comments I've had and the positive effect it will have in bringing Hawick together will make it all worthwhile."
Instead of displaying the five Olympic rings, the torch features the town's own symbol, the Hawick Horse, and has started its journey around the local area by car.
On February 1st, local schoolchildren will take the torch by bike on a tour of the town's seven schools and it will return to Hawick town centre on June 14th for the 'opening ceremony'.
"This torch, and the huge amount of skill and dedication that has gone into it, epitomises all that we are trying to achieve in promoting sport and comradeship among all our young people," said Janice Chapman, head of Burnfoot Primary and chair of Hawick's Vision 2014 committee.
Meanwhile, LED energy saving bulbs were also being put to good use at this year's Autosport International event, with engineering firm Showtrax International displaying a prototype powerhood studded with LED panels that are usually used in commercial ceiling fixtures.
Fluorescent lighting is typically used in powerhoods in garages but it is prone to failure because transport can damage it, the Manufacturer reported.
"We were finding that by the time we unpacked the powerhoods after transit several of the tubes failed to start and had to be changed," Showtrax managing director Andy Britnell told the news source. "Sending out replacement tubes was a costly solution so we looked at alternative technologies."
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