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.

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

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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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

Olympics Turns London Into Armed Encampment

Up to six surface to air missile batteries may be deployed in London, to defend the capital from airborne attack during the Olympics.

Two housing complexes, Bow Quarter in Tower Hamlets and the Fred Wigg Tower in Waltham Forest, have both been identified as potential sites.

Blackheath Common and Oxleas Wood, both in south east London, plus William Girling Reservoir in the Lea Valley Reservoir Chain in Enfield and Barn Hill at Netherhouse Farm in Epping Forest are also being considered as sites.

Meanwhile, this week, there will be a military exercise in London with thousands of soldiers, sailors and airmen joining police to test security preparations ahead of the games.

Is hosting the Olympics really worth all of this?

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"

The Heathrow Cover Up - A National Disgrace

As loyal readers and hapless Heathrow passengers know, Heathrow's ability to process passenger arrivals in a speedy and efficient manner has collapsed.

This of course could not come at a worse time for the government, as with the Olympics (and Diamond Jubilee) just around the corner the country will be at the centre of the world's media eye just when large numbers of tourist/visitors are expected to pass through Heathrow.

Faced with this collapse of efficient arrivals' processing at Heathrow it seems that, according to the Telegraph, the powers that be within the failing UK Border Agency (UKBA) are trying to cover up their failure.

On Saturday BAA, the owner of Heathrow, tried to issue a leaflet apologising to passengers for the “very long delays” and saying people entering the country “deserved a warmer welcome”.

The leaflet suggested that passengers should complain to the Home Office.

Unfortunately for BAA, Marc Owen the director of UKBA operations at Heathrow, told BAA the leaflet was “inappropriate”.

He made threats to BAA:

“The leaflet is not all right with us. It is both inflammatory and likely to increase tensions in arrivals halls especially in the current atmosphere. 

It is inappropriate in that it is not for you to display how to complain on our behalf. 

Please refrain from handing out [the leaflets] or I will escalate [the matter] with ministers who are likely to take a very dim view. I know there are copies in the hall and your troops are ready with them.”

For good measure he also told BAA to stop passengers taking pictures of the queues in the arrivals hall.

The Daily Telegraph also has in its possession emails from within UKBA detailing the extent of the chaos.

It is quite clear that the current procedures being used at Heathrow to process arrivals are failing, and most certainly will not cope with the forthcoming Olympics.

This is a national disgrace!

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"

The Heathrow Clusterfuck

Earlier this month I wrote the following:

"Heathrow believes that its temporary Terminal 6 will be able to cope with the departing Olympics VIPs after the Games.

All very well, if you are a departing VIP. However, what of those coming to the UK before and during the Games?

It seems no one running Heathrow has thought of that. Step forward Culture Select Committee chairman, John Whittingdale, who has pointed out the elephant in the room and said that not enough thought seemed to have been given to ways of coping with long queues at immigration.

Seemingly, the much maligned and inept UK Border Agency (UKBA) is whining that it has insufficient money to open all of its passport stations.

Mr Whittingdale is quoted by the BBC as saying that MPs:

"did not leave the briefing confident that Heathrow was ready to cope with the arrival of a huge number of competitors, Olympic family and visiting tourists in timely fashion.

We understand that significant preparations have been made to accommodate unusual sporting equipment, special lanes for the Olympic family, welcoming arrangements for competitors and additional Olympic ambassadors.

However, far less thought seems to have been given to the issue of how to deal with long queues at immigration.

The UKBA (UK Border Agency) representative suggested that there was insufficient funding to ensure all passport stations would be open.

While visiting tourists will understand that the Olympics is a busy time, if the wait (at immigration) is in excess of an hour it may deter tourists from returning. The second impact may be that planes cannot unload their passengers into the terminal due to capacity being exceeded. This would lead to circling in the air, planes being left on runways or planes blocking gates."

In other words, Heathrow will be more of a shambles than ever during the peak travel season."

It seems, as news reports of 3 hour delays at Heathrow immigration show, that the shambles is already upon us.

Figures obtained by the Daily Telegraph, covering the first two weeks of April, have revealed the extent of the chaos faced by people flying into Heathrow.

Immigration Minister Damian Green was told he will have account for the chaos when he appears before the Home Affairs Select Committee and explain the chronic queues that are doing "huge damage" to Britain's reputation.

