Ghost Town

The Olympic games opening ceremony was a triumph and perfectly showcased not merely the merits of London but the rich craziness of the British Isles. The High streets are empty and there is no traffic on the roads, London is a Ghost Town so has the Olympic games bankrupted London in more ways than one?

 I don’t think the ‘Olympics’ has I think the Olympic committee and the government with a little help from the media has!! All the scaremongering in the media about nightmarish journeys, heavy traffic and epic queuing for well, everything has kept the usual tourists away and sent Londoners on extended holidays abroad (where I might add they are spending their hard earned British pound). It’s been a total ‘Buzz kill’.

Everyone fully embraced the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee bunting and flags bedecked the entire country. In Primrose Hill I have decorated the terrace above my shop with a strand of flags of the world bunting but no one else has. It’s not surprising though as ‘official London 2012’ merchandise has been sold so very ‘exclusively’ and I stress the ‘EXCLUSIVE’ there is nothing ‘inclusive’ about not being allowed to simulate the Olympic rings out of bagels (yes the bakery were told to remove the display or be prosecuted!) It is also a breech of copyright to print ‘London 2012’ on anything ‘unofficial’.

We ‘The British’ are happy to be branded by the world as ‘Kookie’, ‘individual’, ‘bonkers’ and ‘not everyone’s cup of tea’ but we’re also a bit of a mean spirited nation. Honestly how many people really embraced the Olympic Games bid? We have none of the American or even Australian national pride or can do attitude. What we have is a superiority complex that may well be our undoing! Instead of kindly coveting our neighbors’ new extension or new underground swimming pool ‘we’ object to planning permission application and complain to the council. I am severely ‘transatlantic’ straight down the middle half British half American. I revel in British eccentricity and individuality. I never fully endorsed the American ‘bigger and better’ viewpoint. What I do love about America and Americans is their ‘Good for you’ attitude; it’s the whole ‘American Dream’ philosophy, anything is possible. I say, “be reasonable demand the impossible” but Jesus can’t we all be nice about it? We’re not French after all.

Original 1948 Olympic Pennant flag