non-music: London to host Olympic Games!

Subject: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Noreen
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 07:54 AM

Just announced on BBC this minute: London got the vote!

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Wyrd Sister
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 07:55 AM

Thanks- couldn't get BBC or ITN online!

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: sapper82
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 07:55 AM

Sod it! We'll be paying for them for decades afterwards!

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: GUEST,Bainbo
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 07:57 AM

Commiserations, New York. Right, where should we organise the folk sessions for when you all visit in 2012?

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Noreen
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 07:58 AM

Nice to have a positive thought, thanks sapper!

BBC website seems to be unobtainable- no doubt inundated with peeps trying to get info, and programmers updating stories.

Subject: BS: Olympics 2012
From: Torctgyd
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 07:59 AM

London won!!

Perhaps I'll return to my place of birth to watch the world's finest athletes (and drugged up cheats).

Yeehaa!!

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Noreen
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:05 AM

I feel excited about this, even though I'd rather that somewhere outside London had got the opportunity (cf. Commonwealth Games in Manchester which was wonderful).

Lots of jobs and reconstruction in areas of London that need it, and improvements to the Underground (it is to be hoped!)

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: sapper82
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:06 AM

Don't worry Noreen, I'm a cynical bastard at the best of times!

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Piers
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:07 AM

I'm emigrating.

Subject: RE: BS: Olympics 2012
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:10 AM

Congratulations London.

Having been a London commuter for many years I sincerely hope they manage to get extra transport sorted out before 2012! I'm SO glad I live in Yorkshire now.

Rhiannon

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:13 AM

Worthy winners. And it will be great for the city too, in the long term. Now, we just need to brace ourselves for the traffic, the disruptions, the taxes... But I am happy for London and for the Brits.

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:14 AM

If I lived in Paris I'd be delighted.

The idea that they have to have the Olympics in order to justify giving London the public transport system it needs is putting the cart before the horse.

I suppose the opening ceremony will include massed Morris dancers...

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:18 AM

Congratulations London. I'm glad that those of us who live in and near NYC will not have to worry about terrorism, traffic, taxes being raised, construction on roadways, etc. Too bad that the poor and middle class working people won't be benefiting in any way whatsoever from the Olympics. Enjoy the next 7 years.

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Doktor Doktor
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:18 AM

We wish to announce the formation of the Harlow Couch Potatoes Activist Front for all those who wish to reject the jingoistic get-fit & wave-the-flag luncy that will increasingly dog our days

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Doktor Doktor
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:19 AM

Correction - Inactivist front

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: GUEST,The Barden of England at work
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:27 AM

To our fellow brethren over the water in Essex we bid you a fond hello - we the members of the Non-activist Couch Potatoes Front - Maidstone Cell.
John Barden

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From:
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:28 AM

Property prices will increase again...by 2012 we should have had all the work done on the house so we will rent it out and go on holiday!! Stratford is only down the road from us....can walk it in 20 minutes!

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:32 AM

In view of the present drinking water situation which will be even worse by 2012, all I can say to anybody thinking of visiting for the games is, BRING YOUR OWN WATER as there may not be enough to go round.
Please do not suggest we dilute the little we have to make it go further!!
Commiserations to London for winning this farrago.
Giok

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: GUEST,The Barden of England at work
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:34 AM

Liz the Squeek and Manitas will be rolling in it too I presume. My father lives in Hackney, which is very close to the proposed venues, but at 87 he may well not make 2012.
John Barden

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: manitas_at_work
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:35 AM

Well, there'll be a few more jobs for the poor and the not so poor can sell their houses for a bit more than normal but I don't think there'll be much benefit until the road and rail improvements arrive.

The locals will benefit most if contracts for construction and concessions go to local businesses but I can just see Starbucks and McDonalds being the official coffee and burgers of the games, Stella the beer, Nike supplying the sports equipment, Renault the courtesy cars, while Schreiber will fit out the athletes flats etc.

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: mooman
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:52 AM

Having grown up in London I'm very pleased. I often visit the part of London where the main stadium, Olympic village and many of the venues will be for university matters and it is an area in need that I think will certainly benefit from the resulting jobs and facilities and improvements in infrastucture.

Peace

moo

Subject: RE: BS: Olympics 2012
From: John Routledge
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 09:23 AM

The IOC are obviously not as concerned about the food as President of France.

Subject: RE: BS: Olympics 2012
From: The Shambles
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 10:26 AM

I thought in a contest involving behind the scenes deals and 'sweetners' - that France would win easily. I only hope that things continue like this for the G8 meetings.

I wonder what Mr Blair's last minute message to the IOC was?

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Noreen
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 10:33 AM

BBC News: London beats Paris to 2012 Games

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 10:38 AM

Great news, this will give us another reason to visit London after our retirement. I'll start planning now.

