2012 London Olympics - what do you think?

[Parksy]

Well that's it, 2012 is here................ and with it the much heralded London Olympics.
I'm sorry to say that I'm sick of hearing about it already

On the news earlier today there was some dopey woman sitting by a clock which showed a days, hours, minutes and seconds countdown to the opening of the games.
Newscasters are behaving like five year old's with their constant nagging on and on about the London Olympics as though we shouldn't be allowed to forget, even for a millisecond, that London is hosting the 2012 Olympic Games

Don't get me wrong, I hope that British athletes do well and that the games pass off peacefully but I do wish that we could be spared the constant 'spin' that the 2012 LONDON Olympics will be of any benefit to the rest of the country.

The clue is in the name, London 2012 it says on the official website and the rest of the UK will receive no benefit whatsoever from what has now become a vastly expensive excersise in corporate one-upmanship in aid of London but paid for as usual by the rest of us.
I can't see that this waste of much needed finance and effort will bring the world and his wife beating a path to the UK to trade with us, the 2004 Olympics don't seem to have done Greece much good so why should things be any different for us here?
In the meantime the rest of us north of Watford will be on red alert, under constant scrutiny and suspicion while the massively expensive security operation does it's best to disrupt our lives whilst attempting to prevent carnage being carried out by those who hate us, and there are plenty that do.
I never like to wish my life away but roll on the latter part of August, when news presenters might stop banging on and on and on about London 2012 and start to nag us to death about next Christmas instead

 

[RogerL]

You're right Parksy - all the build-up should be restricted to local London TV stations and just show the actual events on national TV while the games are on.
The economic benefits all acrue in the London area so it should ALL have been funded by the GLA without a single penny coming from Central Government.

 

[Dustydog]

I always felt the Millenium Dome , the new Wembley etc should have been in the Midlands so everyone could get there easily and enjoy it. As a London boy from many years ago let Big Boris do his thing and thankfully save the rest of us in this Country the cost of the whole affair,
The fireworks last night around the London Eye were pretty good, lasted over 11 minutes. Who paid? The Council Tax payers in London; NOT me

 

[JohnGriffiths]

I agree wholeheartedly. In general people from London & SE don't seem to realise how alienated the rest of the country feels when yet another exhibition, event or whatever is staged only in London. Then again, I've heard similar cries of feeling left out from friends in Northern Ireland when they watch what they consider to be the English news or sport on TV, (unless of course they happen to be rioting).
I once heard Ken Livingstone justifying this however by saying 80% (or some other very high percentage) of the wealth in this country is created in the SE so they should be the ones to enjoy it. Very egalitarian, I don't think. What he doesn't seem to take into account is that many large corporations declare their profits and pay taxes through London HQ, it doesn't mean they are earned there though. This is the source of some of that fireworks money.

 

[Dustydog]

And of course John a lot of the big banks dealing rooms are in the City of London where they failed miserably buying sceptic debt. Yet the failures there were rewarded with big fat cat bonuses. The logic is beyond me especially as a tax payer I now have a "share" in a number of these failures.
Anyway I am sure the Olympics will be another financial loss to Big Boris and Lord Seb Coe although they will still get paid of course.

 

[Brum1]

"Tipton 2012" Has a better ring to it...Don't you think Parksy?

 

[Parksy]

It does Brum

We could have the rowing down on the cut and the track and field events over at Princes End rec.
The athletes village could be in the Lost City and we've got plenty of tatters hosses for the equestrian events.

 

[Surfer]

I think the country generally would have benefitted more if the money had been spent on hospitals, improving road infrastructure, etc. I cannot see how the money spent by an influx of tourist into London is going to benefit us in Worcestershire although our money is being spent on the games.
If it all goes down the tube, I wonder who is going to get the blaem, the Conservatives or the Labour party who instigated it initially. All that is needed is a terrorist scare and people will cancel in their droves which will nto be good for any one. Hopefully it all goes as planned and that the games pay for themselves.
What happens to all the facilities once the games have finished as they have to be maintained? Will it be another White Elephant like the Millenium Dome?

 

[philspot1]

I live 20 miles from London - last went there about 20 years ago! (apart from a couple of evening trips to collect SWMBO after theatre trips). Far too crowded, and train is too expensive, and now you have to pay if you go by car, apparently, because it's congested; and the dread LEZ starts only 6 miles away, AND we can never get South out of Essex 'cos the bridge is jammed. Don't get me started on the Olympics..(but I'm quite looking forward to watching some of it on TV!)

 

[JonnyG]

I do not give two hoots about the olympics....... but never the less we do all actually benifit in differing ways because they are here and no, its not just London that benifits,and even if that was the case,well it accounts for a 6th of the population anyway so where else would be better anyway! And as anybody checked out if ALL the teams from around the world are staying solely in london anyway? we have the japanese team coming to us at loughborough and errr we 100 miles away from london! And yes they have to harp on about it, even if it does annoy some,me included.

 

[RogerL]

it accounts for a 6th of the population anyway

So that's 5/6 of the population not involved !!

 

[Parksy]

I doubt very much if we will break even in terms of 'benefit' from London 2012 and if London 'benefits' as much as Athens 2004 then we're all in trouble

 

[Shirker]

I think my thoughts on the Olymics are best summed up as: "not pro, not anti, just not interested". Other than marking the complete Olympic period, plus a week either side, in my work diary as "no jobs anywhere near London or Dorset" it will pass me by completely.
I did do a job in the Olympic Park in December so I'm happy to take their money though

 

[Dustydog]

Athens spent £7billion plus
China Bejiing £10-20 billion
I bet this is costing us at least £10 billion before allowing for income. I doubt we will break even. Seems a great waste to me.

 

[carper2]

Can someone tell me when it so I can organise some time Fishing.

Les

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I just take the view that there's bu99er all I can do about it