Adrian wrote to uk.transport.london on Wed, 6 Jul 2005:

Mrs Redboots ) gurgled happily, sounding much
like they were saying :

To say nothing of overall health improved as more people take up sport?

I don't buy that at all. Who ever took up sport (other than a brief trip or
two to the gym) as a result of watching the World Cup/Olympics/Wimbledon?

I know a very great many people who took up ice-skating as a direct
result of the world championships coming to the UK in 1995. And that
didn't even involve building new ice-rinks, as a temporary ice surface
was used. We (the skating community) are all hoping they will come to
London in 2008.

Why will the fact it's London rather than Paris make a difference in that
respect?

Because they will have the sports facilities on their doorsteps, not 2.5
hours away by Eurostar.

All so we can have another seven years of the kind of chaos Wembley's
redevelopment is causing, with the end result being another Millenium Doom.

No, the Dome is being used for the Olympics, so they tell me! But a new
50-metre swimming-pool, new athletics stadium, the Dome actually being
used.... no way will it be a white elephant!

The good side is that Tony hasn't got a cat in hell's come the next
election. Ooops. He's already said he's not standing again. Hiho. We'll
have to take it out on Ken instead. Ooops. He's already said he's not
standing again.

Frankly, if they've done one good thing over the past n years, it's been
to support the bid!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 May 2005

Mrs Redboots ) gurgled happily, sounding
much like they were saying :

I don't buy that at all. Who ever took up sport (other than a brief
trip or two to the gym) as a result of watching the World
Cup/Olympics/Wimbledon?

I know a very great many people who took up ice-skating as a direct
result of the world championships coming to the UK in 1995.

And it was as a result of the championships being *here* (I'll take your
word - I don't remember them at all), not as a result of T&D winning
everything in sight all over the world?

Why will the fact it's London rather than Paris make a difference in
that respect?

Because they will have the sports facilities on their doorsteps, not
2.5 hours away by Eurostar.

IF they live in East London.

Adrian wrote to uk.transport.london on Thu, 7 Jul 2005:

I know a very great many people who took up ice-skating as a direct
result of the world championships coming to the UK in 1995.

And it was as a result of the championships being *here* (I'll take your
word - I don't remember them at all), not as a result of T&D winning
everything in sight all over the world?

Indeed - T&D were long retired by then (they were really big in the
early 1980s, and then made some kind of comeback in the late 80s, but by
1995 they were concentrating on professional skating).

Why will the fact it's London rather than Paris make a difference in
that respect?

Because they will have the sports facilities on their doorsteps, not
2.5 hours away by Eurostar.

IF they live in East London.

True, but there will be improved transport links to East London! Make
it easier to get to Lea Valley Ice Rink.....
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 May 2005

Mrs Redboots ) gurgled happily, sounding much
like they were saying :

IF they live in East London.

True, but there will be improved transport links to East London!

Woo. A tube between Reality and Stratford without crack smoking slappers
fighting on it. That'll certainly be an improvement.

In message , Mrs Redboots
writes

Because they will have the sports facilities on their doorsteps, not
2.5 hours away by Eurostar.

IF they live in East London.

True, but there will be improved transport links to East London! Make
it easier to get to Lea Valley Ice Rink.....
Just add 6hrs from Carlisle plus the travelling time from wherever yo
live to Carlisle.
--
Clive

On 07 Jul 2005 12:31:20 GMT, Adrian wrote:

Mrs Redboots ) gurgled happily, sounding
much like they were saying :

Because they will have the sports facilities on their doorsteps, not
2.5 hours away by Eurostar.

IF they live in East London.

As a nation we are desperately short of world-class sport facilities,
not just for holding events, but for training. It's five weeks from
the Commonwealth Games trials, and British swimmers are having to fly
out to Slovenia, because there aren't enough decent places to train
here, FFS! There are only twenty 50-metre swimming pools on nineteen
sites in the entire country - Berlin alone has more than that.
Australia had 1,600 in total, 45 of which are full Olympic standard.
--
Nick Cooper

[Carefully remove the detonators from my e-mail address to reply!]

The London Underground at War:
http://www.cwgcuser.org.uk/personal/...ra/lu/tuaw.htm
625-Online - classic British television:
http://www.625.org.uk
'Things to Come' - An Incomplete Classic:
http://www.thingstocome.org.uk

Nick Cooper ) gurgled happily,
sounding much like they were saying :

As a nation we are desperately short of world-class sport facilities,
not just for holding events, but for training. It's five weeks from
the Commonwealth Games trials, and British swimmers are having to fly
out to Slovenia, because there aren't enough decent places to train
here, FFS! There are only twenty 50-metre swimming pools on nineteen
sites in the entire country - Berlin alone has more than that.
Australia had 1,600 in total, 45 of which are full Olympic standard.

Why do we need to host the Olympics in order to build more swimming pools?

And wouldn't it make more sense if we were putting more facilities in to
spread 'em about a bit rather than cram 'em all in one corner of one city
in one corner of the country?

On 07 Jul 2005 15:47:53 GMT, Adrian wrote:

Nick Cooper ) gurgled happily,
sounding much like they were saying :

As a nation we are desperately short of world-class sport facilities,
not just for holding events, but for training. It's five weeks from
the Commonwealth Games trials, and British swimmers are having to fly
out to Slovenia, because there aren't enough decent places to train
here, FFS! There are only twenty 50-metre swimming pools on nineteen
sites in the entire country - Berlin alone has more than that.
Australia had 1,600 in total, 45 of which are full Olympic standard.

Why do we need to host the Olympics in order to build more swimming pools?

And wouldn't it make more sense if we were putting more facilities in to
spread 'em about a bit rather than cram 'em all in one corner of one city
in one corner of the country?

I can't speak for other sports, but certainly in population terms
London is not an illogical choice for the new Aquatic Centre. The
existing pools - at least the ones that are open to the public - are
fairly evenly spread across England & Scotland, with the only real gap
being the south coast and Birmingham, although there is a pool in
Coventry. London only has Ealing and Crystal Palace, which aren't
really _in_ London. Considering the population of London and the
surrounding commuter towns, even to maintain the average balance
across the country, the capital should have four 50m pools.
--
Nick Cooper

[Carefully remove the detonators from my e-mail address to reply!]

The London Underground at War:
http://www.cwgcuser.org.uk/personal/...ra/lu/tuaw.htm
625-Online - classic British television:
http://www.625.org.uk
'Things to Come' - An Incomplete Classic:
http://www.thingstocome.org.uk

On Thu, 07 Jul 2005 18:04:42 GMT,
(Nick Cooper) wrote:

I can't speak for other sports, but certainly in population terms
London is not an illogical choice for the new Aquatic Centre. The
existing pools - at least the ones that are open to the public - are
fairly evenly spread across England & Scotland, with the only real gap
being the south coast and Birmingham, although there is a pool in
Coventry. London only has Ealing and Crystal Palace, which aren't
really _in_ London. Considering the population of London and the
surrounding commuter towns, even to maintain the average balance
across the country, the capital should have four 50m pools.

Despite being a 50m pool, the Manchester pool is (was, I haven't used
it in a few years) normally only half-open (allowing a 25m swimming
length). This is apparently because they need two lifeguards to
patrol a 50m pool, and the Council are too cheap.

No idea if this applies to the others, mind!

Neil

--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
When replying please use neil at the above domain
'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read.

In message , Nick Cooper
writes
even to maintain the average balance across the country, the capital
should have four 50m pools.
A question open to Londoners, do you want the extra poll tax, yes or no?
--
Clive