£40M Saved

In a rare display of financial acumen, the London Olympics organisers have come up with a way to save £40M

They will use Wembley Arena as the venue for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics at the London 2012 Olympics.

This means that a temporary £40M venue will not need to be built.

Who the hell thought up spending £40M on a temporary venue anyway?

I wonder how much more could be saved if people actually applied some financial commonsense?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Venue Plans Still Fluid

Aside from the ever elastic "budget", it seems that plans for the locations of certain 2012 Olympics venues are somewhat "fluid" as well.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has just finished its fifth visit to London, and is worried that venue plans are still not finalised.

Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell, as per normal sees no problem. She is quoted on Sky News:

"The discussions are taking place with the international federations [and] we hope they will soon be completed.

Wembley Arena will be used, ExCel will be used and I think the other venues around London are very well known.

But this is the kind of negotiation you always get in an Olympics, but you usually get it much later in the day than this.

We're really ahead of the game."

This coming from the woman who still insists that the budget is on track.

No worries then!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Jowell Satisfied

The Olympics minister, Tessa Jowell, has stated in the government's quarterly report on the London 2012 Olympics that:

"This report shows we are still on time and still on budget."

SNORT!

What budget is she looking at then?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Months of Olympic Chaos

It seems that mere mortals in Woolwich, not lucky enough to be granted special travel lanes/travel arrangements for the Olympics, will be suffering some considerable travel inconvenience during (and indeed in the 9 months preceding) the London Olympics.

The Olympics Delivery Authority (ODA) will be closing roads around the 2012 shooting venue, up to nine months before the event. Ha Ha Road, Repository Road and Circular Way will be closed before and during the Games.

The ODA planning application also shows that sports fields will be closed, and an unspecified number of trees felled.

I am sure that the residents of Woolwich will bear their inconvenience with fortitude!

After all the Olympics is such a "worthy, well supported and popular cause", isn't it?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Gentrification - The True Olympic Legacy

Unsurprisingly, as money is pumped into East London (around the site of London 2012 Olympics), property prices are rising and those locals who are at the bottom end of the economic pecking order are being displaced by a slow but steady wave of gentrification.

The legacy of the games, as espoused by the politcians, was meant to be that of improving the living conditions and environment etc of the local population.

The reality is that those who are disadvantaged will be displaced.

Not exactly the legacy that they were promised.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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London Logo Farce - The Farce Continues V

The controversy over the "Lisa Simpson Gives Head" London 2012 Olympic logo continues unabated.

This time Brett Gosper, president of McCann Worldgroup in Europe (the agency that is promoting the games), weighed into the controversy noting that he would "probably not" have chosen it to represent the London 2012 games.

London 2012 officials responded by saying:

"This is surprising."

Where have they been for the past two years?

BTW I understand that the IOC hates the "Lisa Simpson Gives Head" analogy, as they quite rightly see that it damages their brand, and have tried to remove any videos from the web that purport to show such an action.

I wonder why they didn't see the similarity before choosing this logo?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Security Matters

It is "interesting" to note that, despite the Olympics 2012 being the greatest security threat to this country since the Second World War (not my words, but Lord West's), Olympics organisers are recruiting teenagers to guard the games.

London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) want to train up to 6,000 teenagers (16-19 year olds) to provide security during the 2012 Games.

The teen guards will receive a "staggering" 30 hours of training on communication, keeping people safe at events and crowd control.

Seemingly this forms part of "multi-layered security provision" for the 2012 Olympics.

Yes, that will work!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Olympics Are The Greatest Threat Since WWII

Admiral Sir Alan West, Britain's Security Minister, told a London conference today that London faces the largest security challenge since World War II when it hosts the 2012 Olympics.

The terrorism threat level will likely rise to severe, ie an attack is considered highly likely.

Tell me again, why do we want these games?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
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Boris's Massive Erection - Cloud Cuckoo Land

Boris Johnson's competition for building an Olympics tower (the £15M cost of which will be funded by Lakshmi Mittal, the steel magnate) have received a number of "interesting" entries, including one from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for a cloud of inflatable plastic bubbles that would float above London's skyline.

The MIT architects are quoted in This is London:

"It proposes an entirely new form of observation deck, high above the Olympics — one from which one can not only see the whole of London, but the whole of the world, immersed in the euphoric gusts of weather and world data.

It offers London's highest park and an immersion within both our great clouded skies and the cosmos of our dataworlds — as well as a live information system transmitting data and imagery from around the city and the world."

'Nuff said!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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PY Nails It

My compliments to former Millennium Dome supremo, PY Gerbeau, for nailing the Olympics 2012 nonsense squarely on the head re lack of accountability etc.

The hapless Jowell still claims it will cost less than £10BN!

