After Beijing: A Mongolian Legacy For London 2012
AFTER the 2012 Olympics, the Olympic village will be transformed into the “lungs of East London”, a venue where those not already evicted from the homes and business can come and with big hearty coughs clear their lungs of the city’s visible air.
For those of you who doubt the power of the Olympic legacy, consider the glories of White City (1908; turn left at the Fly Over) and the wonder that is Wembley (turn right at Ikea and watch out for traffic).
Says the message in the flame:
We need a powerful brand to help us achieve our ambition. A brand that combines the power of the Olympic rings and the city of London together. The number 2012 is our brand. It is universal and understandable worldwide
As Waltham Forest borough council hymned.
“The Olympics will promote sport and healthy living in the capital,” it says. “We can now look forward to seeing the area regenerate with the best sporting, leisure and cultural facilities the world has ever seen.”
And that legacy could last all the way to 2009. The Waltham College swimming pool is now managed on a day to day basis by GeLL. “It is anticipated that the pool will continue to operate until June 2009 subject to ongoing review by GLL, the Local Authority and the College.”
“It’s happening here,” trills the Waltham Forest Council slogan. “And it will continue to happen here while everyone’s looking. Then we’ll most likely shut the borough’s biggest public pool.”
Over in Beijing the Olympic legacy is make terrific strides in enduring progress and 21st Century bleeding-edge synergies etcetera and so forth:
Beijing Boyce blogs about the reopening of ‘the best little hot dog stand in Beijing’, also known as Maggie’s.
The bar is notorious for its regular crowd of Mongolian ‘students’ who enjoy the company of pot-bellied foreign men. It is also famous for selling some of the best hot dogs in Beijing.
Maggie’s was closed in the general clean up of Beijing before the Olympics. Even people with inside information (like Beijing Boyce himself?) were uncertain if it would ever open its doors again.
It seems however that the Maggie’s website, while not shut down, has not finished its renovations.
Hope yet for London’s gardeners, although the new stadium may cast a shadow over their patches on market day…
Posted: 9th, December 2008 | In: Key Posts, Sports Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
