The Olympics

The Olympics

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News, information and stories about the Olympic Games.

Saturday 19 May 2012

Site Moved

The Olympics has moved to www.olympicsdiary.com which will direct you to my new blog url http://the2012olympicgames.blogspot.com

Thank you for your patience.

Friday 18 May 2012

Admin Announcement

I have changed the url on my Olympics site, and this seems to have caused some issues with accessibility.

I have changed the base url of the blog itself to http://the2012olympicgames.blogspot.com and also changed the redirect from the main urls, eg it can be found at the following url www.olympicsdiary.com

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com

www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Wednesday 16 May 2012

Naked Flame Brought On Plane

David Beckham, the former England captain and part time underwear salesman, together with Princess Anne will receive the Olympic flame in the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens tomorrow.

The princess, Beckham and a delegation including Sebastian Coe, will return to the UK with the flame on a special BA2012.

How is that ordinary passengers are not allowed to bring lighters onto planes, but these guys can bring a naked flame?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com

www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Tuesday 15 May 2012

Civil Servants' Seven Week Domestic Sojourn

In order to ease congestion on London's lousy and third world transport infrastructure, the Timesreports that  tens of thousands of civil servants will be allowed to avoid travelling to work from 21 July six days before the opening ceremony of the Olympics until 9 September when the Paralympics finish (seven weeks later).

They will be allowed to work from home, unlike many of those who work in the private sector.

Suffice to say, many people in the private sector are asking how the civil service will function effectively during this seven week hiatus. Others observe that no one will notice the difference!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com

www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Monday 14 May 2012

Olympic Bureaucracy

My thanks to a loyal reader who has written to me advising me of the considerable problems that she has had trying to set up a modest food concession in the Olympic Park during the forthcoming Olympics:
"I made an enquiry with regards to obtaining a unit within the Olympic grounds to sell food in 2007, at that time I was doing my catering from my home but am now established in a premises specialising in authentic Guyanese foods including Caribbean foods. 

At the time of my enquiry I was advised that an organisation would be set up to deal with the Olympics. 

In May 2009 I contacted the organisers, and I was advised that I needed to registered to be considered for any opportunities, so in May I registered.

On the 11 May 2009 I was sent an email confirming my registration. 

I have since been in contact with Compete 4 regularly.

They sent me to London 2012, and then finally I have been directed to my Council, who do not understand why I was sent to them.

I have been told that I need to wait, and if I am successful I would be informed. However, there are now less than 75 days left until the games and I still do not know my position.

From my understanding this Olympics is supposed to help small businesses, but I am struggling to obtain any information as to my position.

Please can you help me?"
It  is clear to me that the bureaucracy involved has not been at all helpful to this loyal reader, who only wants a simple answer to her question as to whether she has been successful or not.

Can anyone help her please?

Thanks.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com

www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Saturday 12 May 2012

The Sonic Games

Not content with turning London into an armed encampment for the Olympics, organisers have now deployed a long range acoustic device (LRAD) which can be used both as a high-powered loud speaker and to emit an ear-piercing beam of sound (ie a sonic weapon).

The MOD claim that it would be used primarily in ''loud hailer mode'', in order to issue verbal warnings to any boats on the River Thames that were causing concern.


Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com

www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Friday 11 May 2012

Last Remaining Olympics Tickets On Sale

The last 900,000 tickets for the Olympics are now on sale for 20,000 previously failed
applicants.


There are mixed reports of success and failure from people trying to use the online ticket site.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com

www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Thursday 10 May 2012

A Bad Omen - Ill Wind Blows Flame Out

The Olympic flame was lit in Olympia Greece today, and then (according to Paul Kelso) was blown out by the wind.

Is this ill wind a bad omen for the London Olympics, or for Greece?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com

www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Wednesday 9 May 2012

Locog Reneges On Another Promise

Locog has reneged on yet another promise, and has decreed that it will charge up to £15 for 30,000 tickets for prime vantage points for the Olympics cycling event at Box Hill and up to £15 for 3,500 tickets for the start and finish area of the time trial at Hampton Court Palace.

Locog had previously promised that the admission would be free.

Additionally, smelling more money to be made, Locog will sell about 6,000 tickets at £10 each over the last three days to watch a large television screen on Henman Hill at Wimbledon. There will be no tennis on the outside courts on those days.

Locog are offering these "new" tickets for sale on 23 May.

However, the Telegraph reports that these are in fact a sop "to fend off criticism from nearly a million applicants who will again fail to secure any tickets in the next round of sales which start on Friday".

This Friday will see the sale of 928,000 tickets.

Ticketmaster executive Chris Edmonds has warned that the expected demand will create a slow computer system, that could take 20 minutes to process a payment:
People will have to have patience."
Which roughly translated means:
"In order to maximise our profits we didn't invest in a system that can handle the load, tough luck!"

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com

www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Sunday 6 May 2012

Security Snafu - Fake Bomb Smuggled Into Olympic Park

Despite turning London into armed encampment, it appears that those in charge of security of the London Olympics still have a few "issues" to address.

Number one on the list being the report that a fake bomb was smuggled into the Olympic park, 24 hours before yesterday's official opening!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com

www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Friday 4 May 2012

The Olympics - The World's Largest Catering Event!

Those of you who thought that the Olympics are about sport are sorely misguided, they are not about sport according to Jon Woods the general manager for Coca-Cola UK & Ireland.

What then are the Olympics about, if not sport?
The Olympics will be the biggest single catering event in the UK since the Second World War.” 
All clear now?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com

www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Tuesday 1 May 2012

New Olympic Threat Emerges - Moths!

Despite turning London into an armed encampment during the Olympics, it seems that the authorities cannot protect the visitors to the games from every threat.

Experts are warning of the threat posed by oak processionary moths, which may well infest the oak tree in East London where the Olympics will be held.

In their caterpillar stage they are covered in 63,000 toxic hairs, which can trigger asthma attacks. Airborne hairs can cause painful skin and throat rashes, running eyes, vomiting and dizziness.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com

www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"