There will be apening ceremony rehearsal this evening in Stratford, ahead of tomorrow's actual opening ceremony.
As such, Stratford will be extremely busy.
Avoid the area if possible!
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Showing posts with label Stratford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stratford. Show all posts
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Avoid Stratford
There will be an opening ceremony rehearsal this evening. As such, Stratford will be extremely busy.
Avoid the area if possible.
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Avoid the area if possible.
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The True Legacy of The 2012 Olympics
Westfiled Stratford Centre opened today in the deprived
area of east London where it will act as the gateway to the 2012
Olympics.
It has the dubious distinction of being Europe's largest shopping centre, with over 300 shops, 70 restaurants, a 14-screen cinema, three hotels and Britain's largest casino.
Lucky Stratford!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
It has the dubious distinction of being Europe's largest shopping centre, with over 300 shops, 70 restaurants, a 14-screen cinema, three hotels and Britain's largest casino.
Lucky Stratford!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
London's Obsolete Transport System
In 2004 the IOC very accurately described London's transport system as "obsolete".
In theory, London 2012 is meant to be the "public transport games".
There is of course a wide gap between aspirations and reality. London's transport infrastructure suffers from a lack of investment and capacity. Hence the services are inadequate and overcrowded.
Transport for London (TfL) are aware of many of the problems, eg they have warned that it may take an hour to get on a train at St Pancras station (where the Javelin train will depart for Stratford).
TfL's solution?
They are mounting a campaign to ask people to commute less (they need a 30% fall in commuter numbers)!
Sadly it seems that the word "obsolete" applies not only to the infrastructure and capital equipment, but also to the thinking within TfL.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
In theory, London 2012 is meant to be the "public transport games".
There is of course a wide gap between aspirations and reality. London's transport infrastructure suffers from a lack of investment and capacity. Hence the services are inadequate and overcrowded.
Transport for London (TfL) are aware of many of the problems, eg they have warned that it may take an hour to get on a train at St Pancras station (where the Javelin train will depart for Stratford).
TfL's solution?
They are mounting a campaign to ask people to commute less (they need a 30% fall in commuter numbers)!
Sadly it seems that the word "obsolete" applies not only to the infrastructure and capital equipment, but also to the thinking within TfL.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Thursday, July 21, 2011
The Real Legacy of The Games
McDonald's plans to build the world's largest McDonald's at the London Olympics Games site in Stratford.
The two storey 3,000 sq metre leviathan will seat up to 1,500 people, and will be one of the four McDonald's restaurants built in and near the Olympics park.
Now that's the true "legacy" of the games.
Makes you proud to be British doesn't it?!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
The two storey 3,000 sq metre leviathan will seat up to 1,500 people, and will be one of the four McDonald's restaurants built in and near the Olympics park.
Now that's the true "legacy" of the games.
Makes you proud to be British doesn't it?!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Monday, January 24, 2011
The White Elephant
Lord Coe, Chairman of the 2012 London Olympics, has come out against Tottenham's plans to take over the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Olympic Games.
Lord Coe does not like the idea that Tottenham, if successful in their bid, would knock the stadium down and replace it with one more suitable for football. The problem being that when the UK made the bid for the Olympics, the bid team promised that the stadium would be used for athletics after the event (ie that there would be a sporting legacy).
The other bidder, seemingly preferred by Lord Coe et al, is West Ham (who claim that they will allow athletics events to be hosted there).
The question is, aside from the PR headlines that the battle between these two clubs is generating, are the clubs really sure that they want to own a stadium based in East Stratford (ie move their team and fans there)?
Could it be that these two bids may actually fizzle out when people actually realise the consequences of buying this white elephant?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Lord Coe does not like the idea that Tottenham, if successful in their bid, would knock the stadium down and replace it with one more suitable for football. The problem being that when the UK made the bid for the Olympics, the bid team promised that the stadium would be used for athletics after the event (ie that there would be a sporting legacy).
The other bidder, seemingly preferred by Lord Coe et al, is West Ham (who claim that they will allow athletics events to be hosted there).
The question is, aside from the PR headlines that the battle between these two clubs is generating, are the clubs really sure that they want to own a stadium based in East Stratford (ie move their team and fans there)?
Could it be that these two bids may actually fizzle out when people actually realise the consequences of buying this white elephant?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.comwww.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Locog Snubs East End
The London 2012 Olympics organisers (Locog) have managed to ruffle some feathers again, this time they have upset Newham council over plans to change the marathon route.