There are fears that the problems are tarnishing the UK's image, particularly with the London Olympics only three months away.

Heathrow is a clusterfuck, by anyone's standards!


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"

Olympics "Budget" Beyond Belief!

The arguments over the Olympics "Budget" continue, with the Public Accounts Committee laying to Jonathan Stephens the most senior civil servant in soon to be "resigned" Jeremy Hunt's Department for Culture Media and Sport.

The Telegraph reports that the cost of providing security for the games has rocketed skywards, eg elements of the main contract with private security provider G4S (the company that illegally bans photos being taken on public land) have increased by up to seven times.

Liberal Democrat MP Ian Swales said it was “beyond belief” that the Government would have agreed to such a huge increase in the security budget (£86M to £284M) if it had not been forced to do the deal in a hurry having underestimated the original requirement. 

PAC took Stephens to task for this, along with his response to a recent PAC report which described the Olympic budget as “finely balanced”.

Margaret Hodge (Chairman of PAC) quite rightly said that PAC had the right to tell the public the real cost of the Olympics.

For good measure Hodge, again quite rightly,  said it was “dishonest” not to acknowledge that some costs outside the Games budget, such as transport improvements, could be interpreted as Olympic spending.

Stephens claims that he remained “very confident” that the Games would be delivered within the £9.3BN budget.

Which is all very well except that, as has already been pointed out, the "budget" is £12BN!

The whole Olympics "Budget" is in fact beyond belief!

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"

Jeremy Hunt Soon Out of Office

Jeremy Hunt, the  UK Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, is under heavy pressure to explain the extent of his links with News Corporation while the company was lobbying to get approval for its buyout of BSky.

Bookmakers have now suspended any further bets on him to be next Cabinet minister to leave office.

Paddypower:

"BREAKING: We have suspended betting on politician Jeremy Hunt leaving cabinet. Something big is about to go down...??!!"

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"

Newham's Social Cleansing

Wherever the Olympics is held, those deemed "undesirable" and a potential threat to the "brand image" of the host city are always moved on.

Step forward Newham Council in East London, where this year's summer Olympic Games will be held, which has decided to cleanse itself of its less "desirable" inhabitants by trying to move 500 families to Stock -on-Trent.

A spokesman for Newham told The Telegraph that the new housing benefit cap of £400 a week had made it difficult to find private homes for low-income families.

"Newham – along with other London councils – is under significant pressure.

We are doing everything we can to ensure we have good quality, affordable housing which is fairly distributed. 

 Alongside a number of other London councils, we are also exploring the option of working with housing associations outside the borough to house people with an immediate need in the private sector, when there is no other alternative."

The solution for Newham is simple. All they have to do is ask one of their councillors, Ayesha Chowdhury, to help out. She has financial interest in a string of properties in Newham.

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"

G4S Ban Photographs

It seems that some journalists had a wee bit of a run in with G4S, the private security company protecting the Olympics park, the other day when G4S tried to stop photos being taken by the journalists on public land.

The Guardian reports:

"Private guards at the Olympic park have been filmed forcibly attempting to stop the media taking pictures and footage of the complex in east London, raising new concerns about potentially aggressive and over-intrusive security during the Games.

During the incident two guards from G4S, the security giant which is recruiting at least 10,000 staff for the event, attempted to clamp their hands over the lenses of stills and video cameras, even though the footage is being shot on public land.

While there are numerous rules about photography and filming inside the Olympic complex itself, which is private land, there are no restrictions on the use cameras from public areas."

Apparently no one told G4S that photos can be taken from public land.

This "misunderstanding" by G4S over the law does not bode well for the smooth and "harmonious" running of the games.

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"

A Farking Waste of Money - The £5K Sandcastle

Congratulations to Locog for coming up with new ways of wasting money on the London 2012 Olympics.

This time they took four days and spent £5K on building a 13ft-high sandcastle on Weymouth beach, to mark the 100 day countdown to the Olympics.

Unfortunately, those of you wishing to go and see the sandcastle will be sorely disappointed. Once the requisite PR pictures were taken, the sandcastle was demolished.

For why?

Locog and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council decreed that it was a health and safety hazard. Therefore, instead of hiring a security company to guard it, they hired a mechanical digger to destroy it.

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"