2012 Olympic Games in London

[LadyFinn]

European royals attending London 2012 - hellomagazine.com

 

[scooter]

It's funny, I think all over the UK we've all got one thing in common - our Sunday routine!

Ireland, too. I acquired the 'tea habit' morning, lunch and 4pm from my late grandparents on my dad's side. I've never liked coffee.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

London 2012 Olympics: Fears over public safety as officers are dragged off beat in deepening Games fiasco | Mail Online

 

[EIIR]

The British press are starting to really annoy me. They're starting to go on about 'chaos' and 'farce' and 'meltdowns' and we're still 11 days away from the start of the Games. I just have never understood the British tendency to talk ourselves down all the time. Every little thing is being seized on by the curmudgeons in the press who never wanted the Olympics to come here, and used as a sort of 'I told you it was going to be a disaster'. If they keep going on like this it'll become a self-fulfilling philosophy.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Well Olympic Athletes being stuck on buses and lost for 4 hours, isn't such a good story to publish is it?

 

[Meraude]

The modern pancake is British

I don't know what you mean with "modern pancake", but pancakes have been eaten in most European countries for a long time. For me this is a pancake: Pannukakku - Valion reseptit Finnish pancake baked in the oven, and these are lätty (thins): http://mediaserver-2.vuodatus.net/g/34108/1232980612_CIMG5339.JPG

 

[Tudur rose]

Just don't read the daily fail mail they exaggerate everything negatively .

 

[NGalitzine]

The British press are starting to really annoy me. They're starting to go on about 'chaos' and 'farce' and 'meltdowns' and we're still 11 days away from the start of the Games. I just have never understood the British tendency to talk ourselves down all the time. Every little thing is being seized on by the curmudgeons in the press who never wanted the Olympics to come here, and used as a sort of 'I told you it was going to be a disaster'. If they keep going on like this it'll become a self-fulfilling philosophy.

Defeatism/negativity hasn't always been part of the national character. We used to be a rather can do/take charge nation with people who were proud of their country but you are right about our press and their view of the nation and the people. They took the same view about the Queen Mothers funeral and the Golden Jubilee. It was always no ones cares and no one will show up and then of course they were surprised that people did care and people did show up.
The next story unfortunately will probably be about lack of athletic success. Tom Daly has been played up so much I feel sorry for him. The sport press write all those stories as if he was guaranteed a medal and pretty much ignore the Chinese dominance of the diving events. I definitely wish him well but he has a major challenge ahead of him.

 

[EIIR]

Well Olympic Athletes being stuck on buses and lost for 4 hours, isn't such a good story to publish is it?

Apparently the bus drivers, many of whom have been drafted in from outside London, couldn't figure out how to use sat nav and couldn't read a map. I mean, how on earth can a professional bus driver not know how to use sat nav and good old-fashioned maps in the 21st century?! Or how about, I don't know, reading traffic signs?

The Daily Mail, Telegraph and Guardian are trying to outdo each other with negative headlines. All three had sensationalist stories about enormous traffic jams on the M4. The actual reason for it? A car crash. Nothing to do with the Olympics whatsoever.

 

[Lumutqueen]

I'm sure plenty of them new how to read and use satnavs but I don't think you can do either while driving. And why exactly have they got bus drivers from outside London who know nothing about the area ferrying around the worlds athletes? London is hardly a small town is it? Traffic signs can be confusing when you've probably got no idea where you're going.

I'm sorry but I'm with the press on this one, the country looks unprepared and we're experience fiasco after fiasco everyday.

 

[Iluvbertie]

In Sydney, this far out, we were hearing similar stories with athletes not getting to venues for training etc - and blaming the out of town bus drivers - but you know what - when the crunch came it was great.

In fact, except for Beijing I don't remember hearing positive stories about the preparedness of any Olympic City this far out and they have all risen to the occasion pretty much - Atlanta, from my brother's view and he has attended 8 now was the worst for the everyday visitor and athlete throughout the games.

He is leaving for London on Tuesday and expects it to be wonderful - just like all the others.

 

[EIIR]

I'm sure plenty of them new how to read and use satnavs but I don't think you can do either while driving. And why exactly have they got bus drivers from outside London who know nothing about the area ferrying around the worlds athletes? London is hardly a small town is it? Traffic signs can be confusing when you've probably got no idea where you're going.

I'm sorry but I'm with the press on this one, the country looks unprepared and we're experience fiasco after fiasco everyday.

The drivers are being brought in from outside London because there aren't enough professional bus drivers within the capital to do the job. I happened to catch RTE News (Republic of Ireland news) the other day and it showed a whole load of Irish bus drivers heading over to London to ferry athletes around. They were taking their buses with them because the demand for buses is so huge.

What the drivers should have done is programme their sat-nav before they set off. All they have to do then is follow the instructions. Or pull over to the side of the road and check a map. I don't think that's asking too much. Every tour bus I've ever been on over the last 10 years has been driven by a driver who had the sat-nav up and running.

