London 2012, one of the many bodies with their fingers in the Olympics' pie, has shelved plans to promote the 2012 London Olympics by using a ship sailing around the world advertising Britain's "cultural riches".
The plan had been for the ship, named the Olympic Friend-ship, to spend four years travelling around the world. The ocean-going clipper had been due to set sail this August. It was to have been crewed by young people, artists, philosophers and students.
The "grand plan" was that the ship would: "...carry a cargo emblematic of the UK's cultural riches.
In turn, every nation visited will have the opportunity to contribute to the vessel's cargo - either in real terms or via the website.
Through dialogue and exchange, creativity and sharing, the UK will use this voyage to redefine its relationship to world cultures and celebrate London's new role as host city."
Quite why this idea has been scrapped has not been officially stated. However, the fact that the plan sounds like a load of tosh is probably the key factor.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Heathrow Rushes To Enter The 21st Century
With the opening this month of Terminal 5 at Heathrow, BAA will be moving onto their next grand plan; namely that of opening Heathrow East, in time for the London 2012 Olympics.
Heathrow East will replace Terminals 1 and 2, and will process 30 million passengers a year.
The problem facing BAA, and indeed Heathrow, is that BAA's highly geared finances are balanced on a knife edge. There is a possibility that the company may face a financial crisis before the terminal is completed, thus delaying the completion of the new terminal to after the Olympics.
Heathrow East will replace Terminals 1 and 2, and will process 30 million passengers a year.
The problem facing BAA, and indeed Heathrow, is that BAA's highly geared finances are balanced on a knife edge. There is a possibility that the company may face a financial crisis before the terminal is completed, thus delaying the completion of the new terminal to after the Olympics.
Monday, March 10, 2008
The Cost of Sponsorship
BT, one of the sponsors of the London 2012 Olympics, faces a large bill for its sponsorship of the Games.
BT will provide communications services (estimated at being around £120M) for the event in return for publicity worth around £50M-£80M.
This leaves BT with a shortfall of between £40M-£70M.
The question is, who will bear the cost of this shortfall?
A cynic might argue that it will be BT's customers.
BT will provide communications services (estimated at being around £120M) for the event in return for publicity worth around £50M-£80M.
This leaves BT with a shortfall of between £40M-£70M.
The question is, who will bear the cost of this shortfall?
A cynic might argue that it will be BT's customers.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Bob The Biometric Builder
Following on from news that 500,000 CCTV cameras will be used to monitor the daily routines of Londoners during the 2012 Olympics, it is reported that Biometric screening (featuring palm and facial recognition) will be used to guard building sites for the London Olympics.
Building workers will have to pass through a two-tier biometric access system, palm and facial recognition, in order to gain access to sites for the 2012 Olympics.
It is estimated that during the project around 100,000 builders will be "processed" (such an Orwellian word).
The biometric screening system is as Britain's largest and most expensive security operation. The Times reports that a version of it may be used to control access by ticket holders to the Olympic stadiums during the Games.
The question is, what will the government do with all the data that it collects?
The recent debacles over loss of NHS and HMRC data hardly instills confidence in the government's ability to securely safeguard personal data.
It should also be noted that the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has not ruled out the sharing of information with other government agencies, such as the Home Office.
Will they destroy the data after the Games?
These questions need to be asked.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
The "Green" Games
Gordon Brown's credibility as a "green PM", not for the first time, is being undermined by the IOC.
Indeed the credibility of London's "Green" 2012 Olympics, which in theory was to be "car free", is being undermined by the IOC.
The pampered and well paid members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are not inclined to mix with the masses when they attend the London Games.
Heaven forfend that they use our shambolic public transport system!
As such they have demanded that there be over 3,000 chauffeur-driven cars placed at the disposal of dignitaries, officials and corporate sponsors.
The IOC fleet will have access to a network of dedicated lanes, which will be closed to other traffic for up to two months. Up to 3,000 sets of traffic lights will also be adjusted to ensure that the IOC's fleet has fast access to all venues.
What a sham these Games and the people in charge of them are!
Seemingly the IOC "great and the good" includes; 110 IOC members, 400 presidents and secretary-generals from the Olympic committees of the 200 competing nations and 450 senior executives from corporate sponsors. The 10,500 athletes will travel on a dedicated fleet of coaches.
The ordinary man in the street is forbidden from using his own car, because the Games venues will have only a small number of disabled parking spaces.
The actual contract for the IOC fleet is a secret, and those officials allowed to read it must first sign a contract agreeing not to reveal what they have read.
What a farce!
They are taking the piss!
