. I pity people who are missing out on this wonderful experience.
.
Me too. If they can't enjoy and be moved by the euphoria in OUR city and OUR country over the past week culminating in last night and murray today then I struggle to see what in life they can enjoy. (Not directed at posters on here more at those moaning on radio phone ins etc).
Moments like last night are once in a lifetime and many people must have pretty joyless life to immediately focus on the negatives.
Theres a lot of wrong in this country and the wider world but sweet fa most of us can do about most it so worth enjoying the truly good things.
Well its an interesting discussion. I was a bit Olympic-sceptic, probably right up until the Opening Ceremony. Now, waiting for my flight home tomorrow, I haven't been so excited about coming back to the UK since I left in 1993. I look at my brother-in-law, an ordinary Czech joe, currently in transit on his motorbike, to join me in Eltham on Tuesday. This is the holiday of his life. My Bulgarian buddy and his wife, he who helped us sign Kishi, has flown over from Canada for it, simmering with indignation that I haven't been more active in getting ready and getting tickets for the Olympics in the city of my birth. When I realise that there are thousands of stories like this, from all round the world, i start to get it. I worried mainly that Londons' logistics would fall over. I accepted that we'd build the facilities well but I worried about the public transport, and the airports, because, well, there's good reason to. That they are running well is a testimony to the hard work and dedication of a lot of people. I have the feeling that there is a large group of people who are not getting the credit they deserve. Seb Coe will; Danny Boyle will; by heavens the fabulous, fabulous athletes will; and so will the volunteers. But behind them I get the sense that an awful lot of people in middle management jobs have put their heart and soul into this. I look at the brilliant London 2012 app on my iPhone, the daily email updates from them and TFL; I look at the fact that no-one has a bad word to say about the venues. I look at the brilliant coverage on the BBC whereby I can watch just bout any sport I choose at any given time. None of these things happen by accident. An awful lot of people, admittedly with a job to do, did their jobs by giving 120%. I'm proud of them too. I don't know whether it will turn out to be worth 9bn. But anyone who tries to answer that question will need to wrestle with the qualitative benefits. We are not a fit nation, but imagine the impact of kids on seeing the success of Ennis, Pendleton, the rowers, the sailors - and when it comes to the absolutely peerless Mo Farah, the added benefit of his life story. Don't tell me that won't have a lasting impact. There's a more controversial way to justify this too, and one that's easier to argue if you are not struggling to make ends meet. We are a big and relatively rich country. Perhaps we should start by saying we will give generously to put these Games on, and do it well. Try to leave a legacy. Try to bring the corrupt Olympic family into line when they don't use their tickets. But don't expect to make a profit, or even measure it in purely economic terms. If you look at it that way, then we are succeeding, and beyond my wildest dreams. It will be a privilege for me to be there.
...and Hyde Park is in London, ipso facto it's not a ghost town? Do stop digging please, especially as the article you selected said reports of it being a ghost town are exaggerated and then goes on to say 1/4million people used the Docklands in one day!
Meanwhile...News on the BBC this evening Meanwhile, Locog says some 5.1 million spectators have watched the Games at its venues so far, including more than one million visitors to the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London.
It said an estimated 2.5 million people were trying to get tickets every day with each of the recent releases.
How do you know what my feelings on the event are? For the record, I'm somewhere between both camps.
80% of the sports hold no interest, the events in Greenwich have totally buggered my wife's commute and our childcare. On the flip side my daughter is quite into it so happy to indulge her.
The medal successes are great but forgive me if I'm not going to be totally swept up in the euphoria.
How do you know what my feelings on the event are? For the record, I'm somewhere between both camps.
80% of the sports hold no interest, the events in Greenwich have totally buggered my wife's commute and our childcare. On the flip side my daughter is quite into it so happy to indulge her.
The medal successes are great but forgive me if I'm not going to be totally swept up in the euphoria.
Well, I don't recall calling you blind or fucking miserable either, for the record. As I said, "if the cap fits". If it doesn't then don't wear it. I don't really care either way as I am having a great time here, as are millions of others.
Truth is that as soon as London was chosen it was going to cause some people some problems. Any major infrastructure development always will. Piss poor and problematic for those affected adversely but for every loser there will be a winner. Stratford has been transformed into a transport hub bringing jobs and housing to what was once well quite frankly a dump. London is one of THE great three or four cities in the world and should be proud of its multiculturalism and it's heritage. What better way to showcase this than host the greatest show on earth. London deserves it and has delivered. What sort of message would London have sent out if we admitted it was just too difficult. The 2012 Olympics have done more for Londons world profile in a few short weeks than anything else has for decades. We will reap the benefits of this lift for years in so many ways.
1. I'm not blind, miserable or anti-Olympics. I absolutley love the Games actually so take your insults and bad language elsewhere please Off-It.