Mike

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Emma B
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 10:44 AM

Would you like to do a "house-swop" Mike - I'd prefer to be anywhere else for this over-hyped, expensive nightmare of so-called sport....mmmmm Paris should be nice.....

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 10:45 AM

I wonder if they'll have finished the work on Blackwall Tunnel by 2012 - It'll sod things up if it's still closing every Fri, Sat, and Sunday night. Still we might even have the new bridge by then.

Perhaps we should try and get banjo or melodeon throwing introduced as a sport along with marathon morris dancing and competetive ballad singing.

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: rumanci
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 10:56 AM

OK - great news ! The kids at school were ecstatic and who knows some might even be competing there ! I may be a lone voice here but I love sport, I love seeing the dreams of a few come to fruition, I hope and expect a damned good show seeing how good we are usually at staging a spectacle (*g*) - and I'm looking forward to it.
rum

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 10:57 AM

Congratulations to London. Living in the New York area, I am disappointed but also relieved that we won't have to deal with all the construction, re-construction and traffic nightmares for the next decade - before and after the Olympics. Purely selfish on my part.

Sure there are plenty of reasons to not want the Olympics, but until you've experienced one you can't fathom what it does for a city and country.   You see the commercialized outcome on TV, but you aren't comprehending the rest of the picture.   There are benefits to the "poor and middle class" in terms of the jobs that are created. Construction jobs alone will boon. The number of international visitors will be staggering. Dave joked about "morris dancing", but I am sure it will be a part of the festivities, unless the organizers do a 360. Each Olympics offers arts festivals for the guests and an opportunity to show off the local culture to the world.

I know the whiners will have a field day with this, but the outcome will be postive for London.   Once again, congratulations and best of luck on a successful event that everyone will benefit from.

Subject: RE: BS: Olympics 2012
From: Donuel
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 10:58 AM

Chirac wants to know...

http://www.angelfire.com/md2/customviolins/chiracolympic.jpg

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 11:00 AM

A thread had already been started on the BS section.

Rhiannon

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: mooman
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 11:03 AM

Picking up on Ron's point, perhaps some local pubs in Stratford and other Olympic locations in London might like to consider applying for their PEL now in order to be through with the red tape and paperwork in time...? (Morris dancing is, of course, excepted so there is no excuse there...!)

Peace

moo

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Noreen
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 11:12 AM

Rhiannon- this thread was started at 7.54, followed by the BS thread at 7.59.

This subject is not BS, but it is non-music, as I labelled it.

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Josher
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 11:56 AM

Well that's it then any Government investment intended for the regions will now be diverted once more to the South East

Subject: RE: BS: Olympics 2012
From: Firecat
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 12:00 PM

Well done London! I'll be 28 by then but, subject to me working in other places, I've already decided I'm going to try and get there!

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 12:50 PM

BS - bloody sport...

Actually it's not sport I object to, it's turning sport into a mechanism form making money.

The idea that you have to have something like this as a justification for getting the kind of maintenance and improvements that a like London badly - isn't it just a little crazy?

How it ought to be would be that cities would do these kinds of primarily for their own citizens; and the people deciding on where to put big events like these games would take it into account when deciding where to go.

Not "If you give us the games we promise we will make an enormous efort and make this place better, but "This is a pretty good city, with all the right facilities. We'd love to have you come and hold the games here any time."

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 12:51 PM

BS - bloody sport...

Actually it's not sport I object to, it's turning sport into a mechanism form making money.

The idea that you have to have something like this as a justification for getting the kind of maintenance and improvements that a city like London badly needs - isn't it just a little crazy?

How it ought to be would be that cities would do these kinds of primarily for their own citizens; and the people deciding on where to put big events like these games would take it into account when deciding where to go.

Not "If you give us the games we promise we will make an enormous efort and make this place better, but "This is a pretty good city, with all the right facilities. We'd love to have you come and hold the games here any time."

Subject: RE: BS: Olympics 2012
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 01:01 PM

something along the lines, you're all suspected of concealing weapons of mass destruction........ show me your voting slip for all charges to be dropped.

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 01:22 PM

"turning sport into a mechanism form making money"

What is so wrong with making money? Why make money from music or art? Sport is an art as well.

The Olympics aren't a "justification" for making improvements, but a damn good way to share the cost in an efficent manner. Of course, it depends on the host committee.   The '76 Montreal Games might still be paying off the debt, but the '84 LA games turned a sizable profit.

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 02:18 PM

Kevin,

you're right when you say
"The idea that you have to have something like this as a justification for getting the kind of maintenance and improvements that a city like London badly needs - isn't it just a little crazy?".

Yes, it is crazy, and not just a little either. However, this being an imperfect world, where it takes something like the Olympics for politicians to focus on improving infrastructure, and for people to accept the (inevitable) higher taxes that it takes to create such infrastructure, let's not grizzle about it too much.

