General Chat

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.

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

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

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!

Not here to convert anyone Gwynne, just saying what I've seen and heard from 1,000 of people

Forgot to mention above, that because of The Olympics, I have been on a heart start course, so would now be confident to use a defibrillator, something I'd never of thought of doing. I'm also considering other courses and causes which have been highlighted because of the Olympics, so it means once it's all over, good things carry on.

I've also been so impressed at just how many young people have volunteered, I have been working with some wonderful young girls, who has really given there all this week, some were quite shy, but I've watching them grow in confidence tday by day, it's been icing on thee cake for me.

For all those young people, who these Olympics will maybe turn there lives around, and give them some hope, and maybe channel there aggression into aspiration, it'll be great:-D

Not converted me, Lynda.

I live in walking distance from an arena where they played football but still didn't bother.

People around here are very unimpressed with the road closures for weeks beforehand while they resurfaced the roads, altered the traffic lights etc. Huge notices told us to stay away during the olympics so most people did.

Most tickets unsold and the stadium half empty on match day. Waste of money in a city that is cutting education and support for the disabled, yet can afford all that money to stage a few football games.

Gwynne

I did a bit of my own research when speaking to people today, and there were lots of who were uninterested to start with, but have now been bitten by the whole affair. Kay I'm promoting everything really, but my job is to help in anyway we can i.e directions, events, where's the loo, what's on, absolutely anything really .

It isn't just London that has Olympic events, I've been hearing how great Weymouth is, Eton Dorney, and spoke to someone today at Greenwich, who couldn't speak highly enough of the events there..

I have a son who, hated everything about the whole Olympics, when we spoke about it, we'd differ about it all. Once it started, he said he eats humble pie, absolutely loves all it has done to promote GB, he went to London with his family yesterday, and had a wonderful time.

Overall I have had so many comments at how great it's been, I think I've met someone from nearly every country in the world, and all have been so positive, only some Brits have moaned, mostly because they couldn't cross a road when the marathon shut a path for an hour, and they had to walk a different route.

I've promoted our country, I've not earned a penny, I'm out of pocket by about £100.00, but if it gets our economy moving, and it makes people more friendly, it's been worth every single penny :-D

Only downside Paul McCartney :-D

Go GB :-D

ROFLMAO @ Ann

:-D :-D :-D :-D

re Paul McCartney - I liked a comment I saw in the paper - "Paul, just let it be"

We have watched every event live and have spent hours and hours glued to the TV but we do that during every Olympics anyway. I have never worked during an Olympics as I arranged my holidays to suit.

Six months ago I was concerned that we would not be able to achieve the high level of arenas required but we have :-D

The main criticism I have is the allocation of tickets :-( but I'm sure there will be a post mortem in the months to follow.

As for McCartney popping up all over the place............I really wish he wouldn't!

sorry but still a moaning minnie
sports not for meeeeeeeeeee
i havent seen any of the olympics at all ;-)

On a personal basis, I’ve never really been interested in watching the competitors, so nothing has changed there. As a family, we went out of our way to watch the opening ceremony, but that's all.

OH has been watching a lot. It’s the first Olympics that have been on since he gave up work. During the day, I potter off and do my own thing, while in the evening I’ve been reading/on here and ignoring the TV. Now that the men’s 100m is over and done with, I’m hoping that together we can watch something else!

Still not watched much - really not that interested

Proud of our Olympains of course

But watch them - no thanks

Was forced to do athletics at school - running, hurdling, long jump and javelin and hated them all.....

Loved my netball and hockey, but only playing never enjoyed watching others play.

My 90 year old Uncle, before it started is was right 'Bah Humbug'

Now if I ring him, which I do on a daily basis, he almost always says 'Just watching the Olympics. I'll ring you back'! lol

Linda

I was a moaning minnie but have to admit I have been mesmerised by some of the events - sailing, track and swimming!!

I suppose with tourist attraction it will need the annual result to get an accurate picture. Maybe the Chinese tours who would normally come in August will have come earlier or will come later. I do know that when we were in the Lake District in June there seemed to be many more Chinese/Japanes tours there than usual.

But the fault doesn't lie with the actual Olympics for the lack of our own people visiting tourist attractions in London. The fault if there is one, is with the people who kept saying to stay away from London as travelling was going to be difficult and everywhere will be crowded. And the lack of trade in bars and restaurants etc is doen to the employers who encouraged their employees to work from home these people usually buy food, coffee etc and stay in London for after work drinks.

Still a moaning minnie - many of my objections to having it in the UK/London have already been aired.

London traders have said that they have had a really bad week as many domestic visitors have stayed away, as have foreign visitors not interested in sport. Hotels are having to drop their bed rates as they aren't getting the custom, to far less than they would charge in a non Olympic year. For the sake of the economy, I do hope you are right that they can make up the short-fall once the games are over.

Canterbury Cathedral has experienced a 29% drop in foot-fall as (they say) tour groups from China are not coming.

HIstorical Chatham Dockyard is experiencing a 19% drop. This is actually better than expected as they had anticipated a 25% reduction in vistors!

Of course the athletes should be applauded, but that is the case where ever the Games were held. I just so wish it wasn't in England!

Having been completely underwhelmed and uninterested by the whole thing for the past 7 years, imagine my surprise when I found myself celebrating as the gold medals came flooding in and we crept further and further up the table :-D

I cannot believe how successful it has been so far, and how well Team GB are doing! :-D

I'm only moaning about the fact that Paul McCartney seems to be in on everything. Give us a break Paul and get off the scene. You had your time and when you were young I loved you to bits but like me you have got old and saggy.

It's nice that people in London "feel good", I suppose. But it's a shame it's at the expense of people who "feel bad" because their theatre groups/youth arts groups have closed because the lottery money intended for community arts went to the London olympics because they got their sums wrong.

The Arts in London already gets a huge subsidy compared to the rest of the country and now they are getting even more. Can't say that makes me feel good at all.

Gwynne