 

[Jacknch]

In terms of the actual Games themselves, they will be absolutely spectacular and everything will run smoothly and like clockwork and the weather is set to improve!!!

In terms of security, paying a firm almost £250m to provide 10,000 security guards of whom I believe only 4,000 have been trained some of whom haven't turned up to work anyway, IS a fiasco. I am not surprised in the least. The security firm was desperate to make the deal and will have said gawd knows what to the organisers years ago in order to get the contract. The "oh we'll blag it and make it work somehow" attitude is rife in certain industries. LUCKILY, we now have the brilliant police force and army to do it properly and they will undoubtedly all look super smart and efficient!

With regard to the four hour trip from Heathrow to the Olympic Park, I thought such travel chaos was going to be reserved for poor old spectators during the actual games and not the participants! I do find it hard to believe that an out of town bus driver having been asked to drive people from Heathrow to Stratford could just blythly just turn up on the day unprepared. What did he think would happen....magic fairies would whisk him, his coach and his passengers to their destination on a magic carpet leaving a trail of angel dust??

 

[EIIR]

The Irish bus drivers were going over to London last week as they said they had several days of training to do beforehand. The route from Heathrow to Stratford is bound to be well-signed. In NI we recently hosted the Irish Open golf tournament which, although significant, is nowhere near as big as the Olympics. There were huge signs everywhere directing people to the venue.

The security issue is an embarrassment. I think G4S thought that given the high level of unemployment in the UK, they'd be able to recruit 10,000 security guards without any difficulty. The problem they've had is that many have either no bothered turning up to training, or have not turned up at the venues to do the actual job. That's why the Army have had to step in. But, that's what we have armed forces for. They help out during floods, or blizzards, or strikes when necessary. The Games won't be any less secure as a result of this. In fact I'd say the Games will probably be even more secure because of the increased involvement of the Army and police.

 

[Tudur rose]

In Sydney, this far out, we were hearing similar stories with athletes not getting to venues for training etc - and blaming the out of town bus drivers - but you know what - when the crunch came it was great.

In fact, except for Beijing I don't remember hearing positive stories about the preparedness of any Olympic City this far out and they have all risen to the occasion pretty much - Atlanta, from my brother's view and he has attended 8 now was the worst for the everyday visitor and athlete throughout the games.

He is leaving for London on Tuesday and expects it to be wonderful - just like all the others.

Funny how the papers are having stories about athletes not getting to training etc when they have not all even arrived yet . Odd that . First ones only started coming yesterday . Personally I never believe the press they exaggerate so much and twist stories to their own agenda it is damaging .

The drivers are being brought in from outside London because there aren't enough professional bus drivers within the capital to do the job. I happened to catch RTE News (Republic of Ireland news) the other day and it showed a whole load of Irish bus drivers heading over to London to ferry athletes around. They were taking their buses with them because the demand for buses is so huge.

What the drivers should have done is programme their sat-nav before they set off. All they have to do then is follow the instructions. Or pull over to the side of the road and check a map. I don't think that's asking too much. Every tour bus I've ever been on over the last 10 years has been driven by a driver who had the sat-nav up and running.

Really. Irish bus drivers ! I haven't seen any Irish buses . Soz about that tho . Would be fun !

The drivers are being brought in from outside London because there aren't enough professional bus drivers within the capital to do the job. I happened to catch RTE News (Republic of Ireland news) the other day and it showed a whole load of Irish bus drivers heading over to London to ferry athletes around. They were taking their buses with them because the demand for buses is so huge.

What the drivers should have done is programme their sat-nav before they set off. All they have to do then is follow the instructions. Or pull over to the side of the road and check a map. I don't think that's asking too much. Every tour bus I've ever been on over the last 10 years has been driven by a driver who had the sat-nav up and running.

What exactly is the fiasco after fiasco. Can you specify ?

 

[Lumutqueen]

London 2012 Opening Ceremony: View inside the Olympic Stadium provides glimpse of how spectacle might look | Mail Online

Doesn't look that great really.

And others;
London 2012: David Cameron promises to 'go after' G4S to get it to repay millions of pounds over Olympic security scandal | Mail Online
Border strike threat to Olympics: Union set to paralyse airports as thousands arrive for London 2012 | Mail Online
London 2012 Olympics security crisis: Cameron vows to 'go after' G4S over costs | Mail Online
Raw recruits on standby for the Olympics as Army prepares to send 2,000 more troops to fill gaps left by G4S security shambles | Mail Online

 

[Artemisia]

I think it looks spectacular, actually.
The idea of presenting a country life - something Britain is really well known abroad - is very smart.
I just hope there is going to be some Morris Dancing - and judging by some of the pictures of the gentlemen, that's a definite possibility.

 

[EIIR]

I fail to see how it's possible to make much of a judgement on the opening ceremony from a few photos. An event lasting three and a half hours can't be summed up with a couple of snaps from a helicopter. Interestingly, the photos from the helicopter are likely to be several days old by now as the airspace over London has, since Monday, been shut down to all air traffic apart from commercial flights into and out of the airports.

