shortliner Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 You lot think you've got it bad, you only have to put up with it for a few weeks. Living in Stratford, East London, I've had to put up with whole bl**dy construction and the associated regeneration for the past five years. If I'm still here after the Olympics (and I hate to think it but it could happen that I'm stuck here longer due to this bl**dy recession and weak economy!) there will still be more as they shift the usage from Olympics to ongoing housing and office space. Oh, and of course there's Crossrail doing its construction too, which isn't due to finish until 2016-17. However, despite all of the disruption and the annoyance it has and continues to cause, I don't feel animosity to the Olympics themselves, and there is going to be an undoubted benefit to this part of East London in the long term, something it sorely needs. Whether the people who live here will respect the improvements though is another matter. I don't see the 'chav' element changing its ways anytime soon. As for me, regardless of the improvements I'd had enough of the place three years ago, and so I for one am hoping against hope against hope that I can get out of here as soon as is practically possible. ....and don't forget that it will be followed by the paralympics! just to extend the confusion congestion - I'm so glad the the smoke and I parted company many, many years ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
northendboy Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 London won the Olympic bid - that is why the Games are London centric. If Manchester had won it it will have been Manchester centric. Nothing new there. Hi Pete, I know exactly what you are saying, but my point is that at huge cost to taxpayers it is actually going to take high class sports away from much of the UK. It was just a personal, slightly selfish rant. We in t'North are well aware of London centricity, but fortunately clog sparking, ferret baiting and underwater soot juggling will remain in our Northern bastions for a little while yet. And the beach volleyball up in Blackpool is fantastic. Sometimes the more daring competitors undo the top buttons of their duffel coats... Whatever next???? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 LOL! Actually I was picturing Beach Volley Ball in Bury, at first (Sponsor: "The Bury Black Pudding Co.).............. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 The cows stomache and steamed cows udder Friday Olympics has been part of Lancashire's contribution since Cwop Tripe and his brother Elder ran the five miles from The Pigs Trotter in Failsworth to the toad in the hole toilets in Piccadilly in record time. Despite Tripe tripping over a spotted dick outside Lewis's, the landlord of the Pigs Trotter congratulated them both on thier feet. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
60026to Posted July 27, 2011 Author Share Posted July 27, 2011 A right old mixed bag of responses and so it should be. I fully agree with the overdone sponsorship with any company milking their offical licences and any 'news item' concerning the games getting more treatment than it probably deserves. Plus it will give A Question of Sport plenty of booking opportunities for the autumn of 2012 and beyond. God help us. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted July 27, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 27, 2011 Personally I could wait the rest of my life for the Olympics (I prefer football & cricket) and will avoid watching but if it floats your boat, good luck. I can't help but wonder just how much the country will benefit from all this; I'm sure the good and the great will do OK though......... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 And VIPs and celebs are being invited to the official party in Trafalgar Square - so much for doing things for the people in the East End who have been putting up with the building site for the last however long! - Nothing but an Ego trip for Lord Coe et al. Also interested to hear that most of the kids who took part in the initial bid, no longer give a rats **** about the whole thing 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 I can't help but wonder just how much the country will benefit from all this; I'm sure the good and the great will do OK though......... Having not long ago had a winter Olympics here, I found 'Five Ring Circus' by Christopher Shaw an interesting read. A bit heavy going in places, and heavily slanted towards the Vancouver games, but it puts forward some interesting arguments on the real purpose(s) behind Olympic Games. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonhall Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 We have the Road Cycling races pass the end of our road, as it's one of the few events I might have watched on the telly I'm actually quite excited, but as this is a free to watch event, first weekend of the Olympics and with British atheletes likely to do well I dread to think how many people will come out to watch. 3 days later we are actually land-locked by the timetrial bike race which uses a slightly different route. - I have no idea how I'm supposed to get to work... The practice event the London-Surrey classic is due in about 3 weeks time - we shall see... Jon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted July 28, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 28, 2011 Isn't there anybody on here who is excited and looking forward to it all? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Blimey, what a negative bunch! I'm not a sporty person at all, but will probably watch much of the event along with the vast proportion of the country at large. It is a superb achievement to have planned, designed and built the facilities in 6 years, and gives Britain a chance to show its very best to the world at a time when we definitely need a shot in the economic arm. Heaven forbid the chance to entertain 4 billion people around the world should disrupt regular TV schedules in the UK or cause people some longer journeys to work. Anything that gives people the encouragement to stand up and show some national pride rather than the usual armchair cynicism will do this country a lot of good. David 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Isn't there anybody on here who is excited and looking forward to it all? Not really. ....Anything that gives people the encouragement to stand up and show some national pride rather than the usual armchair cynicism will do this country a lot of good.... Unfortunately the national attention span is very short these days. If the likes of the late Jade Goody failed to keep cancer - a far more important issue - in the public eye, then what hope the Olumpic "legacy"? However, if there were an Olumpic category for armchair cynicism, we should enter it. Anyone fancy lobbying the IOC? