General Chat

Out of interest Lynda - did you happen to ask your 'straw poll' people if they were in London *because* of the Olympics or if they had other reasons to be there?

Even OH agrees that if we were planning a major holiday abroad, we'd avoid a city which had a major sporting planned for that season. We probably wouldn't bother researching actual dates, but choose to go somewhere else.

Although its good to hear that you have seen many people 'grow', we may never know the true cost to the economy, or the number of small struggling business for which this has been the last nail in the coffin.

If the West End of London and the tourist attractions are still as empty as they were last week, this may be the time for domestic day trippers to take the plunge....if they can afford the train fares!

I hope it does help the young people, Lynda.

However, community groups to help such youngsters already existed. I'm feeling sorry for those whose community groups have lost funding because it went to the olympics.

Their lives were already turned around - let's hope they don't turn back because they've lost something they valued for something 100 miles away that means nothing to them.

I'm sure the olympics has done a lot of good for some people and parts of London. Others in London have not done so well out of them and a lot of the rest of the country has lost out comprehensively.

If the truth had been told about the cost then London's bid would have been stopped before it started. But the rest of the country is picking up the tab - doesn't seem fair at all.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your time though.

Gwynne

I've met all sorts of visitors Gwynne, those who live in London, and just on a day out, some, who have tickets for Olympics, but have made it into a family day out, I've met lots of people who are going to the theatre, combining it with Olympic tickets, and as many who are just up for the theatre, met a lot on the train who were doing that.

If you wanted to sightsee, great time to do it, as a lot of people just want to be involved in taking in the razzmatazz of Olympicmania :-D I was at St Pauls on Saturday, it was very quiet, but on Sunday it was on the route of the Ladies marathon, so very hectic.
Those who have come specifically for the Olympics, will start sightseeing, and shopping once the events they have come to watch are over. There are 1,000's who are going to Hyde Park, and other live sights, just t watch the big screen with others, just for the atmosphere.

I don't live in London, yet we have benefited from the Olympics, we have a new running track, and our swimming pool has been updated, all good news.

All in all, I've had a fantastic week, met 1,000's of visitors, who, with me have had a ball :-D

For interest, We know of a couple who went up to London last weekend and had a great time because it was so easy to get around. So maybe this is the time to visit London, while people are not flocking there.

im still a moaning minnie,
altho have watched some of it, if there is nothing else on lol

littleman loved the 100m last night, i shouted him down to watch it as hes a massive fan of usain bolt, "they have been doing about the olympics at school"

hes wanted it on at every opotunity, so ill put it on for him, but turn it of soon as he leaves the room lolololol

we had football here in the Millennium Stadium but I've stayed away from the city centre during the games - in fact I rarely go into Cardiff now - prefer to spend my time in Abergavenny thirty miles away - much more relaxing and unlike every other town - most towns and cities now are exactly the same - same shops, restaurants etc. - boring

Actually I have suprised myself and really got in to,not really moaned as I am just not that interested as a rule. not a spokes man so to speak as when I know you could write on a stamp but we are really enjoying it :-D

I've been watching far more of the various events than I thought I would .

I love to see the faces of the folk when they win , regardless of which country they hale from . It is the icing on the cake of course when it is team GB .

YES YES YES
:-D :-D :-D

Capitals lock on because I am shouting

GOOD FOR YOU LESLEY :-)Tell the moaning minnies to be happy harriets :-D

It's good to see that it's captured a lot of people, who didn't think it would, it gives a warm glow to be happy and see success doesn't it :-D

I expect a lot of us will be happy Harriets when it's all over and lottery funding starts to go back to community activities again, Lynda. Even happier if any profits from the olympics go to replace the money looted in the first place. ;-)

I'm happy to see people winning medals, I even knew one of them back in the day, and enjoyed watching him win gold yesterday. But I'd be just as pleased if they were doing it in another country and I wasn't paying for it. Or, more importantly, community groups weren't paying for it.

I think they have a right to be moaning Minnies when they have to close because their funding went to London. We can hardly say to them to be happy because some stranger has a gold medal when their supported community group has closed so that it could happen in London.

Gwynne

As I said before Gwynne, my community has been helped through the Olympic funding and I DON'T live in London, & all the Olympians don't live in London either, so they have benefited too. Weymouth Eton Dornay, aren't in London, they too have gained, there visitor numbers have soared too.

There are loads of things I don't agree that money should be spent on, but if other people enjoy that, that's fine by me, If I want to help a cause, even though it has no funding, I'll go and help it in any way I can, so I'm mostly a happy harriet, and not a moaning minnie, can't be doing with negativity.

Olympics are here, I'm enjoying every minute, I have got a lot out of it, seeing people having a great time, seeing young people get out and do things they wouldn't of done, seeing countries coming together, supporting each other, priceless.

Happy Harriet :-D :-) :-D :-) :-D :-) :-D

The National Lottery players have been funding our athletes from 1997 - this is not Government money. So those who have never bought a Lottery ticket have not contributed anything. Also as a London Council Tax payer I have also paid a small amount for 7 years and which will still be paid until 2016.
I for one do not begrudge a penny of it. :-D

Joeva, I don't begrudge a penny of the original money. What I do begrudge is the lottery money earmarked for community arts groups and charities having to go to the olympics because they got their sums wrong in the first place.

And local authorities *are* paying for preparations and for the infrastructure locally to stage the olympics - and that's my council tax. None of that came from lottery funding.

And the lottery isn't paying for the security - that's down to us as well.

Gwynne

I know our police in Gloucestershire had to send a contingent to London to help out with the games, I assume other towns did too. Anyone know who paid for their time? Or is that something that local taxpayers pay for? This is not a gripe but a general enquiry, not sure these days where the funding will have come from. do feel that the local towns may be left vulnerable if a large number of their police are missing. I have a feeling they may have recruited a few more community police as there seems to be a few more of them around.

*Likes Joeva's comment muchly :-D

I just had a look on the medal table, we have done sooooooo well haven't we, we have as many medals now, as we did on the final day at Beijing, with 6 days to go, and lie in THIRD place, yep that's THIRD place, amazing.

Inspirational me thinks :-D

It is inspirational but I do wish the media would put as much emphasis on silver and bronze as they do on gold. Of course i think it is great when we, through the people concerned win gold. But, in my view, somebody's bronze may have taken just as much effort as somebody else's gold. In fact just to be an entrant is marvellous to me who was never any good at any sport.

im not lkeing google hurdle, its stopping me doing other things as i cant get below 14 :-(

I thought the praise for bronze & silver is almost as good as it is for gold Ann, but of course Gold is THE best you can get, so I suppose it does deserve a bit more praise. But just taking part in The Olympics is a great achievement whatever the outcome :-D

I saw loads of athletes in London, and they got a lot of encouragement from the public, whatever Country they came from, and whatever sport they represented :-)

I was really speaking about the media, although I think they are better than they were in the beginning.