Genealogy Forum UK

I took my eldest two Grandchildren to the Olympic Park on Monday, it was amazing, they are running the River Lea around the Stadium and the landscaping will be an English Country Garden. Apart from the Stadium and Aquatic Centre, their is the Orbit, Hotels, the biggest Shopping Centre in Europe, Hotels, a Brand new state of the art Train Station, and a Cinema with 17 Screens. The Torch was in Stafford today, my Granddaughter went with her School Friends, how exciting to see it all actually happening.

Linell.

I am glad to see somebody getting excited by the Olympics! I can't remember any opposition to it at all in Australia in 2000 but the British seem rather apathetic about the whole thing.

Do you know how much will remain after the games? All of the parks and recreational facilities were handed over to the public after our games. The athletes village was turned into better than average public housing.

Some corporates made a profit from the games but by far the biggest share when into the government coffers for the benifit of the public.

The increase in tourism meant benifits to the local communities for years after the games.

I can't think of a single negative to holding the Olympics.

That's right Mark, the whole Olympic project is huge for the local populace. The site was formally a waste site, full of old factories and rubbish, a right hell hole apparently. After clearing the site back in 2007 all of the earth was removed it was badly contaminated, something like the top 200 feet was washed and cleaned and put back. The Athlete's Village will be used for Social Housing after the Games, there is a huge 1960's tower block over looking the site which houses OAP's. A Viewing Gallery has been put on the roof, charging £250 for a twenty minute view, this money has renovated all the OAP's Flats, they are now living like The Ritz with Plasma TV's, Wet Rooms and Chandelers The Site will re-named 'The Queen Elizabeth Park.' The Aquatic Centre will be open to the Public for Swimming, we intend to go again for a holiday, where our Grandchildren can go swimming, we can shop till we drop, and visit the super new 3D Cinema, you can even get there by Boat from further up the River Lea, or by Train if you do not want to drive, the whole project has transformed that very run down area of London, and will in time make enough money to cover the billions that have been spent.

Linell.

But in Sydney, the Olympic Park itself seems like a bit of a white elephant. Last time I was there for a conference, it was a ghost town. I hear that there's only people around if there's a Rugby match on.

But you have to have money to run all of those facilities. The government is not only reducing national support for the running of them but is also reducing the funding to local councils, who can't afford to run what they've got at the moment let alone take on responsibility for further expense. All available money has already been creamed off from the Lottery fund, the Arts Council etc. (to the detriment of all other projects in the country) to build the various venues (many of which will have to find money to return the facility to how it was before (e.g. Greenwich Park and Weymouth) so there won't be any money available from them. And it's all to satisfy the oafish demands of a handful of London politicians. At the same time the government is reducing money available to support industry and jobs in all other parts of the nation.

And what will actually happen to all these fine premises is the flogging off of them to the lowest possible bidder (who will offer civil servants and politicians seats on their boards in exchange) to turn them into ghettoes for the use of the wealthy whilst forcing those who can't afford the astronomical rents and charges to move to already hard-pressed areas like Walsall, Bradford etc.

It's hardly surprising that, in a nation where the concentration of wealth in one place badly skews opportunity elsewhere, where the following of most sport (football apart where it's politically incorrect, if not actually illegal, not to support a team) is patchy at best and where investment is being withdrawn from all but the most influential, there is little enthusiasm for a jamboree that seems designed to disrupt ordinary people's lives to the benefit of a handful of Olympic sponsors, organisers, their families and other hangers on.

I just knew SRD would hold the alternate and just as legitimate view.

It seems every project undertaken by any country in the current economic climate is a case of "rob Peter to pay Paul".

I would hope the British public will keep an eye on the aftermath and ensure a fair distribution.

No matter what the rubbish surrounds it, the basic ethos of the Olympics is shared by the athletes, their support groups and the huge world wide audience watching it.

The Beijing Olypics showed that once the sports start the majority of people can ignore world politics for a while.

Olympic Park in Sydney is fairly quiet on a non Rugby day but the Olympics more than paid for themselves.

