Olympics 2012 is Happening in Scotland – Olympic rings unveiled in Glasgow

Olympics 2012 is Happening in Scotland – Olympic rings unveiled in Glasgow

Scotland has unveiled a set of giant Olympic rings as it prepares for its role in the 2012 Games.

The three-tonne structure went up in George Square in Glasgow on Thursday morning – just over a week before the Olympic Torch comes to Scotland.

Giant sets of Olympic rings are being installed at sites across the UK as a backdrop to the Games – and at 16ft high and 33ft long, the set being used in Glasgow is the biggest.

The city was given a £270,000 grant by the Government Olympic Executive (GOE) to prepare for hosting football events.

Eight Olympic football matches will be held at Hampden Park in July and August.

The money, earmarked for helping Glasgow spruce up for its role as host, has also been spent on more than 20,000 feet of bunting and almost 700 banners and flags.

The Olympic rings were unveiled by school pupils and Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson.

He said: “It is an historic day for Glasgow to be unveiling not just the first set of Olympic rings in Scotland, but also the largest stainless steel rings in the UK, which will act as a spectacular and iconic welcome to the city for visitors and Games spectators alike.

“Glasgow’s Olympic countdown is really gathering momentum with the arrival of the torch next week and less than 60 days until our first football match at Hampden kicks off.

“I am delighted that we are able to bring the symbol of the Olympic Games into the heart of Glasgow to build on the anticipation and excitement of what is going to be an incredible summer, not just for London but for the whole country.”

Football is, in the words of no less an authority than Sir Bobby Charlton, a “simple game”.

Two teams of 11 players on an outdoor pitch seek to put the ball in the others’ net, and the team with the most goals after 90 minutes wins. Straightforward enough? Well, there is the complication of the offside rule, which these days some of the game’s best commentators may even struggle to define. The phrase ‘interfering with play’ has joined the argument over ‘goal-mouth technology’ as a weekly debating point, but the essence of football remains unchanged.

The men’s competition will be an under-23s event, but each country will be allowed to select three older players. There are no age restrictions on the women’s competition.

The teams will be divided into groups of four (three groups in the women’s tournament, four groups for the men), and the best eight teams will qualify for the quarter-finals. From here, the competitions are played to a knockout format: the two winning semi-finalists will play for the gold medal at Wembley, with the two losing semi-finalists facing off for the bronze.

Events / disciplines

Men’s football, women’s football

Gold medals available 2

 

Are you travelling in 2012 as a group? Olympics? – Private Coach v Train

Are you travelling in 2012 as a group?

Olympics?

Private Coach v Train

Are you travelling in 2012 as a group?

6 to 70 passengers?

Perhaps to an Olympic Event around the UK?

Private Coach v Train

Private Coach

Door to door service

Pick up from your hotel

Drop off direct at the event

Ready to sweep you away as soon as you are ready

Travel in luxury comfort with guaranteed seat

Can cost 1/3 of cost of taxi / tube and train

Walk, Tube, Taxi, Train

Make your own way by foot to the tube station

Wait for the tube

Wait for your train

Maybe you will get a seat on the train, maybe stand

Hopefully you will eventually get a cab the other end

Could be a real challenge getting a cab away from the event

Example

Group of 6 – 70 travelling

London to Weymouth for Olympic Event

Train

Hotel to tube – 10 min walk

Av. Tube hotel / station £8.40 – 30 mins

Waiting time for Train – 15 mins

Return Train £56.80 – 3 hours

Taxi waiting time – 20 mins

Av Taxi to venue (4 sharing) £10 – 15 mins

Hotel to venue – 4 hours 30 mins +

Cost per head £75.20+

Luxury 16 seat mini coach

Hotel pick up and drop off.

Straight to the venue – drop off and pick up

Average time – 2 hours 40 mins

Average Cost per head – £49.68

Luxury 6 seat vehicle

Hotel pick up and drop off.

Straight to the venue – drop off and pick up

Average time – 2 hours 40 mins

Average Cost per head – £69.50

 

Luxury 70 seat coach

Hotel pick up and drop off.

Straight to the venue – drop off and pick up

Average time –  3 hours

Average Cost per head – £37.50

Supper big raised windows

on the new luxury 16-seater

for great panoramic views

Not a Taxi in Sight and looks

like it’s going to rain!