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltic56 Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 We would invent it and then always come second like in football, cricket etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Think positive - just over a year until this event is over however the debt will linger on Xerces Fobe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Don't think you can escape it that way - even outback US will have an excess of Olympic coverage. You will probably be hard pressed to find any indication that there are other competitors than US ones, and you will also be hard pressed to find any coverage of the actual events (the majority of the coverage will be talking heads...) Adrian Earlier this month and last year in the wilderness of NY state and Vermont it was one whole week without any TV and one week of pure isolation from the world. I think there are many in the US who just don't think sport rates a mention and the rest seem to think all sport stops on the western and eastern seaboard. (ie Nascar, American Football, Basketball and roundersBaseball) Of course there is talk about these "sports" but as an ignorant englishman it is easy to play the 'out-of-town' card. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointstaken Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Perhaps the Olympics ought always to be held in Greece. Then they would have a permanent excuse for being broke ! Dennis 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Y Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Isn't there anybody on here who is excited and looking forward to it all? I am looking forward to it John; it's a bit of spectacle and something more interesting than the usual TV diet. So: Not really. Please don't propose to speak on behalf of everyone. I could beef on about absolutely pointless posts being a more depressing portrayal of how people would rather spend their time. Yes, I've been busy with the delete button again. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dorset Wanderer Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 . I could beef on Sponsored by McDonalds then? Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteScR Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Fed up with the Olympics hype already and its still a year away. Another wasted summer, if its not bad enough with golf, tennis and bloody cricket getting in the way of footie. One thing is for sure, no matter how successfull it is, the press will find a fiasco to report (tickets?)... They might as well unfurl a big target over London next summer for all the crackpots to make headlines, I am staying well away. Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold griffgriff Posted July 28, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 28, 2011 Isn't it amazing that some of us rightly complain about intolerance towards our hobby but then are very quick to bemoan the interests of others Just a thought 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted July 28, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 28, 2011 Isn't it amazing that some of us rightly complain about intolerance towards our hobby but then are very quick to bemoan the interests of others Just a thought Well said that man! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Isn't it amazing that some of us rightly complain about intolerance towards our hobby but then are very quick to bemoan the interests of others Just a thought But I don't see model railways or for that matter real railways covered for ten minutes on every "news" channel on every half hour, with seemingly endless coverage on weekends and reflected in so many other programs. Not to mention in every newspaper and even special supplements. On the Radio and done to death at every Model Railway club and most pubs, and even on Model Railway Forums. ... and if that is not enough there, are the follow-up programs repeating, replaying and analysing every move in detail; which governing body is taking bungs, bets and bribes; not to mention sponsors and their adverts. if it were a level playing field (ugh!) then your concern would be well justified. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold griffgriff Posted July 28, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 28, 2011 Kenton I think you will find it's proportional; Railway modelling isn't, I'm afraid to say, particularly newsworthy but the Olympics, for whatever reason, is. Also, if I may be brutally honest, if you want to moan about the Olympics you're going to whistling in the wind because I assure you your opinion will not make the slightest difference. Besides that's not my point... I was commenting on equality, and a fair crack of the whip against unfortunate stereotypes, something I'm sure we all would agree on. Reason for edit: posted twice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mod6 Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Lots of potential for polarised sniping on here folks - sports fans vs non-sports fans, London vs the rest, major spectacle vs chaos etc etc. Let's try and keep it well behaved please. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointstaken Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 I would suggest it isn't intolerance of others interests, but an intolerance of endless repetitive cover of the same imaginary (?) news. I suspect the same applies to the current Olympics coverage. I very much like cricket (yahboo to you too), but I find the endless discussions, interviews ad nauseam destroy my interest in some degree. An annual 25% cull of so-called sports reporters would probably improve the sports coverage no end, and get rid of some of those boring individuals who infest the media to no good purpose. Dennis 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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