Olympics and Paralympics 2012 (and now the legacy-part one)

Well i can tell you that London was packed to the rafters today with people of all Nationality's dressed in their colours supporting the Olympics especially Team GB.I didnt see many of them hailing cabs nor buying overpriced Rolex watches as we strolled down Bond street heading towards Covent Garden but there was loads of food and booze being consumed.What a great day for Britain.

Suspected illegal immigrants have been arrested after being employed as Olympic security guards.

Three alleged bogus workers – employed as security guards – were arrested in a co-ordinated operation at St James Park in Newcastle - which is hosting a series of Olympic football games.

The arrests occurred on Wednesday, just 24 hours before Mexico and South Korea's game at Newcastle United's home ground.

UK Border Agency workers made the arrests alongside officers from Northumbria Police after acting on intelligence and carrying out routine checks.

The suspected illegal immigrants had been contracted in to provide security at the site and had already been installed at their posts, it is believed.

It is understood those arrested were brought into Newcastle by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) from a security company based in the south of the country.

LOCOG were unable to comment on the incident, but a spokesman from the Home Office confirmed the arrests took place.

The spokesman said: “These arrests show that UK Border Agency security checks are working.

“The responsibility for ensuring employees have the right to work in the UK rests with the employer.

“The UK Border Agency is working closely with employers and contractors at Olympics venues to prevent illegal working.”

Security firm G4S have faced heavy criticism in the run-up to the Olympics in Newcastle, after they failed to live up to their promise of providing security staff on Tyneside.

Earlier this week more than 500 staff from security firms across the country were called in to patrol St James’ Park, check bags, marshal spectators and carry out routine public safety and security functions for the tournament, which runs to August 4.

Earlier this month Sky Tyne and Wear revealed G4S had failed to ensure enough security staff turned up to provide protection for footballers staying at the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead, forcing Northumbria Police to step in.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "On Wednesday, July 25, officers carried out a number of arrests in conjunction with the UK Border Agency in connection with suspected immigration offences."

Last week two Olympic security guards were arrested on suspicion of being illegal immigrants at Coventry’s Ricoh Stadium.

LOCOG came under fire after fans reported delays getting into St James’ Park prior to Mexico’s goalless draw with South Korea, with some missing the match.

Newcastle City Council’s director of operations, Stephen Savage, said: “LOCOG are responsible for ticketing, sales and collections, and as soon as the city council became aware of the delays we made the strongest representations to LOCOG to tackle this issue.”

Whether they win lots off medals it won't take away a FACT that ALOT off people, ordinary people, have lost ALOT off money and I'm not talking about people who set up tents just to make money for two weeks I'm talking about businesses that have been going for years....people were warned not to go into central London and they haven't...restaurants that usually have lots off tourists have stayed away, even people that travel Into London to go to the theatre have stayed away...


Cabbies are getting fined for dropping off customers....£100 plus each time...one cabbie was fined over £200 ...that's MORE than he earned that day for a 10 shift....

kitti wrote:Whether they win lots off medals it won't take away a FACT that ALOT off people, ordinary people, have lost ALOT off money and I'm not talking about people who set up tents just to make money for two weeks I'm talking about businesses that have been going for years....people were warned not to go into central London and they haven't...restaurants that usually have lots off tourists have stayed away, even people that travel Into London to go to the theatre have stayed away...


Cabbies are getting fined for dropping off customers....£100 plus each time...one cabbie was fined over £200 ...that's MORE than he earned that day for a 10 shift....

I'm pleased that Britain has done so well but since the U.S. has been the only Country to make any money from hosting
the games I expect a huge bill for all this at a time when most of the World is in recession . I saw a photo of
how the Soldiers drafted in because of G4S cock-up and they are sleeping on camp beds, in old unused Buildings . What a disgrace, G4S should be stripped of all their Contracts with the Government.

G4 pisses even more.....importing workers from the eastern European block on a minimal wage then in turn for giving them jobs calling OUR brave British soldiers..'baby killers'.


I don't blame eastern european people for coming to the UK to work...I did, but I don't now...I blame the British employers for exploiting them...


