Has London Got Friendlier?
Every Sunday morning, I take the Overground to Shadwell, where I switch to the DLR and go to Royal Victoria station, from where I get the Emirates Air-Line over the Thames to the O2. From there, I go to Canary Wharf station, where I have a late breakfast in Carluccio’s. This was my intension this morning, but I left my Oystercard behind, so I took the Jubilee line from Canning Town station to get to Canary Wharf. I’ve done it now perhaps six or seven times and it allows me to get a good view on the mood of London. Today everybody was very chatty and there was a generally friendly mood.
This wasn’t the first time, that I’ve noticed this upbeat mood on a personal level in recent weeks. One particular feature, is that I’ve had more talks with black people lately, than I’ve ever had in my past sixty-odd years. Could it be, that the Olympics is helping us to live together better, as in fact we all have more common interests, than those things that divide us?
In one instance, I walked away from a bus, with a black woman about my age, chatting about our health problems, both of us remarking that twenty years before, we’d have probably not said a word.
If this is the legacy of 2012, I’m all for it! Or is it just that finally we’ve developed a modern society?
The French Say Things Differently
The row about the bikes ridden by the British cyclists at the Olympics continues according to this in the Guardian.
The sprinter François Pervis, who had tweeted “la sodomie continue” (rough translation, “we got shafted again”) after Jason Kenny’s victory over Grégory Baugé in the match sprint final, said on Monday that he was certain the British were not using drugs, but that they had the edge on the equipment front. “I am sure they are clean but their kit …
So you now know how to say you’ve been shafted again in French.
The Olympic Park From John Lewis At Eastfield
John Lewis at Eastfield have opened a viewing gallery of the Olympic Park.
These are pictures, I took today.
It certainly gives good views of the Olympic Park.
Scotland’s Thoughts On An Olympic Homecoming Party
I just read this article in The Scotsman, which I thought was a serious newspaper..
The celebration for the Olympic and Paralympic medallists is going to be in Glasgow, but I would have thought that there was a case for it to be in Edinburgh.
The comments are priceless.
Usain Bolt In Sclater Street, Shoreditch
I took these pictures of the painting of Usain Bolt by Jimmy C in Sclater Street, Shoreditch.
It’s very easy to get to and all you need to do is get to Shoreditch High Street station on the East London line, turn left as you come out of the station and turn right at the main road. Sclater Street is directly ahead.
You can even see the painting, from the lift lobby on the Southbound platform.
The Olympics Cut Crime In London
Figures show that crime fell by five percent during the Olympics. Read all about it, here in the Daily Telegraph.
On a similar vein, the BBC in London has just announced that London Ambulance had a quiet time. Come to think of it, I’ve only seen the Air Ambulance once in the last couple of weeks. It tends to pass over, where I live.
In fact, although I’m not that far from the Olympic Park, I have hardly seen any helicopters at all; police, military, ambulance or otherwise.
Let’s hope it continues. I’m not bothered about the noise, but it just means that crime and serious accidents are a a low level.
The Magnificent Olympic Park Flowers
So many have remarked that the best part of the Olympic Park is the flowers.
Judge for yourself! Read about how the gardens were created in the Daily Telegraph.
Kingston Comes To Stratford
On Friday night, there was a lot of Jamaican flags in the crowd at the Olympic Stadium. I think it is true to say, that after the British, Jamaica was one of the best supported nations in the athletics. But then Jamaica is a small nation and London, or perhaps New York, are the nearest they’ll get to a home Olympics.
In fact, this must have been the best games for other Caribbean nations too!
On the other hand, Usain Bolt and others in the Jamaican team, were fulsome in their praise of the help they received in Birmingham, where they were based in the UK. Did it help training amongst friends? And did it help the other Caribbean nations too?
We’ll never know for sure. But surely friendships made during these Games, will in future benefit everybody!
Saturday Night Fever
Is there any other headline for Mo Farah‘s two triumphs on successive Saturday nights in the 10,000 and 5,000 metres? Let’s hope after tonight’s exertion, his wife doesn’t give birth to the twins she’s expecting. Now that would be a double double!
I can just about remember the second of Lasse Viren‘s second Olympic double in 1976, although for his first in 1972, C and I were pre-occupied with the arrival of our third son. But I don’t think there will ever be another long distance double done by a British Athlete in an Olympic Games held in the UK. And remember, that Mo Farah has spent most of his life in London. But what odds will I get on Mo repeating the feat in the Athletics World Championships in London in 2017?
Hopefully, I’ll see it.
The last few years have been difficult for me to say the least.
Mo’s feat has given me a big lift and hopefully, the thought of seeing a repeat might keep me going.
If there is any sport, I wanted to be good at, it was running the classic distances of 1,500 metres upwards. But I wasn’t any good, although I got great pleasure in watching the classic races as they were shown live on the BBC. I can remember Chataway defeating Kuts , to claim the world record at the White City, Derek Ibbotson‘s mile record and Bruce Tulloh‘s triumph in Belgrade from my childhood. All gave me a tremendous lift, but all feats are small when compared to what Mo has done.
Hopefully, the lift I get will be proportionate. I need it more than ever I did all those fifty or more years ago.
Chasing Jessica
I’ve been trying to get this iconic advert using Jessica Ennis for a few days now, before it disappears.
Chasing Jessica
I finally caught it on a 38 bus at Islington tonight.
The Anonymous Widower 