London 2012 - Skybar and News

[Capzilla]

Originally Posted by Zim Flyer

Who cares if the government has to spend a £billion, the effects it will have on the nations moral will be huge and worth every penny.

To be honest, government spending ultimately comes out of your own pocket.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy about London getting the Olympics. I'd happily contribute financially through council taxes were I to buy/rent some London property by 2012, or through general taxation as UK resident/citizen (one can hope).

But I do understand people who complain about the costs and respect their opinion. It's only £25pp but let's not dismiss there are plenty of households in the UK who have a better use for that money than boosting the nation's morale.

[DarJoLe]

I have no doubt this won't be the last time we hear of an overspend.

[Zim Flyer]

Originally Posted by Capzilla

To be honest, government spending ultimately comes out of your own pocket.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy about London getting the Olympics. I'd happily contribute financially through council taxes were I to buy/rent some London property by 2012, or through general taxation as UK resident/citizen (one can hope).

But I do understand people who complain about the costs and respect their opinion. It's only £25pp but let's not dismiss there are plenty of households in the UK who have a better use for that money than boosting the nation's morale.

but capzilla, the UK wastes a small fortune in taxes each and every day (as do most governments) but at least with the Olympics we are getting a project which will allow people to see where their money has gone.

2012 combining the Olympics and the Queen's diamond jubilee will mean one giant UK party, the feel good factor from which will result in higher productivity and more money.

I see it only as a good thing and a refreshing change to the penny pinching and cancellation of many government projects in the UK over the last few years.

[potto]

apparantly vast swathes of irritant japanese weed has to be removed and incinerated using specialist isolation methods to stop it spreading and takes a lot of time and money to do! Erk

[Capzilla]

Originally Posted by Zim Flyer

but capzilla, the UK wastes a small fortune in taxes each and every day (as do most governments) but at least with the Olympics we are getting a project which will allow people to see where their money has gone.

Agreed, even though a large waste of money is not exactly a proper excuse to waste more. I bet many more people would be massively supportive of projects like these if there wasn't so much useless spending elsewhere.

[Bob]

Originally Posted by potto

apparantly vast swathes of irritant japanese weed has to be removed and incinerated using specialist isolation methods to stop it spreading and takes a lot of time and money to do! Erk

This is Japanese Knotweed. This is a problem across the UK and any construction on a derelict site may have to deal with it.

I expect we will hear a lot more about overspends and scandal. At least the money (if indeed there is / was any) is forthcoming and we are not suffering our first delay.

[Monkey]

Originally Posted by Butcher

lol. Where we beat the French again.

In the battles marked with an asterisk (*) the English/British were outnumbered and where marked with an equals sign (=) the numbers were equal. As you can see the English/British won most of our victories despite being outnumbered:

01) Crecy (1346)*
02) Poitiers (1356)*
03) Agincourt (1415)*
04) Solent (1545)*
05) Blenheim (1704)*
06) Ramillies (1706)=
07) Oudenarde (1708)*
08) Malplaquet (1709)=
09) Plassey (1757)*
10) Louisberg (1758)
11) Fort Duquesne (1758)
12) Fort Naigara (1759)
13) Quebec (1759)
14) Quiberon Bay (1759)=
15) Vellinghausen (1761)*
16) Nile (1798)*
17) Cape Finisterre (1805)*
18) Trafalgar (1805)*
19) Rolica (1808)
20) Vimeiro (1808)
21) Talavera (1809)*
22) Salamanca (1812)*
23) Vitoria (1813)*
24) Toulouse (1814)*
25) Waterloo (1815)
26) Singapore (2005)

[Peyre]

overspends, oversmends. I couldn't give a crap.

[DarJoLe]

How bloody stupid:

London May Change Some 2012 Venues - Sources
Posted 2:06 pm ET (GamesBids.com)

The Observer reports that sources say London may look to change some of the venues planned for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) agrees.

Also according to the newspaper organizers of the 2012 Games are re-examining their pledge to use the 80,000-seat stadium for the Games and then shrink it to a 25,000 to 30,000 capacity track and field facility. Senior figures in British sport say that the venue could become a white elephant after the Games are over because there are too few athletic events to stage that would pay its way. They believe that 2012 officials will have to reach a deal with a football club, such as West Ham or Tottenham.

London’s Mayor Ken Livingstone previously ruled out either club inheriting the 280 million pound stadium, but now London 2012 is re-examining the practicality and cost of every commitment it made to the IOC.

Questions have also been raised about holding beach volleyball in Horse Guards Parade in Central London and it may be moved for security reasons to the Olympic Park in the East End.

There is some lobbying for shooting to be held at the National Shooting Centre in Bisley Surrey rather than at Woolwich Arsenal, but its distance from the East End may make that difficult.