Luxury Large Coach Travel

Door to door service

Prices around £37.50 each

On board entertainment and refreshments

Train and not a seat to found –

oh well just 3 hours standing up

is it really that bad!

Luxury 6 to 16 seat mini coaches

Price around £49 and £69 each

TV / DVD and bar on board

Olympic Travel

London is one of the biggest cities on earth – and has one of the most extensive public transport systems. Some of your options for getting around London during the Games are outlined below.

London Underground

London’s huge network of underground trains – known as the ‘Tube’ – carries more than one billion passengers a year and features 11 lines serving 170 stations. All London 2012 venues within London can be reached by the ‘Tube’, with the exception of ExCeL, Greenwich Park and Woolwich Arsenal.

Dockland’s Light Railway (DLR)

One of the first light rail systems in Britain, the DLR network is located in south-east London and serves London 2012 venues at the Olympic Park, ExCeL, Greenwich Park and The Royal Artillery Barracks.

London Overground

London Overground serves London 2012 venues in the Olympic Park on the Richmond/Clapham Junction to Stratford line.

London’s buses

London has an extensive bus network, with routes and stops close to all London 2012 venues. You can now check live bus arrival times online using a smartphone or desktop PC – visit the Transport for London website

Travel advice

The transport network will be even busier than usual during the Games, so it’s even more important that you are fully prepared for what to expect. Here’s some things to bear in mind when using London’s public transport network:

• Look out when you’re crossing roads – don’t forget cars drive on the left-hand side
• If you’re travelling by train or Tube, stand behind the yellow line on platforms and allow passengers off the train before boarding
• Move down inside train carriages and buses, allowing others on behind you, and keep everything clear of the doors
• Stand on the right-hand side of escalators in stations – the left-hand side is for people in a hurry
• Do not leave your bags unattended at any point on your journey
• If you see an unattended bag or package, don’t touch it – just let a member of staff or the police know immediately
• Try to avoid walking alone at night. Keep to well-lit main roads and walking routes
• Look after your belongings. Make sure your bag is zipped and don’t flash around your mobile phone or other valuables

Today’s Torch News – Olympic torch: Bonington takes flame to Snowdon summit

Mountaineer  during day 11 of the relay.

The flame travelled in a lantern on the Snowdon Mountain Railway before Sir Chris took the torch to the summit.

“The honour of carrying this torch, and joining other torchbearers around the United Kingdom, the whole thing is wonderful,” he said afterwards.

Earlier the flame crossed the Menai Strait and travelled on a lifeboat.

Sir Chris, 77, began his climbing career on Snowdon 61 years ago. It is the highest mountain in Wales but a sizeable crowd had gathered around the trig point at the summit, 1,085m (3,650 feet) above sea level, to watch him hold the flame aloft.

And although he has spent many hours climbing it over the years, travelling on the narrow gauge, rack and pinion railway, which was constructed in the 1890s, ensured the occasion was a still a notable first for him.

“I find it quite emotional as this is to do with so much of my climbing heritage,” said Sir Chris.

“I started my climbing here 61 years ago. This is huge and I’m very, very proud.”

Since then, the relay has visited another of north Wales great sites, the Great Orme limestone headland in Llandudno – and travelled by cable car.

The torch was greeted by 3,000 cheering schoolchildren at Parc Eirias in nearby Colwyn Bay.

Also carrying the flame during the day will be gymnast Beth Tweddle and jockey Jason Maguire, who will ride the final leg in Chester.

Maguire’s entrance into The Roodee Racecourse on 2011 Chester Cup winner Overturn will signal the end of Tuesday’s 79-mile journey, with the flame having been passed on by 125 torchbearers.

The day began at Beaumaris Castle, with the first torchbearer Lorna Price handing it to rugby player Elen Evans who carried the torch on a lifeboat for a 15-minute trip across the Menai Strait.

After the flame’s journey on RNLI Annette Mary Liddington it left the Isle of Anglesey along Telford’s Menai Suspension Bridge – which was the first of its kind in the world when it was completed in 1826.

