Michael Palaeologus

Indeed. More volunteers than commuters.

London Bridge at that time will be fine. It is only in peak morning and late PM that heavy traffic was forseen. As it is, I came through London Bridge at 6.30pm yesterday and it was fine, in fact a little quiter than normal. The same was true when I came into work this morning.

Actually, dont worry about it. Do what you would normally do. Having travelled over the weekend and today (including to and from Stratford), my experience was that its actually not that bad. In fact, in off-peak times, better than normal. During peak times, its much like rush hour. 2pm from Paddington will be easy, train to London Bridge and tube it to Paddington. I am meeting friends at Marylebone at much the same time and that is what I will be doing.

Well, yes, it was about Britain. What would be the point of a London Olympics opening ceremony that was about anything else? If the Olympics were in France, Iran or Kenya, wouldnt they be about those countries, their history and achievements? It would be particularly interesting to see what the opening ceremony of a Tehran Olympics would contain.

I came through London Bridge this morning, no problems at all. Freinds were out and about yesterday, went to the Mall and to Stratford, they didnt have a problem. Travel problems to seem to have been over-egged.

So far, the Opening Ceremony has been the highlight. Only a Silver and Bronze so far. Not a good return on our investment.

Trouble is many of the empty seats have not been paid for, or at least not in the conventional sense. they have been given to sponsors, IOC hangers on and so on. The assumption being that they would be handed on to people who would watch teh sport. People dont value what they dont pay for, so they dont turn up. It is a great shame, I have friends staying with me, squelching round London with 2 small children trying to get some sight of the Womens cycling road race. they couldnt get tickets. To see blocks of empty seats is just wrong and should not have happened.

Great Opening ceremony. Where are the medals?

Great ceremony, I did pass comment a few times that it would have the right wing of the Conservative Party frothing at the mouth, and so it did. Good. Cringed a bit at the Bond/Queen thing and could have done without the far too passed it McCartney finish. These did not spoil the fact that it succeeded in raised the bar marvellously and injected humour into what is normally a rather grandiose and worthy event. Boyle richly deserve the Knighthood that he will undoubtedly get.

484 to Lewisham then DLR to Greenwich

Seven attendees met at the Draft House which was very welcoming with free tasters of Belgian beers being circulated. The Draft House is a positive addition to the Lane. The main course at Veer Zara was I think for some a little disappointing. I will let others make their own comments if they wish. Still, the starters were good, service friendly and free glasses of port given at the end of the meal. ?20 each for a fun evening. Next meeting on Monday 20 August at Indian Mischief.

To be fare, the thought of a Paris Olympics is hideous.

"WOOOOH" Spoiler Alert folks.

Base tribal loyalties = Football. Turns intelligent people into gibbering idiots. You are not in a position to judge what my friends can or cannot afford.

I am one of those nay sayers that does not believe that sport is a universal panacea for all known ills and that it has a god given right to our complete attention. No. Balls to that. I have a ticket for Monday. I will go. I am participating because I want to see what I have been paying for (4 times over), then I will make my decision. What pisses me off is that that is a decidedly non-inclusive games. Its all about money. I have friends who are coming to stay for thw weekend. They have little money, so applied for those that tickets that they could afford. They got none. They would have liked to watch the games on the free screens, but you cant take food and drink into the free screen areas and buying the horribly priced food available for their family is beyond their means. We will try the Potters Field free screen, but I fear that it will be rammed. So, sod off with your "isnt the Olympics great, isnt all sport great" nonsensense. Sport is highly devisive, its supporters lose all sense of reason as they sink into base tribal loyalties.

Cobblers. I have a perfect right to complain about something which I didnt want and it is disrupting my life.

Even on the feckin' buses ....

The idea of an extension to the Bakerloo line is great, but very expensive and so not going to happen in our lifetimes. Trams are cheaper to install and run. OK, they take up road space, but if that squeezes cars off the road and people onto public transport, that is good.

:( Next meeting on Monday 20 August.

Just gone down Farringdon Road apparently. Lots of over-excited colleagues. Humbug.

I have booked a table at Veer Zara for 20.15 tomorrow. 19.15 in the Draft House.

A left handed thread.

Pfft!! We got the 'lympics! Weeks of travel chaos and patronising messages from the Mayor of London and Lord Coe of Zurich. You will note the ommision of the "O" from 'lympics. This is because only Coca-Cola and McDonalds are allowed to use the "O" word as they paid over huge amounts of dosh in brown paper envelopes to a strangely anonymous Swiss bloke. Anybody else using the "O" word will have the branding Nazis kicking down their door and subjecting them to cruel and unusual treatments.

Why would you wish that one the world? Every city on the planet has an "Irish" pub, no need to rub salt in their wounds by foisting festivals on them.

So, the actual ceremony. I am guessing it is a hybrid of the Teletubbies, Farming Today and a Conservative Party Political Broadcast. Am I correct?