I helped construct the Olympic Site, tell the story of the Greatest Show on earth, and am on site for the Legacy build until 2014.

This is my View of what's going on. These Views are mine and not of my employer or the LLDC/ODA/LOCOG

I was one of the Official BT’s Storytellers for London 2012 .


Tuesday 29 May 2012

All the London 2012 Olympic Venues

in one handy picture..

Greenwich Show Jumping Arena


Greenwich Show Jumping Arena, originally uploaded by gary8345.
With 9 weeks to go to the start of the Olympic Games, the Olympic Park at Stratford has now been closed off in final preparation for the start of the games.

However work continues around London, on the temporary arenas - this is in Greenwich will be the Show Jumping Arena. In front of the Queen's House in Greenwich. I can imagine the TV shots from here are going to be rather spectacular.

Words & Picture: Gary Etchell

Monday 28 May 2012

Orbit & Stadium in the early Summer Sun

This is how it looks today, hopefully this is how it'll look throughout the Summer..

Thursday 24 May 2012

UK - London - Clapton - Looking across Hackney Marsh to ArcelorMittal Orbit

Stadium & Aquatics

Sparked Family Day at View Tube with Lemn Sissay

As part of the Sparked exhibition series, View Tube ran free family days of print making workshops in April and May 2012, inspired by Lemn Sissay's poem 'Spark Catchers'. Lemn was there on the day to talk with people about the poem and give public readings.



Funded by The Legacy List and supported by Bow Arts, Sparked is a series of three exhibitions inspired by the ODA's 'Art In The Park' programme. You can follow the project at www.viewtubesparked.tumblr.com

www.theviewtube.co.uk

Camera work Dan Broom, edited by Emma Crouch (www.isayraar.com)

My Children Hannah & Drew appear in it too..

Saturday 19 May 2012

Olympic Tickets Revealed


Image & Words Via BBC

Here's the first public sight of Olympic tickets. These four were issued by the British Olympic Association to high jumper Ben Challenger, ahead of the public distribution. The Games organisers, Locog, said members of the public would receive an email later this month, telling them when to expect their tickets.


Standing right beneath The Arcelor Mittal Orbit

The Giant Olympic London 2012 McDonald's

..well one of them anyway..
11th May 2012 - Orbit opening - DSLR 236

Thursday 17 May 2012

Not the Picture London 2012 wants to portray..

OBSCENE graffiti was left on a Box Hill road forming part of the route for the Olympics cycling road races, which had only just been resurfaced ahead of the events at the end of July.

The giant drawing was daubed on Zig Zag Road more than a week ago, before the words 'I love Olympics 2012' were added to it last Friday (May 11).

Landowner the National Trust was left with the task of clearing up the graffiti in preparation for the cycle races on July 28 and 29.

That will be the first weekend of the London 2012 Olympic Games, with the eyes of the world on Box Hill as the world's best cyclists complete laps of a route which includes Zig Zag Road, during the men's and women's rides through Surrey and London.

It is also part of a route at Box Hill where spectators will be charged to watch the riders go by.

Taken from an article here.

The Bridge & Aquatics Centre

May 2012

Orbit & Stadium May 2012

Where will the flame go?

Monday 14 May 2012

Greenwich Park - Olympic Venue

The progress of the construction of the Greenwich Park Arena.


This summer, Greenwich Park will host the Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian and Olympic Modern Pentathlon event.

The Olympic events will take place from 28 July – 12 August and the Paralympic events from 30 August – 4 September.

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) has worked closely with The Royal Parks, local residents and businesses to ensure that work to prepare for these events has the minimum impact on the Park and on Park users. Most of Greenwich Park will remain open until 7 July 2012, when it will close until 4 August in order to prepare for the Games. Access to areas of the Park will be reopened as soon as possible after cross-country day. The Children’s Playground and parts of The Flower Garden will remain open except on 30 July during the Cross Country event. The Queen’s House will be open until late June and then reopen in mid September. Access to The Royal Observatory will continue until mid/late July and then reopen in early August. The National Maritime Museum will remain open the entire summer.

Pic Credit: Unknown

Sunday 13 May 2012

The View Tube Family Day

The Paralympic Torch
The View Tube, which is on the Greenway and has overlooked the Olympic Stadium is closing from the 17th May and will re-open in September after the Games have finished.

A fun day was held on Saturday, featuring Olympic Mascot, Mandeville, the Paralympic Torch, Lemn Sissay, the Olympic Poet, free food, music, crafts for children and many other activities.

The day was supported by London 2012
















Our Greatest Team Rises.

I was lucky enough to be invited to run the Red Carpet with my camera to cover this event which is a once in a lifetime celebration to mark the final countdown to the Games featuring a spectacular line up of Britain’s best entertainers. I also got to attend the event.

I spent an evening in the company of Olympic and Paralympic athletes just before they compete in London 2012 as well as past GB champions dating back to 1948.

Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ( William & Kate ) were also in attendance and there was a fully packed evening of entertainment.

Team GB and ParalympicsGB comprise 900 elite Olympic and Paralympic athletes selected by The British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association in partnership with the National Governing Bodies of the 46 sports (26 Olympic and 20 Paralympic) that will compete in London 2012.


Together, Team GB and ParalympicsGB at London 2012 are Our Greatest Team. There is no other sporting competition in which Great Britain and Northern Ireland field such a large, diverse and talented team to represent our nation with pride and excellence. With the vital home nation support of the whole of the UK behind them, Our Greatest Team will be 900 athletes, 60 million strong.




















The British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association work in partnership with the sport National Governing Bodies to ensure that British athletes will be the best prepared, best equipped, best supported and most ambitious group of elite sportsmen and women to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland when they arrive at the start line at London 2012.