On a day which sees the torch utilise various forms of transport, it was taken by cable car up the Great Orme, the limestone headland on the Creuddyn Peninsula in Llandudno, after returning from the top of Snowdon.

Later, at about 17:45 BST, the flame will reach the Welsh border at Saltney, where Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle will carry it.

On leaving Saltney, it will be escorted by actors playing Roman soldiers, who will join the convoy at the Old Dee Bridge to welcome it to Chester.

The escort is a tribute to the heritage of the city, which was founded as Deva Victrix in the year 79 by the Romans, who stayed until the 5th Century.

“Gladiators” will stand at the Amphitheatre to greet the torch as it enters the city streets, and Canon Jane Brooke from Chester Cathedral is expected to meet torchbearers at its West Door.

Also among the day’s torchbearers is 16-year-old Alex Staniforth, who is the youngest person to complete the Three Peaks Challenge solo, and Ian Powell, a 26-year-old wheelchair sports coach.

And in Hawarden, Vladimir Tolstoy, the great-great-grandson of Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, will carry the flame.

The evening celebration at Chester includes performances from rock band Kids In Glass Houses and dance act Twist & Pulse, while world champion and Olympic rowing medallist Rebecca Romero will also be welcomed on stage.

A total of 8,000 people will carry the flame on its 8,000 mile, 70-day journey around the UK to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on 27 July.

Source BBC Wales

 

Rent a Stars Holiday Home – Luxury Holiday Home Rentals

Rent a Stars Holiday Home – Luxury Holiday Home Rentals

SIR Mick Jagger’s lavish Caribbean holiday home is available for hire — at £9,500 a week.

But fans will find the Rolling Stones singer is choosy about who he’ll let into his villa on Mustique.

Sir Mick, 68, demands full details of applicants’ backgrounds, including professions, before they are even considered.

Stones throw away from the beach … inside Mick’s Caribbean home

Bandmate Keith Richards, 68, charges nearly four times more — £35,000 a week — for his beach-front Caribbean house at Parrot Cay Resort in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Gimme Shelter rockers are among a host of music legends, film stars and celebrities renting out their private holiday homes in dream locations.

Stunning … take a dip in Bruce Willis’ pool in Caribbean

Richards’ actor neighbour Bruce Willis, 57, charges a weekly £87,500 to stay at his six-acre ocean-front compound.

Guitarist Eric Clapton, 67, demands up to £56,000 a week from guests at his huge estate on Antigua, with its four staff.

Plush … Bruce Willis’ pad

But all those Caribbean celebs’ fees pale in comparison with the £350,000 Sir Richard Branson, 61, asks for a week on his private Necker Island.

Come in, the water’s lovely … Eric Clapton’s home in Antigua

Just east of the Caribbean, illusionist David Copperfield, 55, owns 11 islands at Musha Bay in the Bahamas, where his weekly rate starts at £168,000.

Secluded … Eric Clapton’s hillside home

In California, movie star Orlando Bloom, 35, seeks £27,555 a week for his Los Angeles villa, while actresses Charlize Theron, 36, and Pamela Anderson, 44, charge £8,000 for their Malibu homes.

No illusion … David Copperfield’s home is available from £168,000 a week

Source – RICHARD WHITE Chief Showbiz Reporter http://www.thesun.co.uk

Great London2012 News – Heathrow border staff ‘are ready’ for Olympics demand

Heathrow is ready to cope with a huge surge in demand during the Olympics, despite recent concerns over queuing and security, officials have insisted.

Hundreds of extra fully trained border staff will be brought in, Marc Owen, Heathrow director of the UK Border Force, told a media briefing in London.

Managers also insisted that security measures would be proportionate.

Long queues at Britain’s busiest airport have been a source of concern for the government ahead of the Games.

Both the home secretary and immigration minister have pledged to deal with the delays.

Last week the government said it would bring forward the recruitment of 70 border staff by two years to prevent lengthy queues at Heathrow following the Olympics.

Heathrow has spent more than £20m on preparation, and managers insisted at Monday’s briefing that visitors would not suffer because of problems at the UK’s borders.

Nick Cole, head of Olympic and Paralympic planning at Heathrow, said that as the official host airport about 80% of all visitors would pass through in a “unique operational challenge”.

The busiest day will be 13 August, the day after the Olympics closing ceremony.