My son is a car valeter and he has been layed off.....they got a polish man to do his job for half his wages ....I know off men working for £20 a day...9 hours a day they do and they have to get 2 buses home.....despicable exploitation off them by employers and THAT is why British people cant GET...you see I put GET because they can FIND but these employers won't employ people like my son because they can get a polish man to do it for less.


3 people he rang haven't rang back...1 person wants a CV...for loading bread onto a van and 10 years off references .....a kitchen porter job in gravesend.....1 1/2 hours away from me...wants a CV...checkable references which go back to before you were born and. ...a CRB certificate which HE has to pay for...and this is a temporary job!!! (why they want a CRB check to work in a hotel is beyond me).....everybody will be needing CRB checks soon just in case they happen to sit on a bus next to a child.

It pisses me off when these politicians say ...there's plenty off jobs out there, yes there are BUT employers don't want to give them a decent living wage so the employers use that excuse to get foreign workers so they can pay them BELOW the minimum wage.

Cardiff has been hosting some of the Football as a result, all the Taxis and some Bus stations have been moved outside the city Centre. The first match was Women"s which attracted a 30,000 crowd to a 72,000 capacity Stadium. It has created
more interest now because some of the Men's matches were played there, but shops and Taxis are furious because they are affected. Cardiff is a small City and the Stadium is right in the middle so you can imagine the disruption.

Your'e right Kitti about the illegals, they will melt into the community even more strain put on the existing population.

Also a big shopping centre or mall was closed all weekend to people without Olympic tickets.....what a bloody cheek!



I bet the shops in the mall lost a lot off money because off this .

kitti wrote:Also a big shopping centre or mall was closed all weekend to people without Olympic tickets.....what a bloody cheek!



I bet the shops in the mall lost a lot off money because off this .

Westfields is doing very well because it is in the area but one of the major Stores, can't remember the name, but very
Famous is charging £2 a head for admittance to view the Stadium from one of it's upstairs windows. They say it is because it is unfair to the shoppers who have come to buy.

kitti wrote:Also a big shopping centre or mall was closed all weekend to people without Olympic tickets.....what a bloody cheek!



I bet the shops in the mall lost a lot off money because off this .

There are no shops in the Mall kitti,just lots of nice Regal appartments and statues.And like i said above all the restaurants looked pretty busy to me.I should also say that all the important security stuff like the 'airport' type security as we entered the stadium was being managed by the Army boys and girls and the organisation was exceptional and efficient and polite and we were made to feel welcome.The Army are brilliant at doing these jobs properly.The G4 security people were mostly looking and behaving like you would expect those being paid a pittance and no proper training,and mostly all they were doing was telling people to keep off the grass and directing people accross the road ,badly in most cases. The real cost of the Olympics to the economy will never be known one way or the other but millions of people are loving it.

Panda wrote:

kitti wrote:Also a big shopping centre or mall was closed all weekend to people without Olympic tickets.....what a bloody cheek!



I bet the shops in the mall lost a lot off money because off this .

Westfields is doing very well because it is in the area but one of the major Stores, can't remember the name, but very
Famous is charging £2 a head for admittance to view the Stadium from one of it's upstairs windows. They say it is because it is unfair to the shoppers who have come to buy.

JOHN LEWIS

Badboy wrote:

Panda wrote:

kitti wrote:Also a big shopping centre or mall was closed all weekend to people without Olympic tickets.....what a bloody cheek!



I bet the shops in the mall lost a lot off money because off this .

Westfields is doing very well because it is in the area but one of the major Stores, can't remember the name, but very
Famous is charging £2 a head for admittance to view the Stadium from one of it's upstairs windows. They say it is because it is unfair to the shoppers who have come to buy.

JOHN LEWIS

That's it, thanks Badboy.I know the major London Stores, in Regent Street, Bond Street and Oxford Street are having a
hard time , the Law was lift for Sunday trading to help the shops but this morning, in the rain, was the women's
marathon with spectators lining the route so unless trade picks up this afternoon the shops won't benefit much.