2. Floyd likes to deal in facts, or his opinion as everyone else would probably call it. I'm not in London, I have no idea how busy or otherwise it is but people have posted the view that the expected uptake in tourist revenue, numbers, etc is not as good as is was predicted. A perfectly legitimate view that has been acknowledged and reported on in the mainstream media in the last week, including a representative of the tourist board I saw explaining that whilst numbers may be down (fact) they are looking at at long term increase. Fair enough.
I posted the link as counterbalance to Floyds latest 'fact' that's all.
Funny isn't it - Clem thinks I'm insulting him and Bournemouth thinks I'm insulting him - when in fact I insulted neither directly and they have taken it upon themselves to link my (general) comments to them.
How do you know what my feelings on the event are? For the record, I'm somewhere between both camps.
80% of the sports hold no interest, the events in Greenwich have totally buggered my wife's commute and our childcare. On the flip side my daughter is quite into it so happy to indulge her.
The medal successes are great but forgive me if I'm not going to be totally swept up in the euphoria.
Well, I don't recall calling you blind or fucking miserable either, for the record. As I said, "if the cap fits". If it doesn't then don't wear it. I don't really care either way as I am having a great time here, as are millions of others.
I didn't say you called me either of those. But as ever with your posts on here, if someone dares to sway from your point of view they are met with an insult and an expletive.
How do you know what my feelings on the event are? For the record, I'm somewhere between both camps.
80% of the sports hold no interest, the events in Greenwich have totally buggered my wife's commute and our childcare. On the flip side my daughter is quite into it so happy to indulge her.
The medal successes are great but forgive me if I'm not going to be totally swept up in the euphoria.
Well, I don't recall calling you blind or fucking miserable either, for the record. As I said, "if the cap fits". If it doesn't then don't wear it. I don't really care either way as I am having a great time here, as are millions of others.
I didn't say you called me either of those. But as ever with your posts on here, if someone dares to sway from your point of view they are met with an insult and an expletive.
That's absolute rubbish. Exactly who have I insulted? I made a general comment, take it how you want.
Funny isn't it - Clem thinks I'm insulting him and Bournemouth thinks I'm insulting him - when in fact I insulted neither directly and they have taken it upon themselves to link my (general) comments to them.
But like I keep saying, if the cap fits.
How is it a general comment when it clearly followed on from Floyd's response to me?
Leave what Onion? A photograph showing lots of people in London, or an article on the BBC or BA hilarious fail of ''counterbalance''/dig which itself agreed calling London a ghost town was an exaggeration?
Really onion, what's to leave? Should people making silly claims just be accepted?
How do you know what my feelings on the event are? For the record, I'm somewhere between both camps.
80% of the sports hold no interest, the events in Greenwich have totally buggered my wife's commute and our childcare. On the flip side my daughter is quite into it so happy to indulge her.
The medal successes are great but forgive me if I'm not going to be totally swept up in the euphoria.
Well, I don't recall calling you blind or fucking miserable either, for the record. As I said, "if the cap fits". If it doesn't then don't wear it. I don't really care either way as I am having a great time here, as are millions of others.
I didn't say you called me either of those. But as ever with your posts on here, if someone dares to sway from your point of view they are met with an insult and an expletive.
That's absolute rubbish. Exactly who have I insulted? I made a general comment, take it how you want.
The words blind and fucking miserable were clearly aimed a Bournemouth.
. I pity people who are missing out on this wonderful experience.
.
Me too. If they can't enjoy and be moved by the euphoria in OUR city and OUR country over the past week culminating in last night and murray today then I struggle to see what in life they can enjoy. (Not directed at posters on here more at those moaning on radio phone ins etc).
Moments like last night are once in a lifetime and many people must have pretty joyless life to immediately focus on the negatives.
Theres a lot of wrong in this country and the wider world but sweet fa most of us can do about most it so worth enjoying the truly good things.
London, The Games, and Great Britain in general, look terrific from this side of The Atlantic, and what a great group of athletes, everyone has good reason to be proud. Enjoy for goodness sakes.
Sorry Bournemouth, I never even saw your comment until after. Just read through about 30 posts in one go and was detecting a certain flavour developing. Genuinely not aimed at anyone in particular, but apologies if it came across that way. I seem to have touched a bit of a nerve with some tonight.
blimey. how about those that like the olympics get offline and watch it and those that don't like it go on the football rumours thread and stop talking about onions with caps that don't fit.
How do you know what my feelings on the event are? For the record, I'm somewhere between both camps.
80% of the sports hold no interest, the events in Greenwich have totally buggered my wife's commute and our childcare. On the flip side my daughter is quite into it so happy to indulge her.
The medal successes are great but forgive me if I'm not going to be totally swept up in the euphoria.