The airport expects to process 137,800 people leaving on that day, and 200,000 bags instead of an average of 150,000 on a normal day.

Mr Owen said he was confident the airport could cope during the period covering the Olympics and Paralympics.

E-passports

“We have got hundreds of staff. I am not going to go into a numbers game of how many staff we have got,” he said.

“We have got enough staff coming in to man our desks through the seven-week period.”

He said the airport would also be using the e-Passport gates at the airport to speed up the process.

He added that 16 mobile teams would be at the airport to carry out a variety of tasks, and there would also be new signage at border areas.

The airport is building a special terminal for athletes departing from the Olympics. It will have 31 check-in desks and seven security lanes.

When athletes leave the Olympic village, their bags will be collected on the night of the closing ceremony and checked in overnight, in an effort to lighten the load on the airport.

Source BBC News

 

Remaining tickets for the Paralympic Games will go on sale from 11am on 21 May 2012

Olympic Games and Paralympic Games ticket sales

Remaining tickets for the Paralympic Games will go on sale from 11am on 21 May 2012. 

Very good

Athletics

 Good  

ExCeL day pass
Equestrian
Football 7-a-side
Swimming
Wheelchair Basketball

Medium

Opening Ceremony
Closing Ceremony
Olympic Park day pass
Goalball
Powerlifting
Sitting Volleyball
Wheelchair Fencing

 Low

Archery
Boccia
Cycling – Road
Football 5-a-side
Judo
Rowing
Table Tennis

Very low

The Royal Artillery Barracks
day pass
Athletics – Marathon
Cycling – Track
Shooting
Wheelchair Tennis
Wheelchair Rugby

Any remaining Olympic Games tickets will go on sale from 11am on 23 May 2012.

Full price tickets will start at just £20 with special prices available for young people aged 16 and under and seniors aged 60 and over.

New tickets on general sale
From 11am on 29 May 2012, new tickets will be released for the Cycling Road Race at Box Hill, Hampton Court Palace, Wimbledon – The Hill, and the Orbit.

Ticket sales timelines

• 11am on 21 May 2012

Any remaining Paralympic Games tickets will be available online and by phone on a first come, first served basis using Visa only.

Full price tickets start at £10. Special prices are available for all sessions of the Paralympic Games (except the Opening and Closing Ceremonies) for young people aged 16 and under at 29 August 2012, and seniors aged 60 and over at 29 August 2012. Paralympic Games tickets for young people and seniors will cost just £5.

Olympic Games

11am on 23 May 2012

Any tickets remaining after the presale period will be available online and by phone on a first come, first served basis using Visa only.

Full price tickets start at £20. Special prices are available for the Olympic Games for young people aged 16 and under at 27 July 2012, who will pay their age, and for seniors aged 60 and over at 27 July 2012, who will pay £16 for their ticket.

We will update the website with further details once the presale period has closed.

New tickets on general sale

11am on 29 May 2012

Cycling – Road

The Road Cycling events are free events. However, you can purchase tickets to some viewing areas for the Road Race and Time Trial.

Box Hill has two viewing areas for the Road Race – Donkey Green and Dormouse Drive:

• Donkey Green gives you access to the Donkey Green big screen and roadside viewing area, Straw Belle Slope viewing area with commentary, and Feed Zone viewing area. Full price tickets are £15 and special prices are £5.
• A ticket for Dormouse Drive will give you access to the Dormouse Drive and Butterfly Bend roadside viewing areas with commentary. Full price tickets are £10 and special prices are £5.

Hampton Court Palace has two viewing areas for the Time Trial – Area A and Area B:

• Area A gives you access to spectator viewing at the West Front of Palace. You will have access to see the big screen and the start of the Time Trial. Full price tickets are £15 and special prices are £5.
• Area B gives you access to spectator viewing at Hampton Court Road. You will have access to see the big screen and the finish of the Time Trial. Full price tickets are £10 and special prices are £5.

Wimbledon

Tickets are available for three days to watch live Tennis on a big screen on The Hill. Please note, there is no access to any courts. Full price tickets are £10 and special prices are £5.

Orbit

The Orbit experience will last approximately 30 minutes from entering the lift to returning down the external staircase.