Also, some 2012 insiders believe building a new canoe slalom course in Broxbourne Hertfordshire is unnecessary and want to move it to the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont near Nottingham.

And the newspaper reports there is speculation that tennis may not be held at Wimbledon but at a new tennis centre in the East End to ensure a better legacy for the sport.

London 2012 spokeswoman Jackie Brock-Doyle reportedly said the plans “are being looked at, but not for change purposes”.

Meanwhile the IOC is considering an official request this month from the International Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) to have boxing included as a medal sport for the first time at the Olympic Games. Boxing is the only discipline in the Summer Games where women are not represented.

IOC President Jacques Rooge and Anway Chowdhry, the president of the IABA, are apparently committed to supporting women’s boxing, reports the Observer. The sport could even be included in the Beijing 2008 Summer Games, but London is considered a more realistic target.

[Zim Flyer]

I wouldn't worry DarJoLe, the Observer only writes negative comments about the Olympics and hardly ever will write a positive piece on it.

I would like to give the Olympics people the benefit of the doubt.

[Cabman]

There will be changes to the "winning bid." It is unrealistic to think that the bid that won will be exactly the games that will be staged. Now that the dust has settled the games organisers have the unenviable task of turning the proposals into reality. The next few years will be very interesting.

[Bob]

When broken down that article actually says nothing! Any decently run project will re-evaluate the details as it progresses while keeping to the core aims. I guess long term project management is not something a journalist studies when articles have to be produced each day.

[pricemazda]

it is becoming a pattern from the Observer about the Olympics.

[eXSBass]

Newham Recorder Today - 03/08/05

A Stumbling Block Hits Mini-Village Scheme for High Street

DEVELOPERS of a planned "mini-village" in Stratford have failed to persuade Lee Valley Park chiefs of the necessity to call in the bulldozers.
At the centre of the a "to-demolish-or-not-to-demolish" impasse is the red-brick Concorde House office block on the High Street.
The blueprint is for it and surrounding minor buildings to be pulled down to make way for the 346-homes and shops development.
But park chiefs, who have to be consulted, have again rejected the idea because of the "attractiveness" of Concorde House.

Winning

Their planners maintained their opposition when a revised scheme was submitted - even though the developers reduced the apartment tower block by four storeys to 22 floors in the hope of winning the park's support.
Park bosses also wanted other elements of the plan emended, including the look of the buildings and what they see as the imbalance between the level of open space and the area's growing population. But these objections seem to have been ignored.
It is unlikely the developers will make the drastic changes needed to retain Concorde House.
And there are serious implications for Newham Council, who will make the final decision after consultation has been exhausted.
If councillors support the developers they could face a legal challenge.
If they back the park and Concorde House is saved from the bulldozer, there could be difficulties in bringing much-needed homes to that part of the borough."



Hope it gets the go ahead. I really like the design. I aint got a scanner will try to post some renders soonish...or if someone else can.

Cheers

[GazKinz]

Anyone have any pictures of what concord house looks like? Dont see why they can't retain the façade of it and build over it.

[Zim Flyer]

Today the Queen had a look round the Olympic site, I hope this visit gets some media coverage, we need to get the Olympics 2012 back into the headlines, so we can regain the positivie momentum lost by the terrorist attacks.

Taken from BBC News Online:

The Queen visited the site of the 500-acre Olympic Park, the centrepiece of London's 2012 Games, saying it was "exciting" and "fascinating".
A variety of sporting facilities, including an 80,000-seat stadium, will be built in Stratford, east London.

The Queen was taken to the 21st floor of the Holden Point residential tower to see the site.

The stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the athletics events.

Inflated colour airships were used for the Royal visit to identify the locations and construction work already under way for several of the sports venues planned for the park.

Lord Coe, who led London's successful bid and accompanied the Queen on her tour, said: "I was explaining the project and she said it was exciting.

"I told her that this is where we took the International Olympic Committee (IOC) members who were impressed by what they saw.

"She said she could understand that and said it was fascinating."

The Queen also met workers at the nearby construction site for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) at Stratford which will have a seven-minute shuttle service to central London.

Her visit also included sports demonstrations by students from the local Langdon Secondary School, several of whom were in the delegation to Singapore where the International Olympic Committee selected London in July.

Work has started on the aquatics centre, which will include two 50m swimming pools and a diving pool.

There will also be a hockey centre, four multi-sport arenas for fencing, volleyball, basketball and handball, and a velopark for cycling events.

The park will house the Olympic Village, where every competitor and official can stay.

[Newcastle Guy]

Yeah, lets hope this lifts spirits in London, and helps more people get back into the 2012 mood

[Newcastle Guy]

OOPS double post

[eddyk]

I got a letter from the London 2012 lot today.

[Zim Flyer]

Nice one Eddy.