Compared to what was there before, we now have a pretty white elephant rather than an ugly one

Don't be such a misery SRD, have you actually been there and seen just how the area has been totally reformed I know about all the Cuts, but honestly we need something to cheer about. The Venue will bring thousands of tourists, who may travel the UK and spend more in other places. Their will be 2500 new homes for local people once they have been used to house the Athletes. The Stadium is being Leased to West Ham Football Club after the events. I know we are technically in recession, but the Olympics which will be watched by Millions are the best boost the UK can have. I see very little evidence of a recession, wherever I go, the shops, restaurants are busy, everyone seems to be going abroad for their holidays, I think we should all be careful not to spread the doom and gloom.

Linell.

Hmm

No matter what the rubbish surrounds it, the basic ethos of the Olympics is shared by the athletes, their support groups and the huge world wide audience watching it.

So why do they allow professional athletes to take part? Why do they allow disgraced athletes to take part? Why are there such tight regulations on the use of the design and the words other than to those who have paid vast sums to the organisers (precious little of which goes anywhere other than into their high living and back pockets)? If all that b******s was true the athletes would get together and organise something that truly represented the Olympic spirit, but no, there are too many cheats, and the winners have too much to lose financially. The Games are nothing but a mockery of the 'True Olympic Spirit'.

The Beijing Olypics showed that once the sports start the majority of people can ignore world politics for a while.

And the Munich Olympics showed that World Politics are with you always. As is the decision to allow drugs cheats to compete. No drugs cheats no American money.

Don't be such a misery SRD, have you actually been there and seen just how the area has been totally reformed I know about all the Cuts, but honestly we need something to cheer about. The Venue will bring thousands of tourists, who may travel the UK and spend more in other places. Their will be 2500 new homes for local people once they have been used to house the Athletes. The Stadium is being Leased to West Ham Football Club after the events. I know we are technically in recession, but the Olympics which will be watched by Millions are the best boost the UK can have. I see very little evidence of a recession, wherever I go, the shops, restaurants are busy, everyone seems to be going abroad for their holidays, I think we should all be careful not to spread the doom and gloom.

I have used facilities in London for many years, and am now grateful that, apart from the very rare occasions when we have to attend a hospital there (because the vast majority of spending is concentrated in supporting those outdated Victorian institutions rather than building similarly well equipped and staffed hospitals in the regions) that I don't have to go there ever again. The tourists will flock in, for a fortnight, then they'll go back home with tales of poor transport and rip off prices. No chance at all of them spreading out to the regions, the vast majority of regional tourist destinations are showing a marked decrease in bookings this year, partly due to the recession but mainly because a week in London for the Olympics would fund a month in the regions. And watching them on the telly will make no iota of difference to the nation's income; I don't know anyone who goes to a sporting venue, or watches the event on the telly, who are interested in anything other than the competition going on. As Dianel pointed out and Mark has admitted, the Aussie stadia aren't tourist destinations, and given the difficulties experienced in the areas outside stadium envelopes due to hooliganism I wouldn't have thought that having West Ham on your doorstep would be an advert for those 2500 homes, which, incidentally, won't be becoming affordable housing (if any homes at all) in the near future as there's no money to convert them to full time occupyable premises.
I don't know where you live linnell, but I'm seeing signs of recession everywhere; high streets have more and more boarded up shops, supermarkets have fewer and fewer lines to choose from, pubs and restaurants are closing for a couple of days a week if not completely, the roads are in a terrible state, properties (both publicly and privately owned) are looking scruffy as owners decide to put off maintenance, industrial estates have more and more 'To Let' signs up outside boarded up units. Ok, those who have a job and a mortgage are so much better off with interests rates being so low, but as far as going abroad is concerned; a dozen or more tourism companies have already folded, even the mighty Thompson reported a crash sale of some of their hotels this week in an attempt to bolster their failing balance sheet. And the real cuts haven't even started yet.

Don't get me wrong, if the Games had been proposed for the North East or the West Midlands or any of the other regional black spots I'd have been in favour because of the really needed regeneration there, and I can take or leave the actual enthusiasm for sports that no-one would bother to watch unless they were beamed into their sitting rooms, but we all know that it was only because it was London that the Games came here and the opportunities it gave to big business and their hangers on to make a buck or six out of the whole nation's taxpayers and consumers.

If a quarter the amount raised for the Olympics had been ploughed into regional tourism and access then we'd have seen real increases in tourist numbers that would have kept coming back because we have a tremendous amount to offer if only we could get our regional infrastructure right.