I, too, would prefer the right things to be happening for the right reasons. But I will take the right things happening for the wrong reasons as an acceptable - though lamentable - second best.

People will have more jobs during the construction, and afterwards in the tourism industry. Police will focus on improving public safety and reducing crime in those areas. Kids and sports people will have better facilities. There will be road, rail etc improvements. Sure, and companies will make money - but they're supposed to. And touts will make money too. And property values will increase, perhaps out of reach for the babies of 2005 to be able to afford to live there in 2025. But let's not blame it all on the Olympics - the biggest culprit is human nature.

Let's take the good, plan for the bad, and let the people of Britain rejoice. The people of Stratford are already doing so.

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 02:26 PM

Well done London. Rejoice, and let those who rejoice in misery be thankful for something to deride.

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: lady penelope
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 02:37 PM

What's this "sharing the cost" crap? What sharing the cost? We the tax payers get to foot the majority of the bill whilst all the profit goes to private individuals and the I.O.C.

We will have an increase in jobs in the area until they finish clearing the rubbish up after the games and then we will be saddled with an enourmous white elephant. We have sports facillites that have to be closed at the moment due to lack of funding, what makes anyone think this will be any different?

The businesses that will be forcibly closed down to make way for this utter waste of money were doing way more to regenerate the area than any 4 week event ever will.

And what really p***es me off is the way I keep being told it's what I want. No one ever asked the residents of London whether they wanted this albatross, but we're damn well gonna get it hung round our necks in the form of contruction chaos, with no guarantee of an improvement in transport and sodding great raises in council tax - WHICH THE REST OF THE COUNTRY IS NOT BEING SUBJECTED TO!!!!

I, for one, really do wish the French had got it........

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 02:51 PM

"We the tax payers get to foot the majority of the bill whilst all the profit goes to private individuals and the I.O.C."

That is simply not true. At least in this country and in Great Britain, and I suspect most, the Olympics are a non-profit organization. The "profit" they receive is spent on initiatives promoting sport and supporting atheletes. That may not be your choice of where money should be spent, but that is another argument.

From what I've read, the plan is to create several temporary venues that will be moved to other parts of the country after the games where they will be most needed. No "white elephants".

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 03:01 PM

Although there are many arguments both for and against the olympics I for one am not going to enjoy the distruption in this area over the next 7 years. The council tax is already incrediabley high and I won't be happy with increases in the tax to pay for the Olympics just because I live in the area. Hopefully the regeneration and improvements will happen but its sad that we have to have the Olympics to get them

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 03:11 PM

Let's bring a folkie angle to it.

Think of the busking opportunities... The Morris teams practicing furiously for the opening ceremony... The pubs sprucing up for the tourists and wanting to put on some local colour (gig opportunities). :-)

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: fat B****rd
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 03:14 PM

Strange thing is how many of our current stars will still be around. 7 years is along time in sport. Actually it's a long time anyway.

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 03:14 PM

I bet Chirac's going to feel a bit of a prat when he turns up at the Gleneagles G8 summit. Mind you he'd already made it very clear that he wasn't going support any of the UK's policies.

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Emma B
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 03:16 PM

According to the radio the council tax in London will be an extra £20 per annum for 10 years.....much of the money raised from the Lottery etc will also be poured into these facilities at the expense of the regions.
But, worse of all, will be the appalling 24/7 hyped coverage for the next 7 years......

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 03:26 PM

Why can't they move the dome and use it as a venue for something? Pole vault? At least it would have a use.

Like lady penelope, our local london pools are closing due to lack of resource. I would personally have preferred the money spent to prop up our diminishing sports facilities for the future.

Whatever they build in stratford now will not benefit the majority of londoners.

But it will be nice to be in the same time zone as the events, I suspose, begrudgingly.

Subject: RE: non-music: London to host Olympic Games!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 07:57 PM

Fine, wonderful.. great... Let's just wait until 2013 and see how many jobs are still there, how much we're still paying for, how much housing goes for and how many facilities are still in use/just being finished......

There are already 3 swimming pools in the borough. Admitedly, none of them are olympic sized, but they are underfunded and badly staffed by sessional workers paid the minimum wage. We have a public transport system that makes it quicker to travel 8 miles into central London than 1 1/2 miles to Stratford from our house.... It's bad enough now, finding a parking space here when West Ham Football club play at home...... what the hell is it going to be like when half the world are trying to find a space? It's all very well for the rest of the country to celebrate and get all excited, they're not the ones losing their businesses or their communities. We've already lost great swathes of land to the Channel Tunnel link (one homeowner went out one morning to find a 15ft hole where his garden used to be....), we can't afford to lose much more.

And given the diversity of the area, it's highly unlikely anything remotely to do with Morris dancing will be involved.

You want the Olympics in your back yard and on your council tax bill? Take 'em... you're f&^$ing welcome to 'em!

LTS

LTS