Well, I don't recall calling you blind or fucking miserable either, for the record. As I said, "if the cap fits". If it doesn't then don't wear it. I don't really care either way as I am having a great time here, as are millions of others.
I didn't say you called me either of those. But as ever with your posts on here, if someone dares to sway from your point of view they are met with an insult and an expletive.
That's absolute rubbish. Exactly who have I insulted? I made a general comment, take it how you want.
The words blind and fucking miserable were clearly aimed a Bournemouth.
blimey. how about those that like the olympics get offline and watch it and those that don't like it go on the football rumours thread and stop talking about onions with caps that don't fit.
BTW I never said it was a ghost town did I? In fact, as I have admited, I don't have the faintest idea whether the shops, streets, trains, etc are busy but I have seen it reported in the media.
Comments
Moments like last night are once in a lifetime and many people must have pretty joyless life to immediately focus on the negatives.
Theres a lot of wrong in this country and the wider world but sweet fa most of us can do about most it so worth enjoying the truly good things.
It's great & you've been everywhere & seen everything. :-)
I worried mainly that Londons' logistics would fall over. I accepted that we'd build the facilities well but I worried about the public transport, and the airports, because, well, there's good reason to. That they are running well is a testimony to the hard work and dedication of a lot of people.
I have the feeling that there is a large group of people who are not getting the credit they deserve. Seb Coe will; Danny Boyle will; by heavens the fabulous, fabulous athletes will; and so will the volunteers. But behind them I get the sense that an awful lot of people in middle management jobs have put their heart and soul into this. I look at the brilliant London 2012 app on my iPhone, the daily email updates from them and TFL; I look at the fact that no-one has a bad word to say about the venues. I look at the brilliant coverage on the BBC whereby I can watch just bout any sport I choose at any given time. None of these things happen by accident. An awful lot of people, admittedly with a job to do, did their jobs by giving 120%. I'm proud of them too.
I don't know whether it will turn out to be worth 9bn. But anyone who tries to answer that question will need to wrestle with the qualitative benefits. We are not a fit nation, but imagine the impact of kids on seeing the success of Ennis, Pendleton, the rowers, the sailors - and when it comes to the absolutely peerless Mo Farah, the added benefit of his life story. Don't tell me that won't have a lasting impact.
There's a more controversial way to justify this too, and one that's easier to argue if you are not struggling to make ends meet. We are a big and relatively rich country. Perhaps we should start by saying we will give generously to put these Games on, and do it well. Try to leave a legacy. Try to bring the corrupt Olympic family into line when they don't use their tickets. But don't expect to make a profit, or even measure it in purely economic terms.
If you look at it that way, then we are succeeding, and beyond my wildest dreams. It will be a privilege for me to be there.
Must all be in Hyde Park I suppose.
Do stop digging please, especially as the article you selected said reports of it being a ghost town are exaggerated and then goes on to say 1/4million people used the Docklands in one day!
Meanwhile...News on the BBC this evening
Meanwhile, Locog says some 5.1 million spectators have watched the Games at its venues so far, including more than one million visitors to the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London.
It said an estimated 2.5 million people were trying to get tickets every day with each of the recent releases.
80% of the sports hold no interest, the events in Greenwich have totally buggered my wife's commute and our childcare. On the flip side my daughter is quite into it so happy to indulge her.
The medal successes are great but forgive me if I'm not going to be totally swept up in the euphoria.
2. Floyd likes to deal in facts, or his opinion as everyone else would probably call it. I'm not in London, I have no idea how busy or otherwise it is but people have posted the view that the expected uptake in tourist revenue, numbers, etc is not as good as is was predicted. A perfectly legitimate view that has been acknowledged and reported on in the mainstream media in the last week, including a representative of the tourist board I saw explaining that whilst numbers may be down (fact) they are looking at at long term increase. Fair enough.
I posted the link as counterbalance to Floyds latest 'fact' that's all.
But like I keep saying, if the cap fits.
Some love it some don't both viewpoints equally valid so live with it if the cap fits!
Of course people can hold whatever views they want, and they are free to express them - just as I am free to agree or disagree with them.
Christ we need the season to start...
A photograph showing lots of people in London, or an article on the BBC or BA hilarious fail of ''counterbalance''/dig which itself agreed calling London a ghost town was an exaggeration?
Really onion, what's to leave? Should people making silly claims just be accepted?
Read my post above.
;o)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19086415
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jul/31/retail-trade-london-slump-olympics
http://www.economist.com/blogs/blighty/2012/08/london-olympics-2012
Plenty of 'facts' in there for you Floyd.
BTW I never said it was a ghost town did I? In fact, as I have admited, I don't have the faintest idea whether the shops, streets, trains, etc are busy but I have seen it reported in the media.