Author Topic: Olympics..soon (Read 15620 times)

artichoke · « **Reply #40 on:** July 16, 2012, 19:24:51 »

http://www.tntmagazine.com/news/olympics-and-paralympics/olympic-cleaners-housed-ten-to-a-room-using-one-shower-between-75-people

And have you read about the cleaners? Housed in squalid shipping containers so nasty that people desperate for employment have given up?

manicscousers · « **Reply #41 on:** July 16, 2012, 19:33:15 »

It's like reading about a third world country. They'll be censoring the internet next so's we can't read stuff like that, So much for United kingdom :-\

Flighty · « **Reply #42 on:** July 16, 2012, 19:36:45 »

Jeannine I hope that people do enjoy watching the Games, either live or on TV, but I'm also sure that for some there will be an underlying, or perhaps even overriding, sense of unease of what it now clearly represents.

Flighty · « **Reply #43 on:** July 16, 2012, 19:38:39 »

Manics in some respects we are a third world country!

artichoke · « **Reply #44 on:** July 16, 2012, 19:43:39 »

And the destruction of the Manor Gardens allotments was an early indication of the devastation to come, for me. We all signed petitions, wrote to MPs etc, and were completely ignored.

Sorry, this message has been hanging about on my computer while I cooked supper (rice and chicken with allotment spinach, onions and peas and mangetouts, delicious) so might be too late.

artichoke · « **Reply #45 on:** July 16, 2012, 19:46:42 »

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2174034/London-2012-Olympics-10-room-1-shower-75-people-Inside-slum-camp-Olympic-cleaners.html

OK it is Daily Mail, but the photographs speak for themselves.

caroline7758 · « **Reply #46 on:** July 16, 2012, 20:01:15 »

Just to add another bit of negative info. My husband works for NSPCC. They were charged with all the safeguarding training of volunteers for the games. This was planned (by LOCOG) far too late and is only happening now, and when the trainers have expressed concerns about some of the volunteers Locog have kicked up a fuss because it's too late to get replacements!

My son and girlfriend live and work in London. Emma has been told to work at home during the Games, but when she tried to get Virgin to install Broadband in their flat, she was told they weren't allowed to do any work in her street until after 30th September because of the Olympics!They are coming up to visit us on the first day of the games and are wondering what unearthly hour they will have to leave to get across to Kings Cross for the train!

Jeannine · « **Reply #47 on:** July 16, 2012, 20:40:56 »

Oh my goodness, it all sounds terrible, guns on roofs, folks in containers, banned words.. it is like reading about some distant off country who are way down the ladder on culture, caring and all the decent things a good country should do.

Why are there guns on roofs, w eare not getting this info here, it would sound as though they are expecting big trouble.

Pardon me for saying this as I actually love England. When we moved back there in 2000 we realised it was a mistake as England was not the place we remember and we had to leave. It seemed to us to have deteriorated since we last lived there and it wasn't for us but what I am reading here is far far worse than what we saw when we were there. It seems almost impossible to believe that the England I grew up in is going this way.

What on earth is happening, Some mentioned NHS cuts, gosh the NHS was so poor when we were there it was high on the list of why we should leave, how much worse can it get? England at one time had the best healthcare in the world.

Someone here said Engand is almost a third world country, was that a serious comment. Just how bad has it got? And why.

Well with all that has been said my base reaction is I feel sorry for the England I have alwys loved and will be flying a flag for her during the games alongside my Canadian one for our athletes.

I cannot begin to tell you how sad and upset I feel now, and yes I did ask.

Nothing stays the same in this world so shall pray that somehow England gets itself going in the right direction and the pride will be restored.

XX Jeannine

Flighty · « **Reply #48 on:** July 16, 2012, 20:54:47 »

Jeannine I said that in some respects Britain is a third world country and it was a serious comment.
In recent years our rankings in education and heathcare have plummeted and London is the dirtiest (most polluted) city in Europe.
Respect for, and trust of, bankers, doctors, politicians, the police and press is now at an all time low.
I'm proud to be English but at times now really ashamed of this country.

Nigel B · « **Reply #49 on:** July 16, 2012, 21:01:37 »

The closer to the ~~Olympic games~~ we get, the more I wish we'd just cancel them and use the money to save the NHS.
Sport seems to be about the last thing catered for with these ~~games~~.

Jeannine.
The guns and missiles atop buildings, the warship in Albert Dock(?), attack helicopters, airborne snipers, the 17,000 British troops and untold numbers of US and Israeli special forces are all there to scare us into thinking the Taliban's air-force is on its way or something.
Its the total militarisation of Britain, and no-one gives a stuff. :-[

Jeannine · « **Reply #50 on:** July 16, 2012, 21:24:44 »

Thank you Flighty, I am so sad for you...it must be heartbreaking.

Nigel, thank you, I had no idea, trying to scare, well it is working in me and I am thousands of miles away.

I shall keep watching the news for any signs of trouble.

XX Jeannine

katynewbie · « **Reply #51 on:** July 16, 2012, 21:29:44 »

Jeannine, I am sorry that we have shocked and disappointed you so much. For most people here it is hard enough to find a job, keep it and then pay bills and survive. This Olympic malarkey is a long way away from most of us and an irritant for those close to it. The torch procession around the country has made some people get into it a bit, but once the torch has gone, that's it! Having read all the responses to your original post I think it's fair to say that most people sound fed up or angry, or both and that would be a fair description of how everyone feels in the country right now, unless you are a multi-millionaire banker. Not many of those on A4A!