Olympics 2012: Andy Murray wins Britain's 16th gold medal

Great Britain clinched two historic gold medals as their amazing run of success continued on Day Nine of the London Olympics.

Andy Murray swept aside world number one Roger Federer in straight sets 6-2 6-1 6-4 in the men's singles final to claim Olympic glory at Wimbledon.

Earlier 35-year-old Ben Ainslie had become the most-decorated sailor in Games history with his fourth individual gold thanks to victory in the Finn class at Weymouth.

Louis Smith narrowly missed out clinching Britain's first-ever Olympic title in men's gymnastics as he took silver on the pommel at Greenwich Arena.

Sailors Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson also took silver as they were edged out by Sweden for gold in the Star class in Weymouth.

Cyclist Ed Clancy is then in action in the multi-discipline omnium, with the final event starting at 18:18. He is looking to add to the cycling team's four out of five gold medals at the London Velodrome.

Play mediaPendleton breaks Olympic cycling record
In athletics, defending champion Christine Ohuruogu will defend her Olympic title in the women's 400m at 21:10 and appears to be Britain's best hope of adding to last night's three golds medals in the Olympic Stadium.

The last race of the night sees world record holder Usain Bolt in action in the showpiece 100m final at 21:50.

Britons Dwain Chambers, Adam Gemili and James Dasaolu are likely to need to break 10 seconds and post a season's best time to progress beyond the semi-finals at 19:45.

In the morning session at the Velodrome, British cyclist Victoria Pendleton broke the Olympic individual sprint record. but her potential final is not until Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a record 719,000 people turned out to watch Olympic events on Saturday - 92% of London 2012's capacity. So far, a total of about 5.1 million spectators have watched the Games, including more than one million visitors to the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London.

That's great news cherry 1, obvious the home crowd has been largely responsible and at times I have shed tears at the
drama of it all . Brits won Silver and Bronze in the Gymnastics this afternoon , Let's hope the weather brightens up next week .

I was so pleased for Murray after losing to Federer at Wimbledon, the crowd are terrific, he can win another gold with Laura Robson, match to start shortly in mixed doubles although they are not the favourites, but if they lose that is still a silver medal.

cherry1 wrote:I was so pleased for Murray after losing to Federer at Wimbledon, the crowd are terrific, he can win another gold with Laura Robson, match to start shortly in mixed doubles although they are not the favourites, but if they lose that is still a silver medal.

Iv'e never had much time for Murray but pleased he won. The Rowers races had me jumping up and down and such nice
down to earth young women and men who train for hours every day will hopefully inspire youngsters. Jessica Ennis is
an awsome athlete and Britain has jumped from 14th to 3rd place in just three days.

I think everyone of them have been stars!
Absolutely brilliant!

wjk wrote:I think everyone of them have been stars!
Absolutely brilliant!

Yes, these are truly OLYMPIANS and the spectators definitely spurred the athletes on as the winners freely admitted in their T.V. interviews.

Panda wrote:

wjk wrote:I think everyone of them have been stars!
Absolutely brilliant!

Yes, these are truly OLYMPIANS and the spectators definitely spurred the athletes on as the winners freely admitted in their T.V. interviews.

Yes, I love the way all the athletes etc have thanked the crowds for their support!

Murray missed out on the Gold with Laura Robson but they both did well
to get a Silver Medal.

I think i will go to London this Saturday or maybe Sunday as the 20 and 50 km walks are up the Mall on Sat and the marathon on Sun.
I have tried to get tickets for the Athletics but it looks like a hopeless cause so i am now resigned to saving up for Rio in four years time where i think it will be a tad easier to get tickets and probably very nice weather and people so i am looking forward to that.
Perhaps i'll take a cruise down there while i'm at it.

There is something on Mail online about where people can buy tickets in London which are being
sold off from other countries allocations from what I can make out.

apparently beach volleyball is great.

I think that Klum woman can come with me if She askes nicely.

she would probably turn up with her bodyguard

This is fun! https://www.google.co.uk/

We're winning so many medals the others think we're cheating !

And here's some Olympic Tattoos................