Indeed the credibility of London's "Green" 2012 Olympics, which in theory was to be "car free", is being undermined by the IOC.
The pampered and well paid members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are not inclined to mix with the masses when they attend the London Games.
Heaven forfend that they use our shambolic public transport system!
As such they have demanded that there be over 3,000 chauffeur-driven cars placed at the disposal of dignitaries, officials and corporate sponsors.
The IOC fleet will have access to a network of dedicated lanes, which will be closed to other traffic for up to two months. Up to 3,000 sets of traffic lights will also be adjusted to ensure that the IOC's fleet has fast access to all venues.
What a sham these Games and the people in charge of them are!
Seemingly the IOC "great and the good" includes; 110 IOC members, 400 presidents and secretary-generals from the Olympic committees of the 200 competing nations and 450 senior executives from corporate sponsors. The 10,500 athletes will travel on a dedicated fleet of coaches.
The ordinary man in the street is forbidden from using his own car, because the Games venues will have only a small number of disabled parking spaces.
The actual contract for the IOC fleet is a secret, and those officials allowed to read it must first sign a contract agreeing not to reveal what they have read.
What a farce!
They are taking the piss!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Big Brother
The 2012 London Olympics has given the state a rather nice excuse to beef up its surveillance of the general population, by linking up 500,000 CCTV cameras across the capital.
The Metropolitan Police (Met) force wants to pool its 10,000 cameras with traffic and congestion cameras across London.
The network will be operated from a command centre, in London, by military, police and intelligence services.
Assistant commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, Olympic Security Co-ordinator, said:
"Efforts focus on the capabilities we currently have and how these can be used efficiently to make London safer both now and during Games time.
A good example of this is how the current capabilities of various CCTV networks might be harnessed and integrated in London within the current legislative framework, to deliver greater effect in mitigating specific threats as part of the Olympic security effort."
The interesting thing is that even after the Olympics have ended, the command centre would remain in place.
Why?
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
The Draft Legacy
Quite extraordinarily, even though the planning of the London Olympics has been going on for several years, there is as yet no plan for the so called "legacy" of the Games.
In fact Tessa Jowell, the Olympics Minister, will today present only a draft version of the legacy action plan to inspectors from the IOC.
In 2005 one of the key reasons that London won the right to host the Games, was the promise by Lord Coe that there would be a lasting legacy for London, the UK and the Olympic Movement.
Therefore, why are the plans for this legacy still only in draft?
Even more worrying is the fact that the budget for the legacy has not yet been set.
Jowell says:
"It's almost ready to go."
Hardly much comfort, who on earth would believe her?
In fact Tessa Jowell, the Olympics Minister, will today present only a draft version of the legacy action plan to inspectors from the IOC.
In 2005 one of the key reasons that London won the right to host the Games, was the promise by Lord Coe that there would be a lasting legacy for London, the UK and the Olympic Movement.
Therefore, why are the plans for this legacy still only in draft?
Even more worrying is the fact that the budget for the legacy has not yet been set.
Jowell says:
"It's almost ready to go."
Hardly much comfort, who on earth would believe her?
Monday, March 3, 2008
London Under Scrutiny
The London Olympics are under scrutiny this week from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Senior IOC officials, led by executive director Gilbert Felli, will perform a scheduled "project review" into the preparations for the 2012 Games. The London organising committee (Locog) will provide a series of technical updates on progress.
Locog will be keen to try to pour oil on troubled waters, re the negative headlines that the London Games have been generating.
The media have been awash with negative stories such as; Dwain Chambers' selection for the British team and his plans to challenge his life ban from the Olympics, the attempt by the British Olympic Association to gag athletes travelling to Beijing and Ken Livingstone's ham fisted handling of the invitation (now withdrawn) to Linford Christie to carry the Olympic flame.
This negative publicity has revealed a shocking lack of coordination among members of the British Olympic movement, which does not bode well for the practicalities of organising the London Games.
Senior IOC officials, led by executive director Gilbert Felli, will perform a scheduled "project review" into the preparations for the 2012 Games. The London organising committee (Locog) will provide a series of technical updates on progress.
Locog will be keen to try to pour oil on troubled waters, re the negative headlines that the London Games have been generating.
The media have been awash with negative stories such as; Dwain Chambers' selection for the British team and his plans to challenge his life ban from the Olympics, the attempt by the British Olympic Association to gag athletes travelling to Beijing and Ken Livingstone's ham fisted handling of the invitation (now withdrawn) to Linford Christie to carry the Olympic flame.
This negative publicity has revealed a shocking lack of coordination among members of the British Olympic movement, which does not bode well for the practicalities of organising the London Games.
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