:'(

pumkinlover · « **Reply #52 on:** July 16, 2012, 21:31:53 »

I was so looking forward to the Olympics, but reading this is putting me right off ???
I had no idea it was that bad. ??? ??? ???

We are disappointed that the indoor cycling has been reduced so much, taking out a lot of the events that our cyclists do well in and slashing the chances of getting a good crop of gold medals.

I've booked a fortnight off work to be able to watch the cycling and gymnastics mainly and some athletics, not bothered about the rest.
I just think about the athletes and all the work that they do and how fantastic it is for them.

But having read some of the articles that you have put on here I'm not sure how I feel now, I was not impressed when the coca-cola lorry came through Chesterfield on the relay. I did not realise that it is just the tip of the iceberg for how commercial it has become.

I feel a bit naive now!!

Flighty · « **Reply #53 on:** July 16, 2012, 21:36:59 »

Jeannine thanks. I'm sorry that most of us that have commented have been so negative.
I'm sure that had we had a good spring/summer with lots of sunshine and a lot less rain we would all be a lot happier. We would be in our gardens or on our plots and we wouldn't be thinking about all this.
As I said in my first comment I have no interest in the Games but I hope that it proves to be a success, there are no major upsets and that we even win a few medals. xx

Melbourne12 · « **Reply #54 on:** July 16, 2012, 22:29:39 »

If you want to know whose goods and services to avoid: http://www.london2012.com/about-us/the-people-delivering-the-games/olympic-partners/

Jeannine · « **Reply #55 on:** July 16, 2012, 23:10:05 »

You know this thread has opened a door to emotions that I didn't know was there.

Work took John to Canada and it became our home. I never felt I had left England and always had the feeling I was a visitor here.

When John retired , going "home" was the logical thing to do. My heart was there although I had lived many years abroad.

After only a very short time we realised we were not going to be happy in England and although we gave it a very good shot, 9 years in fact, we eventually had to move back here.

England just did not feel like home as I expected and frankly I was very glad to leave. As soon as we set foot in anda I felt the feeling of home I had longed for.

I still love England and now feel as though I abandoned her for better things, it makes me feel bad but it is true. It wasn't when we first left but definately was the case when we returned to Canada three years ago.

England used to be a great country, the folks were friendly and neighbourly, the NHS and Social Services were the envy of the world, so what the Dickens has happened.

We realised straight away that something had changed, we felt like tourists most of the time we were there, not folks coming home as it was so very different.

We are back now were we feel at home btu I would like to know what has slowly happened in England to make so many foolks so negative.

The few things that stands out in my minds from when we were there are..no choice of Doctors, you get what is in your community and if you don't like them you are stuck. The post code thing about some medicines, I never understood that but t seemed unfair. Non existant customer service. mm..must shut up

So why?

XX Jeannine

gwynnethmary · « **Reply #56 on:** July 16, 2012, 23:44:15 »

Basically Jeannine I think it has a lot to do with the insularity of our lives and the fact that it's so hard to feel as if you belong to a community in your own locality. When people are working different hours it's harder to get to know your neighbours, and so many of us live on housing estates with no real centre-we're just a collection of houses-we come and we go, but with very little meeting up. I also think the Thatcher years have a lot to do with it, fostering the attitude of every man for himself rather than "we're all in it together".
Having said all that, when you look around the rest of the world, we are very fortunate in this country in so many ways. Our NHS has a many failings, but it's still a whole lot better than most other systems. And yes, the greed that seems paramount in the games has put a lot of people's backs up, and it keeps on raining, and raining, and raining.......
I haven't done much travelling abroad. We've been to France quite a few times, and also to Sweden, but although England is crowded, dirty and often downright annoying, I'd never want to live anywhere else. I guess at the end of the day, home is where the heart is!

betula · « **Reply #57 on:** July 17, 2012, 00:06:47 »

I am glad you are now happy Jeannine. :)

For all its faults I love my country and if the bloody sun would come out I would love it a whole lot more ;D

Digeroo · « **Reply #58 on:** July 17, 2012, 00:54:03 »

We all enjoyed a party for the Queens Jubilee. It cost rather less. And somehow I think we felt it was for everyone and not just for someone to try and make a fast buck at our expense.

People had something for the people by the people in their own communities.

I am sure that people in the events will support the athletes. And hopefully the visitors will
have a good welcome.

Don't mind us, we are all suffering from a major lack of vitamin D.

schmelda · « **Reply #59 on:** July 17, 2012, 07:53:21 »

I'd like to stick up for the NHS - it's a pretty d**n good system- how many other countries offer free health care, and a good level of care at that?

I work for an NHS Trust - I can see a lot of money that is wasted on stupid things, a lot of money could be saved without compromising patient care, if the powers that be think about it. They also need to tighten up on health tourists coming in and make sure that they get their money - millions being lost there.

As much as I'm disappointed about the corporate-ness of the Olympics, I am looking forward to the games. Maybe we'll feel differently once they have started and the medals start rolling in ;D ;D

News:

Author Topic: Olympics..soon (Read 15620 times)

pumkinlover