Please note, an Orbit ticket on its own will not give you access to the Olympic Park. Please only purchase a ticket for the Orbit if you already have an Olympic Park ticket or a ticket for a sport session in the Olympic Park on the day you wish to visit the Orbit. Full price tickets are £15 and special prices are £7.

 

London 2012 Olympic torch relay starts in Britain

London 2012 Olympic torch relay starts in Britain

Sailor Ben Ainslie was the first torchbearer as the Olympic flamebegan its 70-day journey around Britain and Ireland on Saturday ahead of the 2012 London Games.

The flame arrived in Britain from Greece on Friday and was flown to Land’s End, the southwesterly tip of England, on Saturday by a Royal Navy helicopter before it was used to light the torch for the start of the 8,000 mile (12,875-kilometre) relay.

Ainslie, who has won gold medals in sailing at the last threeOlympics, then walked just 300 metres, allowing some of the 3,500 spectators lining the route in the morning sunshine to touch the gold-coloured torch.

The yachtsman, wearing the number 001 on his T-shirt as the first torchbearer, then passed on the torch to 18-year-old Anastassia Swallow, a surfer who is hoping that her sport will one day become an Olympic discipline.

Ainslie, who on Friday won a sixth world title in the Finn class as he prepares for an attempt to win a fourth Olympic gold, said it had been a special moment for him to start the relay in his home county of Cornwall.

“It was pretty emotional, so much effort has gone into getting the Olympics in London and it means so much to everyone involved,” he said.

On its first day, the torch will be carried through Cornwall to the city of Plymouth.

Over the next 10 weeks, 8,000 people will carry the torch as it makes its way around the United Kingdom and heads for the Olympic Stadium in east London for the opening ceremony on July 27.

It will travel through 1,019 cities, towns and villages and visit landmarks such as Stonehenge.

From June 3-7, it will go to Northern Ireland and then the Republic of Ireland — the only country outside the United Kingdom on the torch route.

No overseas legs of the relay have been planned this year after those before the 2008 Beijing Games was hit by protests against China.

The flame was lit in Ancient Olympia in Greece on May 10 and was handed over to the British delegation in Athens in a rain-blighted ceremony on Thursday.

It was flown to Britain encased in a special lantern on board a British Airways plane renamed The Firefly for the occasion, accompanied by football star David Beckham and Princess Anne, the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II.

Beckham had the honour of lighting the first torch at the Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall on Friday.

In contrast to the shoestring operation when Britain last hosted the Olympics in 1948, this year’s relay is a big-budget affair, with parties and public events at each of its stops.

The oldest runner will be a 100-year-old woman, while Olympians past and present and soldiers injured in Afghanistan will also take part.

The chief organiser of the London Olympics, Sebastian Coe, said on Friday its arrival in Britain was “a magical moment for any host country”.

The torch relay “will connect millions of people around the UK to the Games in a unique way and allows us to celebrate the best of the UK and its people,” he said.

Source – http://sports.yahoo.com

Olympic Fever Starts Here?London 2012 Olympic torch handed over to Great Britain at ceremony in Athens

Olympic Fever Starts Here?London 2012 Olympic torch handed over to Great Britain

at ceremony in Athens

The ceremony, at the Panatheneic Stadium that hosted the 1896 Olympics, attended by Princess Anne, David Beckham, London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe, London mayor Boris Johnson and sports minister Hugh Robertson, was initially blighted by torrential rain but the weather cleared at the crucial moment.

It marked the final leg of a Greek torch relay, which has been going for a week since the flame was lit in Olympia, site of the ancient Games.

The final torchbearer lit a lantern, which was handed to Princess Anne, president of the British Olympic Association, by her Greek counterpart Spyros Capralos.

The ceremony, which Lord Coe dubbed a “moment of significance”, was provided some much-needed comic relief when Mr Beckham had his title upgraded to “Sir” David Beckham by the announcer at the Stadium.

Lord Coe added: “Like the Olympic Games, the flame belongs to the world, and the arrival of the flame in the host nation is a clarion call to the athletes and young people in more than 200 nations and territories preparing to gather for the London 2012 Games.