See their chat on the BBC.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Olympics Now Costs £14BN

It seems that my warnings about the costs of the Olympics being out of control, made repeatedly on this site, are proving to be correct.

The Telegraph reports that the oft reported budget figure of £9.325BN is in fact bollocks. Note, I have repeatedly stated that the figure (even if costs don't rise) should be £12BN as there are around £2BN of running costs that need to be added in.

However, on top of this, the Telegraph notes that there are "hidden" costs being spent by other public bodies that amount to at least £2.7BN.

That brings the total cost of the Games (including £2BN running costs) to over £14BN.

My personal bet is that the costs will hit around £20BN by the time these games are held in 2012.

The hapless Olympics minister, Tessa Jowell, told Parliament last year:

"I have made it absolutely clear to all the many stakeholders in the Olympics that £9.325 billion is the absolute limit of public money, whether it comes from the lottery, the London council taxpayer or the Exchequer."

LOL!

The London Olympics will turn out to be a white elephant of monumental proportions.

BTW, I did warn the Mayor of London (20 June 2008) about the budget:

"Boris

I will stake my reputation (such as it is) on the fact that the cost for the games will hit £20BN

http://the2008olympics.blogspot.com/search?q=%C2%A320BN

Remember, on top of the current "budget" of £10BN there are £2BN running costs..you do know that don't you?

Good luck!

Ken Frost MA FCA FIPFM"

Oddly enough, he never answered!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Olympic Weather Forecast

The Met Office will be providing weather forecasts etc for the London 2012 Olympics.

The forecasts will start from now, and will cover all of the 2012 venues; they are intended to help to give an up-to-date overview of the "micro-climate" at each competition and training venue.

This from the organisation that told us were in for a "barbecue" Summer!

ROFLOL!

Here's my forecast, it will either be "hot for the time of year" or "what ghastly weather!"

I guarantee that the Met Office will be unable to surpass that for accuracy!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
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Illusory Boost To Tourism

Despite the hype spewed forth by the IOC and politicians as to the tourism benefits arising from hosting the Olympics, the reality is in fact very different.

That at least is the view of the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA).

The association have issued a report that states that the London 2012 Olympic Games may in fact have a "detrimental" impact on tourism in London.

The report notes that cities that host the games suffer a drop in tourism in the years around the event.

ETOA state that London will most likely see a fall of around 2.5 million visitors and a loss of £1.5BN of revenue.

The claims made by politicians, and those with a financial interest in the games, of a boost from the Olympics are "wholly illusory" according to ETOA.

ETOA used data from the past six Olympics to compile the report. All the host cities experienced a major disruption to their normal tourism market, and none showed any obvious signs of tourism growth.

Beijing experienced a fall in international visitor arrivals of 30% in the month before the games.

Sydney lost "significant ground" to other Australian and New Zealand cities.

ETOA Executive Director, Tom Jenkins, is quoted by the BBC:

"We have yet to have a games where tourism has not been disrupted, and disrupted in a way that causes real harm.

Even in the case of Athens, where they carefully restricted new capacity, there were considerable losses before and after the games both in the capital and throughout Greece."

The costs of these ruinous games clearly outweigh the benefits.

Question: Why on earth do cities still compete to hold them?

Answer: The egos of the politicians, and the money to be made by the vested interests (eg multi nationals) with no local stake in the city/country hosting them.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Improving The Brand

Locog CEO Paul Deighton proved that he is not the man for the job of running Locog, nor should he be entrusted with taxpayers' money, when he said the other day:

"We're looking to put on a brilliant games that really works. To leave behind all those legacies and to improve the brand."

Why, pray tell, should the British taxpayer be funding the brand building of the IOC?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Retro Dining

BT are planning to reopen their revolving restaurant, at the top of the BT Tower in central London, in time for the London 2012 Olympics.

The restaurant has been closed to the public since 1980.

Regrettably, instead of looking for a good chef who can cook well, they are looking for a celebrity chef to oversee the restaurant.

The restaurant contains a 10ft-wide revolving section of floor that provides diners with a 360-degree view of London, it takes 20 minutes to complete a full revolution.

Given its limited seating (around 70) it is highly unlikely that the ordinary citizen will ever have the opportunity to dine there, I guarantee it that will be swamped with corporate bookings and (given the fact that a "celebrity chef" will be running it) the prices will be out of reach to most.

Which is sad as the Olympics legacy, I assumed, was meant to be for all the people not just the privileged few.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Olympics Spice

It would seem that the Spice Girls (a pop group that was famous in the 90's) may be planning a comeback just in time for the 2012 Olympics, and actually perform at the opening event.

All very nice, except for the fact that they already have made a "comeback" in 2007.

Has there been no new British musical talent since the 90's?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"