I know it might still be two years away, but the prospect of the Olympics is starting to get a bit exciting, isn’t it?
Pre-registration for tickets started last week, with over half a million people having registered their interest already. And this week, Boris has announced a package of measures aimed at turning London into one giant Olympic party for the duration of the Games.
Taking a leaf from the Vancouver approach, large parts of central London will be closed to traffic for the duration of the Olympics to create a sort of ‘party zone’ replete with banners and flags. The area will be from Nelson’s Column to Leicester Square and Covent Garden.
There will also be four giant screens in the city where people can watch the Games for free. 100,000 complimentary tickets will be handed out every day for the sites at Hyde Park, Victoria Park, Jubilee Gardens and Potter’s Gate.
As the Telegraph reports, “Johnson and the other Olympic bosses know that engaging the locals and encouraging a spirit of national support for the athletes goes directly to the heart of whether the Games are judged a success or not.”
Geez, anything with giant screens and I am there. I prefer stuff on screens to real life.