The Telegraph reports that the residents living in the vicinity of the Royal Albert Hall are up in arms that the venue is re-applying for a sporting licence (in time for the Olympics), that will include wrestling and boxing.
The new license will also pave the way for the Hall to be used as a high-profile venue at the London Olympics in 2012.
The fact that in the past boxing matches etc were held at the Albert Hall does not cut any ice with the residents (who don't go to such "pleb" events).
Yasmin Doctor, one of the residents leading opposition from the Albert Hall Mansions block, said:
"You learn to put up with a certain amount of disruption living here, but the type of people attending boxing and wrestling matches aren't going to be your average Prom goer...."
Says it all doesn't it?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
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Friday, 29 January 2010
Thursday, 28 January 2010
LOCOG A Study In Perversity
The Telegraph reports that over 1,500 formal objections have been lodged with Greenwich Borough Council against LOCOG's planning application to use Greenwich Park for 2012 equestrian events.
Amongst the objections is one from ICOMOS-UK whose parent body, the International Council of Monuments and Sites, is advisor to UNESCO who designated Greenwich a World Heritage Site in 1997.
ICOMOS-UK believe that the equestrian Olympics will deter tourists, and that significant damage could be caused by equine and spectator infrastructure.
LOCOG insist that Greenwich is the only option as there is no "fall back" venue. Yet, perversely, LOCOG's own environmental statement shows that Windsor scores higher than Greenwich Park on facilities and the ability to host the contest.
Do LOCOG actually know what it is doing?
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"
Amongst the objections is one from ICOMOS-UK whose parent body, the International Council of Monuments and Sites, is advisor to UNESCO who designated Greenwich a World Heritage Site in 1997.
ICOMOS-UK believe that the equestrian Olympics will deter tourists, and that significant damage could be caused by equine and spectator infrastructure.
LOCOG insist that Greenwich is the only option as there is no "fall back" venue. Yet, perversely, LOCOG's own environmental statement shows that Windsor scores higher than Greenwich Park on facilities and the ability to host the contest.
Do LOCOG actually know what it is doing?
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"
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Olympics U Turn
Sportsbeat claim that "an official" has told them that the hapless Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell, is now willing to allow West Ham to discuss moving into the Olympics stadium after the Games.
They quote the unnamed official:
"I was at meetings three or four years ago with the minister and Ken Livingstone, when he was Mayor of London, and they did not want to have a football club in there.
This is a significant U-turn."
Now here's the funny thing, if West Ham do move in they may well rebrand themselves as West Ham Olympic.
What about the "brand fascists" working for Locog et al, who zealously guard the Olympics brand by stomping on any person/small business who dares to mention "Olympics", "2012", "London" etc in their publicity?
Oh well, given that the organisers are desperate for someone to use the stadium afterwards, I am sure the "brand fascists" will be told to remove their jackboots on this occasion.
It's the money, not the sport, that matters!
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"
They quote the unnamed official:
"I was at meetings three or four years ago with the minister and Ken Livingstone, when he was Mayor of London, and they did not want to have a football club in there.
This is a significant U-turn."
Now here's the funny thing, if West Ham do move in they may well rebrand themselves as West Ham Olympic.
What about the "brand fascists" working for Locog et al, who zealously guard the Olympics brand by stomping on any person/small business who dares to mention "Olympics", "2012", "London" etc in their publicity?
Oh well, given that the organisers are desperate for someone to use the stadium afterwards, I am sure the "brand fascists" will be told to remove their jackboots on this occasion.
It's the money, not the sport, that matters!
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"
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Passport To London 2012
Evidently the Councillors in Pas-de-Calais have been watching that fine Ealing classic "Passport To Pimlico".
That can be the only conclusion to draw from their plans to jump on the Olympics 2012 bandwagon, and rebrand Pas-de-Calais as being part of Britain.
Dominique Dupilet, head of the Pas-de-Calais' county council, is quoted in the Telegraph:
"I consider that we are the south of England, and because we're the south of England it's normal that we would associate ourselves with this extraordinary event."
The region has already signed a contract with Chad's boxing, wrestling, judo and athletics teams to hold training camps in the region. The canoe and kayak teams of Uzbekistan and Senegal have also agreed to train in Pas-de-Calais ahead of the Games.
I assume that Pas-de-Calais will be paying their share of the costs of the games then?
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"
Friday, 22 January 2010
The Corporate Olympics
The organisers of the London 2012 Olympics (Locog) have demonstrated yet again that the games are more about money and sponsorship, rather than sport.
Locog have allocated 60,000 tickets to a New Jersey company (JetSet Sports) for the overseas hospitality package market, and allocated 70,000 tickets to a joint venture between Mike Burton and Sodexo for UK clients.
It's the money, not the sport that matters!
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"
Locog have allocated 60,000 tickets to a New Jersey company (JetSet Sports) for the overseas hospitality package market, and allocated 70,000 tickets to a joint venture between Mike Burton and Sodexo for UK clients.
It's the money, not the sport that matters!
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"
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Groundhog Day For The LDA
It seems that all is not well in the London Development Agency (LDA), the body tasked with ensuring that there is some form of meaningful legacy from the 2012 London Olympics (aside from the burnished glow of politicians' egos).
The LDA auditors, audit committee and new finance director met at the LDA's audit, risk and performance committee last week. During this meeting, according to Accountancy Age, concerns were raised about the LDA's ability to file its next accounts on time.
Hardly stellar performance from what is meant to be a "professional" organisation!
However, this lack of professionalism should come as no surprise. The Audit Commission for the last two years running has criticised the poor quality of the LDA's accounts.