I respect your point of view SRD. Yes like all Professions, you get a mixed bag, good Athletes who love their sport and others who are in it for themselves. Some of our young Athletes, are so very dedicated and thrilled to be competing in the UK, one can feel there enthusiasm just by seeing them on TV.

I disagree with your point regarding the tourists only visiting once and for a short time, the transport links there are excellent, trains to all main line stations, the vast majority of tourists will more than likely be Arabs, there are thousands in London already, they seem to spend like there's no tomorrow. The Aquatic Centre is somewhere where everyone will want to swim, I can see the area being a money pot for a good many years to come, until the next Olympic Park is built that is, think the next Olympics are being held in Brazil, not googled that, so I may be wrong I believe the 2500 homes are purpose built, they are just missing Kitchens, as the Athletes won't need them. Plans are in place to have the Kitchens put in by the end of the year, then the homes will be available to rent.

I live in Stafford, and yes there are one or two empty shops but the rest are busy, have you been into Marks on a Saturday Some Pubs have closed, mainly the out of town ones, a lot of them are being turned into houses or apartments. Employment is good around here, people can work in B'ham for example if they want to. As for people holidaying abroad, have you see the Airport Queues on the TV? Oh forgot to add that the Games are being held in the regions, some sports are happening up here, Coventry is one venue, there are others, but cannot remember off hand.

Oh well will be interesting to see how it all pans out, but as Marks says, the Olympic Spirit is something special which we should all aspire to, lets be proud of our Country and hope the Olympic dream will spread some cheer in all corners of the UK. Linell.

The games are advertising Britian, not London.

My home city, Melbourne, is called the sporting capitol of the world. We spend hundreds of millions each year to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix, MotoGP Motorcycle Grand Prix, the World Superbike Grand Prix, a Grand Slam Tennis Tournament as well as out own Football Grand Final etc etc.

People do decide to travel to the destinations they see at major sporting events. That is why, like Melbourne, countries fight tooth and nail to be able to host these events.

These things do not make money at the turnstile or on ticket sales.

They make money by the world wide exposure of Melbourne to the world.

They do not just make money for the sponsors and organisers.

They make money for the hotels, retail shops, tourist operators etc etc.

They are responsible for providing thousands of job Australia wide in the service industries.

There was a measurable upturn in tourism to Australia after the Sydney Olympics.

There will be a measurable upturn in England's as a direct result of the Olympics.

So I totally disagree SRD. The Olympics may make some fat cats even fatter but the whole of Great Britain will benefit.

That is why both your major political parties supported London's bid and why, even if you are not interested in sports, you should be pleased yo won the right to host the Olympics.

The idea of only amateurs competing was purely a class based ideal put forward by aristocrats. Their epitome of an ideal man was an educated gentlemen who could hold his own in most athletic contests by applying superior intellect and physical form, not via the repitition required to be a "professional". If "Sir" wanted to compete at the Olympics and he has been too busy fox hunting and keeping the lower classes in check then he had better well have a jolly good chance of winning, or at least not looking like a total prat! How can if do that if the damned peasants find time between slaving away for thier meager wages to actually practice the sports in question? As the class structure "evolved", especially when the same peasants were getting blown up beside the upper class in the trenches, the insistence on being amateur started to look silly. Then for many years the eastern block countries would provide food and clothing and a roof over the head of thier athletes, but never a wage, and this fitted the definition of "amateur". Meanwhile the western block athletes were having to earn a wage doing a real job whilst trying to do the same amount of training as thier Iron Curtain counterparts! You also had the silly situation where earning your living as a coach of a sport excluded you from competing in that sport! For instance, if you were not making money by being one of the worlds fastest skiers and competing in the Ski World Cup, you were making money from teaching people how to go fast and therefore could not compete in the Olympics!!! The idea of amateur athletes was outdated, unworkable and not necessary.

Being amateur or professional has got no bearing on whether a person conducts themselves properly. People cheated when the Olympics were amateur only. That is human nature but somebody who cheats does not take away the value of the effort and sportmanship of those who don't. The fact that most professional athletes do not cheat, even though it may effect the size of thier pay packet, is something to admire. Cheats do not ruin sport, they just make the ideals which Olympic competion emphasises all the more precious and worth striving for.