Tuesday, July 31, 2012

After eleven months of being urged to Get Ahead Of The Games, we're now being urged to Forget That And Go Shopping.

If you ever need to rabble-rouse a crowd of middle class Britons, Queen's We Will Rock You works every time.

After our best medal hope is soundly thrashed, the partisan crowd cheers on the last remaining Brit, who promptly loses.

There are 4 simultaneous fencing matches. Commentary costs extra. The crowd are watching bemusedly, politely, occasionally enthusiastically.

At the start of the 6 hour fencing session, the stands are mostlly full. Alas, I have one of the most distant seats in the far corner.

A Games Maker at West Ham urges some American tourists to walk 20 mins to the Park. They curse. Meanwhile Jubilee line trains run half empty

 Monday, July 30, 2012

Javelin: busy, but not crowded. West Ham & Greenway: busy, but not crowded.

When top seed Im Dong Hyun hits gold, a sea of (correct) South Korean flags erupts from the grandstand.

Arrows fly from the Pavilion End, across the cricket square, at 200kmh. The accuracy is phenomenal.

The archery crowd at Lord's have decided to cheer a 10, applaud a 9, stay silent for 8 or 7, and sigh for 6 or less.

The Archers, omnibus edition, at the home of cricket. Gorgeous day for a bit of bowing.

 Sunday, July 29, 2012

Last time I walked along the Waterworks River, the undergrowth was above head high. Now the Royal Barge is here, moored to an orange crayon.

You *can* see my house from up here :)

Now playing on the Olympic Park PA jukebox: Just Can't Get Enough, Karma Chameleon, Karma Police

Spain's red and gold shirts are more Canvey than Costa

Empty seats scandal at the handball, as the bored four year-old demands to go home two and a half hours early, and his parents agree.

Learning the rules of another previously-obscure world class sport. The four-year old on my left, perhaps less so.

A hundred thousand people have just discovered that, in a prolonged downpour, the spectator experience is grim

Desire line routes are already being trampled across a few flower beds where people can't wait to walk around the proper footpath.

First drops of squally rain at the Olympic Park. The place to hide is beside the river under the bridges. Only a few hundred have noticed.

Another day in Wonderland. In some corners, the Park is even quieter than it was seven years ago

 Saturday, July 28, 2012

After dark the Olympic Park lights up. Unfortunately, most people have long gone home. There are lots of staff with nothing meaningful to do

Park visitors are generally ignoring the scenic waterside pathways in favour of the broad commercial ratruns. Their mistake.

Sampling the only chips on the Park that aren't french fries. The haddock's nice. Every so often the Aquatic Centre erupts with loud cheers.

Captain America and Spiderman got tickets, and have turned up to cheer on the USA women's basketball team.

I have never before stood for the national anthem of Angola

A few charred tubes from last night's mega-firework display are scattered across the northern lawns.

The waterside meadows are gorgeous, with acres of wild flowers dotted with butterflies , dragonflies and bumble bees.

Sitting where the allotments used to be, beside a giant screen in the river Lea, watching the swimming taking place half a mile away.

The world's largest McDonalds has a very restricted breakfast menu, but the cheapest food in the park. It is not yet busy.

Good Morning. Welcome to London 2012. Games Maker Wendy has just taken our family photo in front of the Orbit. Thanks Wendy!

 Friday, July 27, 2012

Unlike China's Opening Ceremony fireworks, I can confirm that London's are real.

I remember when all this was fridge mountain

Meanwhile, in the police state outside my front door... #criticalmass http://t.co/oQRoKCVk http://t.co/oF3JTZqO http://t.co/aYdgRcai

Where can I get a red E3 jacket? Bonkers!

At 20:12, for 2012, the Red Arrows fly above the Olympic Stadium http://t.co/hWASlY5D

French TV are broadcasting live beside the Tower of London at the end of the Torch Relay. They look like they'd much rather be by the Seine.

In case you Cockneys can't hear them, Bow's bells are doing their stuff.

 Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Listening to the distant strains of the Opening Ceremony dress rehearsal drifting across the A12 above the helicopter din. A bell rings.

 Monday, July 23, 2012

Opening Ceremony rehearsal end-of-show fireworks (at 12:23am) - very loud even a mile away!

 Sunday, July 22, 2012

Olympic visitors to London fear not, our armed police are really very approachable http://t.co/udozlmJa

If you have small kids, they will love Bouncy Stonehenge (currently in North Greenwich) http://t.co/g1k1Kbzt http://t.co/CcOg8Art

I don't want to tempt fate, but the London weather forecast for the next five days is for perfect cloudless sunshine

 Saturday, July 21, 2012

The Olympic Torch Relay enters Tower Hamlets at the Bow Flyover http://t.co/sD75d2CS

The crowds along the Torch Relay (now entering Tower Hamlets) are a reminder of how rarely Londoners do anything communal

The postman just delivered an Olympic Ticket I've already got.

 Friday, July 20, 2012

The Olympic Torch just abseiled semi-invisibly into the Tower of London. Crowds almost two deep welcomed its arrival in the capital.

 Wednesday, July 18, 2012

A quite ridiculous number of Games shuttle buses are running empty along the A12 by the Olympic Park, carrying nobody.

Dear London, the time to complain about Games Lanes was two years ago when they were announced, not a week before they're introduced

 Sunday, July 15, 2012

If you fancy listening to the Olympic Opening Ceremony, pop down to the Carpenters Estate #beegees

 Friday, July 13, 2012

Squaddies on Olympic Park security duty playing impromptu volleyball over a pipe by the Stadium http://t.co/s51OLc0u

 Wednesday, July 11, 2012

While the rest of London gets bright Olympic banners, every lamppost along Bow Road is now hung with grey adverts for Samsung's new phone :(

 Sunday, July 08, 2012

Two photos of today's Olympic towpath closure demo #olytowpath http://t.co/XPizKZCr http://t.co/a8dD9sUA

 Saturday, July 07, 2012

The Olympic torch just ran within 100 metres of London. Hertfordshire Police are glad London didn't notice.

 Monday, July 02, 2012

1:24am We are now precisely 99% of the way from the opening of the envelope to the Opening Ceremony #london2012

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