The reason that the LDA probably won't file its accounts on time is because (according to its CFO Ian Grattidge) it lacks technical accounting ability, and needs deeper financial understanding embedded within its business.
Grattidge is quoted by Accountancy Age:
"I want to see financially literate people across the business."
As with all Nu Labour projects, the quality of Olympics spin was always high. However, the technical abilities of those actually entrusted with delivering the spin sadly lacking.
Good luck to Grattidge, this smacks of Groundhog Day; as these issues have been raised before, without satisfactory resolution.
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"
The LDA auditors, audit committee and new finance director met at the LDA's audit, risk and performance committee last week. During this meeting, according to Accountancy Age, concerns were raised about the LDA's ability to file its next accounts on time.
Hardly stellar performance from what is meant to be a "professional" organisation!
However, this lack of professionalism should come as no surprise. The Audit Commission for the last two years running has criticised the poor quality of the LDA's accounts.
The reason that the LDA probably won't file its accounts on time is because (according to its CFO Ian Grattidge) it lacks technical accounting ability, and needs deeper financial understanding embedded within its business.
Grattidge is quoted by Accountancy Age:
"I want to see financially literate people across the business."
As with all Nu Labour projects, the quality of Olympics spin was always high. However, the technical abilities of those actually entrusted with delivering the spin sadly lacking.
Good luck to Grattidge, this smacks of Groundhog Day; as these issues have been raised before, without satisfactory resolution.
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"
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Plans Scuppered For Olympics Super Mosque
Newham Council and Olympics organisers have breathed a collective sigh of relief, as plans to build Britain's biggest mosque in East London have collapsed.
An Islamic missionary group, Tablighi Jamaat, wanted to build the so called "super mosque" (capable of accommodating 12,000 worshippers) near to the Olympic site.
They have been operating an illegal temporary mosque at Abbey Mills, just South of the London 2012 Olympics site in Stratford, and now have a week to leave the site.
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"
An Islamic missionary group, Tablighi Jamaat, wanted to build the so called "super mosque" (capable of accommodating 12,000 worshippers) near to the Olympic site.
They have been operating an illegal temporary mosque at Abbey Mills, just South of the London 2012 Olympics site in Stratford, and now have a week to leave the site.
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"
Monday, 18 January 2010
Speeding Sewage
Lord West (a Home Office Minister) has reassured a House of Lords sub committee that the London Olympics are safe from being hit by sewage travelling at "40 miles an hour".
I am at a loss to understand why sewage would suddenly shoot out onto the site. However, I am reassured to know that it now won't!
Re other, more likely occurrences, Lord West stated that thee games' computer system, which controls ticketing, has already come under cyber attack.
The BBC quote him:
"Almost every single government and industrial and other site is under attack, probably quite regularly. There are always people trying to get into these things.
And so on the Olympic system, for example, we have found there have been some attacks on that and we are aware of those and we are dealing with them, but it's something that we have to constantly monitor."
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"
I am at a loss to understand why sewage would suddenly shoot out onto the site. However, I am reassured to know that it now won't!
Re other, more likely occurrences, Lord West stated that thee games' computer system, which controls ticketing, has already come under cyber attack.
The BBC quote him:
"Almost every single government and industrial and other site is under attack, probably quite regularly. There are always people trying to get into these things.
And so on the Olympic system, for example, we have found there have been some attacks on that and we are aware of those and we are dealing with them, but it's something that we have to constantly monitor."
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"
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
British Shooting's £400K Legacy
The Telegraph reports that British Shooting has been advised by the government that if it wants a post 2012 legacy at Woolwich, it will have to pay £400K for the privilege.
I wonder if that figure will be added to the Olympics budget, even if British Shooting pay it, given that the concept of "legacy" is what we are being told the money is being spent on?
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"
I wonder if that figure will be added to the Olympics budget, even if British Shooting pay it, given that the concept of "legacy" is what we are being told the money is being spent on?
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"
Monday, 11 January 2010
The Olympics Stormtroopers
Baroness Valentine, CEO of London First, has put the boot into Locog by referring to them as "stormtroopers" wrt the zealousness with which they protect the Olympic brand and its associated names eg "2012", "London" etc.
Baroness Valentine says that small companies were being targeted by aggressive "brand police", and asked for Locog to show more leniency.
Lady Valentine said:
"Even mentioning London and 2012 in the same sentence can result in a shot across the bows from the brand police of Lord Coe.
We should be building excitement.
My worry is that the reputation earned by Locog's stormtroopers threatens to undermine the potential for London."
Always remember, the Olympics is about money not sport!
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"
Baroness Valentine says that small companies were being targeted by aggressive "brand police", and asked for Locog to show more leniency.
Lady Valentine said:
"Even mentioning London and 2012 in the same sentence can result in a shot across the bows from the brand police of Lord Coe.
We should be building excitement.
My worry is that the reputation earned by Locog's stormtroopers threatens to undermine the potential for London."
Always remember, the Olympics is about money not sport!
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"
Monday, 4 January 2010
Drugs Bust
Lord Moynihan, chairman of the British Olympic Association, is proposing a new law that would give police the right to search Olympic athletes' rooms for performance-enhancing drugs.
Whilst using performance enhancing drugs is outwith the rules of the Olympics, since when were some of these performance enhancing drugs illegal?
Granting police these powers would be a further erosion of the civil liberties, that the Labour administration has already spent years undermining.
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"
Whilst using performance enhancing drugs is outwith the rules of the Olympics, since when were some of these performance enhancing drugs illegal?
Granting police these powers would be a further erosion of the civil liberties, that the Labour administration has already spent years undermining.
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"
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