“The Olympic flame will visit every nation and region, shining a light on the people, places, communities and cultures of the United Kingdom. We have found the very best in our torchbearers, who like Olympic athletes, will inspire a generation.”

The ceremony received the seal of approval from Mr Johnson, who has been a vocal champion of the Games during his mayoralty.

“I think that was a fantastic ceremony from the Athenians,” said Mr Johnson.

“It was absolutely wonderful and it went off like clockwork. They [the performers] were all looking meaningful and symbolic.”

The lantern will then be driven to the British Ambassador’s residence, where after a reception attended by Princess Anne, it will remain overnight.

It will then be transported to Athens airport on Friday. It arrive in the UK aboard a gold-liveried British Airways jet on Friday evening ahead of a 70-day tour of Britain.

The flame, carried from Greece on flight number BA2012, will arrive at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall at around 7.30pm on Friday, and will be carried from the aircraft in a lantern by the Princess Royal.

She will be accompanied by Mr Beckham and Lord Coe, as well as five young people who have been involved in Olympic education programs.

Once on British soil the distinctive gold London 2012 torch, nicknamed ‘the cheese grater’, will be lit from the lantern, and will then be passed to Beckham. He will then use the torch to light a cauldron at the air-sea rescue base, where it will burn overnight.

The ceremony will be broadcast on the BBC’s The One Show.

The 8,000 mile torch-relay will begin its journey around the UK on Saturday morning at Land’s End in the hands of triple Olympic champion sailor Ben Ainslie.

Source Paul Kelso http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics

Are you travelling in 2012 as a group? Private Coach v Train

Are you travelling in 2012 as a group?

Private Coach v Train

Are you travelling in 2012 as a group?

6 to 70 passengers?

Perhaps to an Olympic Event around the UK?

Private Coach v Train

Private Coach

Door to door service

Pick up from your hotel

Drop off direct at the event

Ready to sweep you away as soon as you are ready

Travel in luxury comfort with guaranteed seat

Can cost 1/3 of cost of taxi / tube and train

Walk, Tube, Taxi, Train

Make your own way by foot to the tube station

Wait for the tube

Wait for your train

Maybe you will get a seat on the train, maybe stand

Hopefully you will eventually get a cab the other end

Could be a real challenge getting a cab away from the event

Example

Group of 6 – 70 travelling

London to Weymouth for Olympic Event

Train

Hotel to tube – 10 min walk

Av. Tube hotel / station £8.40 – 30 mins

Waiting time for Train – 15 mins

Return Train £56.80 – 3 hours

Taxi waiting time – 20 mins

Av Taxi to venue (4 sharing) £10 – 15 mins

Hotel to venue – 4 hours 30 mins +

Cost per head £75.20+

Luxury 16 seat mini coach

Hotel pick up and drop off.

Straight to the venue – drop off and pick up

Average time – 2 hours 40 mins

Average Cost per head – £49.68

Luxury 6 seat vehicle

Hotel pick up and drop off.

Straight to the venue – drop off and pick up

Average time – 2 hours 40 mins

Average Cost per head – £69.50

 

Luxury 70 seat coach

Hotel pick up and drop off.

Straight to the venue – drop off and pick up

Average time –  3 hours

Average Cost per head – £37.50

Supper big raised windows

on the new luxury 16-seater

for great panoramic views

Not a Taxi in Sight and looks

like it’s going to rain!

Luxury Large Coach Travel

Door to door service

Prices around £37.50 each

On board entertainment and refreshments

Train and not a seat to found –

oh well just 3 hours standing up

is it really that bad!

Luxury 6 to 16 seat mini coaches

Price around £49 and £69 each

TV / DVD and bar on board

Olympic Travel

London is one of the biggest cities on earth – and has one of the most extensive public transport systems. Some of your options for getting around London during the Games are outlined below.

London Underground

London’s huge network of underground trains – known as the ‘Tube’ – carries more than one billion passengers a year and features 11 lines serving 170 stations. All London 2012 venues within London can be reached by the ‘Tube’, with the exception of ExCeL, Greenwich Park and Woolwich Arsenal.

Dockland’s Light Railway (DLR)

One of the first light rail systems in Britain, the DLR network is located in south-east London and serves London 2012 venues at the Olympic Park, ExCeL, Greenwich Park and The Royal Artillery Barracks.