Don't mean to disappoint you, Artemisia, but from the photos in the DM article, the gentlemen in cream are playing cricket, not morris dancing. Presumably this is to recreate the English tradition of men playing cricket on the village green in summer.

There has to be a part dedicated to our 'green and pleasant land'. It all ties into the rural idyll being changed by the industrial revolution (the UK being the first country to industrialise), and then re-claimed to a certain extent. The Olympic park itself is representative of that - previously green fields hundreds of years ago, then industrialisation, and recently a campaign to rid the land of the toxins and waste left behind and its re-birth as the Olympic park.

 

[Artemisia]

Had another look and you are right, those are not Morris Men.
Still, hope we'll see them somewhere.

Judging by the pictures, the arena has really been transformed into a countryside - and a beautiful one too.
Of course, a lot will depend on the actual execution, but I have really high hopes because the pictures do look lovely.

You Brits are really strange in one respect; you have so many things to be proud of (and I'm sure you privately are), but at the same time, it's almost as if you enjoy belittling your achievements and successes. Modesty is a fine thing but don't tear apart the ceremony before it has even started; better be optimistic!

If the Olympics were in Armenia, I'd tell anyone who would listen it's going to be spectacular - even if I knew it'd be complete rubbish.

 

[EIIR]

Morris dancers are seen as a bit 'naff' in the UK. I'm not sure we'll see them. I'd be fairly sure we'll see some Scottish and Irish dancing, though.

The stadium won't be green and pleasant the whole time. See here, where London is produced with the Thames snaking around its industrial heritage.

http://www.standard.co.uk/olympics/...l-give-way-to-dark-satanic-mills-7880599.html

 

[Lumutqueen]

The Flame has arrived in London itself, we have 1 week to go. I'm surprised that the opening ceremony starts at 9pm.

 

[FanofMonaco]

Nine PM is so they can reach the largest TV audience around the world. eg Noon in LA. Also may need to have it dark outside for special effects or fireworks.

 

[MichelleQ2]

from best I can tell the US isnt going to show opening cermonies live (unless streaming on line) . the only coverage on Friday is their primetime coverage at 7:30pm - midnight. so it isnt for the US. I was thinking maybe for Europe... but that works the wrong way - so maybe it is for the nightfall and they need dark for the torch etc.

 

[NGalitzine]

The Torch has officially arrived in London and is spending the night in the Jewel House at the Tower of London.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Did anyone happen to see that teenager who unsuccessfully tried to grab the Olympic torch as it entered London?

 

[ANNIE_S]

I'm surprised that the opening ceremony starts at 9pm.

Wow, 9 pm? That´s 10 pm in Spain, and I can remember that Athens and Beijing ceremonies were very long (more than 4 hours I think)...
I don´t think it will get so many audince here...

I hope to see it, the most part at least, I´m quite curious about the spectacle that London will show. Beijing 2008´opening ceremony seems quite unbeatable, IMO.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Maybe they considered their audience in the former colonies like Australia and New Zealand as they will be able to watch it early Saturday morning - 9.00 p.m. Friday night London is 6.00 a.m. Saturday in the Eastern States of Australia. I doubt but it is just a thought.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Did anyone happen to see that teenager who unsuccessfully tried to grab the Olympic torch as it entered London?

I saw the stories about the guy who shouting "this is for Allah" or something similar. Is that the guy you mean?

Wow, 9 pm? That´s 10 pm in Spain, and I can remember that Athens and Beijing ceremonies were very long (more than 4 hours I think)...
I don´t think it will get so many audince here...

I hope to see it, the most part at least, I´m quite curious about the spectacle that London will show. Beijing 2008´opening ceremony seems quite unbeatable, IMO.

My sky box says it's on till midnight or even 1am I can't remember. I know it needs to be dark but recently, it's dark enough for streetlights at about 10pm.

 

[An Ard Ri]

I saw the stories about the guy who shouting "this is for Allah" or something similar. Is that the guy you mean?

To be honest I didn't hear him say anything,here's a clip from that incident.

Teen arrested over Olympic torch grab attempt in Kent Olympic rorch relay 2012 - YouTube

 

[EIIR]

The reason the opening ceremony starts at 9pm is because Danny Boyle and Stephen Daldry, who are directing the ceremony, want as much of it to be held in the dark as possible. Apparently there are significant parts of it which include filmed material to be projected, which is much easier to see in the dark. On the 27th, it won't properly start getting dark until around 9pm. It's due to last for 3 to 3.5 hours, although it was apparently running long so some bits were shortened.

The late start has led to problems for Team GB, who as hosts will be the last team to process into the stadium. That means athletes such as Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins are possibly going to have to forgo the athletes parade, as they're competing in the road race which starts early the following morning.

To the other Brits here, do you think that if Bradley Wiggins, as seems likely (fingers crossed) wins the Tour de France tomorrow, he could be asked to light the cauldron? He's also won 6 Olympic medals, of which 3 were gold. Sir Chris Hoy said on the news last night that if he wins the TdF it would be the greatest achievement by any British sportsman ever.