Humbled.....

gtvlusso

So, we ambled off to t'lympics last Thursday.

I must admit that I spent most of the previous Wednesday being incredibly cynical about our trip to Eton Dorney for the rowing.

Firstly, no parking on site (I know the rowing lake well and have always been able to park there for Regattas). Secondly, no bicycle parking - I was not looking forward to the journey......

So, we decided to get the train from Reading to Maidenhead and then the Olympic bus from Maidenhead station to Dorney.

Wow! It was a breeze - plenty of fantastic volunteers marshaling us all the way. The buses were not overcrowded and there were plenty of them. The whole journey was a little over 30 mins and completely painless. Chapeau to the Olympic ambassadors for being friendly, polite and being well informed - big thank you! And thank you to the Army and Police staff that were, again, friendly and polite even though they were railroaded into helping out last minute - superb job. The atmosphere and friendly nature of the staff really made the event for me.

t4tomo

similar story at Olympic park and Excel last week, transport first class, security a breeze.

My only grumble is that as ever they don't have enough food outlets. No way was i going to use the huge mcDonalds so not sure what the queues were like there, but they could have done with more compnaies there providing food, a downside of this massive corporate sponsoring.

But thats a minor grumble co pared to that massive positive of the other aspects, great atmosphere and friendly and enthusiatic volunteers.

Gazzaputt

Same for Hampton Court. Excellent organisation, stewards were all great and the army at security were quick and funny.

Took my own food but there was a one van which was ample for the amount of people on site.

After the event Hampton Court station was well marshaled.

gtvlusso

Surprisingly healthy food at Dorney - not a McD in sight! Lots of individual stands with plenty of diverse offerings and booze in a plastic cup!

Agent57

Getting from Manchester Piccadilly to Old Trafford for the footy on Saturday wasn't too bad. The queue for the bus was huge (we must have spent about half an hour in that one), but then it wasn't clear what the various queues were outside the stadium. We were in the stadium entrance queue for 20 minutes before finding out we had to have our bags checked first somewhere else. So left that queue, joined another, waited for another 20 minutes or so, before finally getting back into the first queue and missing the first few minutes of the match.

Along with not being allowed to take drinks into the stadium (no bottles of more than 100ml capacity, WTF?), it was somewhat annoying. Still, I got to sing YNWA in the East Stand, which made up for it a little.

vermin

I think as a sports event, for British sports fans, it's been a massive success; a triumph. Anyone been monitoring the foreign media to get the international view?

I haven't even heard any real complaints from non-sports-fans about transport disruption. The loudest complaints I've heard are from businesses (particularly theatres and the like) in central London, bemoaning loss of business.

rick_chasey

vermin wrote:

I think as a sports event, for British sports fans, it's been a massive success; a triumph. Anyone been monitoring the foreign media to get the international view?

I haven't even heard any real complaints from non-sports-fans about transport disruption. The loudest complaints I've heard are from businesses (particularly theatres and the like) in central London, complaining about loss of business.

They're blaming the olmypics for the fact Europe's skint and don't want to spend €4 on a coke - especially now the pound is creeping up against the Euro.


The Dutch athletes are saying it's Brillo pads, especially the volunteers.

vermin

It does look like a massive waste of money, but in truth it doesn't even register as a drop in the ocean.

Agent57

vermin wrote:

Anyone been monitoring the foreign media to get the international view?

Well, the Australians only report Australian swimming. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-19150505

Seems to be going down pretty well, overall: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19153855

nicklouse

vermin wrote:

The loudest complaints I've heard are from businesses (particularly theatres and the like) in central London, bemoaning loss of business.

and they were wrong
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19162268

sales UP 25%

asprilla

Train from Ashford to Windsor last Wednesday was packed to the gunnels and loads of folks couldn't get on at Staines. Two trains an hour with no extra Olympic trains and when we got to Windsor the car parks there were empty.

It was so packed that on the way back I decided to pay for a cab back to Ashford rather than rick the train again.

Roast pork sandwiches at Dorney were brilliant. Massive queues so I bought two for brunch and was defeated by them. It was pretty much a pig in a baguette.

rolf_f

I went to the Velodrome on Saturday morning. I ignored the signs on the underground and just followed the Olympic helpers (who all seemed cheerful and fun) to the velodrome. Took 15 minutes from getting off the Central line train at Stratford to getting through security (they apologised for the delay ) and into the park. We did not go through the shopping centre (and there are 3 other ways in which also avoid the shopping centre so all that stuff about being forced through the shopping centre is clearly bunk).

There was enough water (though it was hard to find) and plenty of toilets. I took as much food as I needed in so didn't need to bother with the on site catering. The queue for the velodrome was short and quick. The speakers at Park Live seemed a bit poor but that was about my only criticism.

I did what the tannoys requested and left via the South gate to West Ham tube. It took me about 30 minutes to get on a fairly empty Jubilee line train which may or may not have been quicker than leaving via Stratford but it wasn't really painful.

The train tickets were ridiculously cheap (£16 each way Leeds to London) and of course the travelcard that came with the Olympic ticket covered me to the SCR Summer Get together at Richmond.

The whole thing was pretty difficult to fault. The queue for the Mega Store was more mega than the overpriced merchandise inside so I didn't bother. I satisfied myself with a £7 keyring and will source a T shirt for less than £28 elsewhere.