Locog want to move the finish of the marathon from the stadium in Stratford, East London, to the Mall.
Seemingly Locog want to create the "best experience for spectators and athletics and to profile London".
All very well, but the games were sold to world, and to the people of the East End, on the basis of regeneration and leaving a legacy in the area in which they are being staged (ie Stratford).
By snubbing the area which is having to put up with the disruption of the preparation for the games, and indeed the disruption that the games themselves will cause, Locog are at the very least being insensitive to the residents of Stratford and the East End.
Paul Brickell, Newham Council's executive member for Olympics, is quoted by the BBC:
"The route comes out from Aldgate, through Whitechapel and Stepney and Bow to Stratford and that is a fantastic street with 1,000 years of history.
The stories about that street are incredible and I reckon any marathon commentator could make it really interesting for a world audience.
This is a golden opportunity for those residents to be part of the greatest show on earth for free, on their doorsteps.
If these plans go ahead there will be a lot of disappointed residents in east London."
Tourists, Olympic visitors etc should be given a different perspective of London, other than the standard image portrayed on postcards etc of the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace etc.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Locog want to move the finish of the marathon from the stadium in Stratford, East London, to the Mall.
Seemingly Locog want to create the "best experience for spectators and athletics and to profile London".
All very well, but the games were sold to world, and to the people of the East End, on the basis of regeneration and leaving a legacy in the area in which they are being staged (ie Stratford).
By snubbing the area which is having to put up with the disruption of the preparation for the games, and indeed the disruption that the games themselves will cause, Locog are at the very least being insensitive to the residents of Stratford and the East End.
Paul Brickell, Newham Council's executive member for Olympics, is quoted by the BBC:
"The route comes out from Aldgate, through Whitechapel and Stepney and Bow to Stratford and that is a fantastic street with 1,000 years of history.
The stories about that street are incredible and I reckon any marathon commentator could make it really interesting for a world audience.
This is a golden opportunity for those residents to be part of the greatest show on earth for free, on their doorsteps.
If these plans go ahead there will be a lot of disappointed residents in east London."
Tourists, Olympic visitors etc should be given a different perspective of London, other than the standard image portrayed on postcards etc of the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace etc.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.comwww.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Stratford "International"
The Guardian reports that hopes that the new Stratford International station will run international trains during the London 2012 Olympics have been dashed.
"According to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, train operator Eurostar has told the Government it will not run services from the station during the games.
While other international train operators are in talks to use Stratford, this will not be until after 2012."
Quite what the point will be of international visitors stopping at Stratford after the games will be rather eludes me.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
"According to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, train operator Eurostar has told the Government it will not run services from the station during the games.
While other international train operators are in talks to use Stratford, this will not be until after 2012."
Quite what the point will be of international visitors stopping at Stratford after the games will be rather eludes me.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.comwww.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Friday, October 12, 2007
Olympics Organisers Grilled
The organisers of the London 2012 Olympics submitted themselves to a grilling by the people of Stratford yesterday. Around 200 Londoners filled the Stratford Circus arts venue, for a 2012 Olympic Question and Answer session.
Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee, promised that the stadium to be built at Stratford to hold the games would continue to be available for the staging of athletics events and for local youths.
Quote:
"It's very clear. We went to Singapore for the bid and made a commitment it would be a multi-purpose stadium for the local community.
You cannot just leave an 80,000-seater stadium in a lunar landscape without any thought of how the legacy will pan out over the years to come.
We will be constructing a permanent 25,000-seater stadium with temporary seating for 50,000. It is a very well-thought-out legacy.
It doesn't stop us talking to local rugby clubs and amateur football clubs."
It will come down to money at the end of the day after the games. In the event that the stadium does not look financially viable, when run purely for athletics, those organisations with large wallets (ie football clubs) will inevitably end up calling the shots.
Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee, promised that the stadium to be built at Stratford to hold the games would continue to be available for the staging of athletics events and for local youths.
Quote:
"It's very clear. We went to Singapore for the bid and made a commitment it would be a multi-purpose stadium for the local community.
You cannot just leave an 80,000-seater stadium in a lunar landscape without any thought of how the legacy will pan out over the years to come.
We will be constructing a permanent 25,000-seater stadium with temporary seating for 50,000. It is a very well-thought-out legacy.
It doesn't stop us talking to local rugby clubs and amateur football clubs."