London Overground

London Overground serves London 2012 venues in the Olympic Park on the Richmond/Clapham Junction to Stratford line.

London’s buses

London has an extensive bus network, with routes and stops close to all London 2012 venues. You can now check live bus arrival times online using a smartphone or desktop PC – visit the Transport for London website

Travel advice

The transport network will be even busier than usual during the Games, so it’s even more important that you are fully prepared for what to expect. Here’s some things to bear in mind when using London’s public transport network:

• Look out when you’re crossing roads – don’t forget cars drive on the left-hand side
• If you’re travelling by train or Tube, stand behind the yellow line on platforms and allow passengers off the train before boarding
• Move down inside train carriages and buses, allowing others on behind you, and keep everything clear of the doors
• Stand on the right-hand side of escalators in stations – the left-hand side is for people in a hurry
• Do not leave your bags unattended at any point on your journey
• If you see an unattended bag or package, don’t touch it – just let a member of staff or the police know immediately
• Try to avoid walking alone at night. Keep to well-lit main roads and walking routes
• Look after your belongings. Make sure your bag is zipped and don’t flash around your mobile phone or other valuables

London’s Olympic stadium opens with 2,012 hours to go ….content Deccan Chronicle

London’s Olympic stadium opens with

2,012 hours to go

Official opening of the main Olympic Stadium with a cascade of white balloons – AP

More than 40,000 spectators watched as a cascade of white balloons was released to officially open London’s Olympic stadium on Saturday, exactly 2,012 hours before the Games begin.

Capping off an evening of music, comedy and fun sports events, Paralympic gold medal-winning archer Danielle Brown shot arrows at spinning targets to select the name of a youngster in the audience to open the east London stadium.

A dazed-looking young girl joined Sebastian Coe, chair of Games organisers LOCOG, in pressing a large button to release the balloons into the chilly night sky over the stadium, which hosts the Olympic opening ceremony on July 27.

Coe said it felt “barely believable” to be opening the 80,000-capacity stadium, adding: “I’m just so grateful to everybody who’s come here tonight to help us celebrate this moment in history.”

The crowds watched earlier as Olympic rowing champion Steve Redgrave and ‘Downton Abbey’ actor Hugh Bonneville joined other celebrities and sport stars in a series of fun contests to test out the running track.

Former Spice Girl Melanie C and comedian Jack Whitehall were also booked to entertain spectators who bought tickets to ‘2012 Hours to Go: An Evening of Athletics and Entertainment’.

The Military Wives, a group of British soldiers’ wives whose charity single topped the charts last Christmas, led the crowd in singing the national anthem.

Earlier, students had tested out the stadium as part of the British Universities and Colleges Sport championships.

The event was also a major test of London’s transport system ahead of the Games as the Underground train network’s Jubilee line, serving the stadium, was further crammed with football fans leaving the FA Cup final in north London.

OFFICIALS PUBLISH LONDON TRAVEL MAP

London transit officials released more data Monday on which Underground subway and rail stations will be the busiest during this summer’s London Olympics and Paralympics — hoping that city’s beleaguered commuters might tweak their travel patterns to ease congestion.

The information is all part of a huge push to get travelers to switch to less crowded routes, to work from home, or to walk to nearby stations that might be less busy.

London Bridge, Waterloo and Bank are expected to see a crush of travelers throughout the July 27-Aug. 12 games, while other sites like Earl’s Court will be exceptionally busy only on certain days.

”The people we need to reach are the people who can modify their behavior,” said Vernon Everitt, Transport for London’s director of marketing.

London’s transport system must work — and work well — if the games are to be considered a success. On any given day, the creaking network already handles 12 million trips. The Olympics is estimated to add 3 million extra trips on busy days.

As for tourists, transport officials plan to flood the zone with volunteers and customer service agents to guide them through the London transport maze. The volunteers will being wearing high-profile magenta — the color of all the signs offering directions.

City transport leaders have rejected fears that London’s transport systems will lurch into chaos during the Olympics, spending 8.8 million pounds ($13.3 million) to make people aware of the problems and offer advice on what to do.

Another 6.5 billion pounds ($10.2 billion) has also been invested in making trains faster and more comfortable.