It will come down to money at the end of the day after the games. In the event that the stadium does not look financially viable, when run purely for athletics, those organisations with large wallets (ie football clubs) will inevitably end up calling the shots.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Olympic Park Green Light
London's Olympic Park, a 500 acre site in Stratford, has received permission to be built from the Government Office for London and the Greater London Authority.
The park will be home to the Olympic stadium, aquatics center, velodrome, fencing, field hockey, handball and basketball arenas.
It is expected that around 180,000 spectators will enter the Olympic Park every day, during the games in 2012.
The park will be home to the Olympic stadium, aquatics center, velodrome, fencing, field hockey, handball and basketball arenas.
It is expected that around 180,000 spectators will enter the Olympic Park every day, during the games in 2012.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Builder Pulls Out
Eiffel, the French engineering group that built the tower in Paris, has pulled out of the tender process for the London 2012 Olympics after a dispute over how the constructor will be paid.
Eiffel was not invited to complete its application to build the £150M aquatics centre at the Stratford site by the Olympic Delivery Authority, as a result of the payments row.
The dispute arose over Eiffel's concerns about interference from the ODA and its delivery partner, CLM, and its lack of prior association with the venue's architect, Zaha Hadid.
Two other construction firms, Balfour Beatty and Hochtief, remain on the shortlist.
Multiplex, the Australian construction group that built the new Wembley Stadium, is not going to tender for any Olympics contracts after suffering enormous losses on the venue.
Rather un-reassuringly the organisers of the London Games say that they will learn from past mistakes made at Wembley.
So that's alright then!
Eiffel was not invited to complete its application to build the £150M aquatics centre at the Stratford site by the Olympic Delivery Authority, as a result of the payments row.
The dispute arose over Eiffel's concerns about interference from the ODA and its delivery partner, CLM, and its lack of prior association with the venue's architect, Zaha Hadid.
Two other construction firms, Balfour Beatty and Hochtief, remain on the shortlist.
Multiplex, the Australian construction group that built the new Wembley Stadium, is not going to tender for any Olympics contracts after suffering enormous losses on the venue.
Rather un-reassuringly the organisers of the London Games say that they will learn from past mistakes made at Wembley.
So that's alright then!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Jowell To Explain Herself
Tessa Jowell, the Olympics Minister, will explain today how the government will repay the £675M that it has taken from the national lottery to cover the ever spiralling costs of the London 2012 Olympics.
A memorandum of understanding between Jowell and Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, will explain how the money is to be clawed back from land sales from the Olympic Park at Stratford.
Under the terms of the memorandum, which will be deposited in the library of the House of Commons, Jowell and Livingstone explain that the £675m will start to be repaid after 2012; once the London Development Agency has recovered the £650M it has spent on acquiring the Olympic Park site.
There is no mention about paying interest on the money.
A week is a long time in politics, 5 years is an eternity. It is therefore highly likely that the government will renege on this agreement before then.
The national lottery will never see that money again.
A memorandum of understanding between Jowell and Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, will explain how the money is to be clawed back from land sales from the Olympic Park at Stratford.
Under the terms of the memorandum, which will be deposited in the library of the House of Commons, Jowell and Livingstone explain that the £675m will start to be repaid after 2012; once the London Development Agency has recovered the £650M it has spent on acquiring the Olympic Park site.
There is no mention about paying interest on the money.
A week is a long time in politics, 5 years is an eternity. It is therefore highly likely that the government will renege on this agreement before then.
The national lottery will never see that money again.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
An Inpsector Calls
Sixteen members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are in London today, to review progress of preparations for the 2012 London Olympic games.
It fair to say that they are hoping that the furore over the logo will have died down a bit, clearly they don't know/understand the tabloid press in this country very well!
The Olympic commissioners will be the first passengers on a test train trying out the seven-minute shuttle between Stratford International Station, in East London, and the new St Pancras International Station.
They will be travelling by a Eurostar train, because the new high speed javelin trains are not yet in operation.
During the Games this service is in theory going to transport 25,000 passengers an hour.
Given the state of the rail network in this country, that is quite a gamble.
It fair to say that they are hoping that the furore over the logo will have died down a bit, clearly they don't know/understand the tabloid press in this country very well!
The Olympic commissioners will be the first passengers on a test train trying out the seven-minute shuttle between Stratford International Station, in East London, and the new St Pancras International Station.
They will be travelling by a Eurostar train, because the new high speed javelin trains are not yet in operation.
During the Games this service is in theory going to transport 25,000 passengers an hour.
Given the state of the rail network in this country, that is quite a gamble.
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