- Title: UK: OLYMPICS 2012: East London street is decorated ahead of the Olympics
- Date: 9th June 2012
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (JUNE 8, 2012) (REUTERS) DOUBLE-DECKER BUS DRIVING DOWN STRATFORD HIGH STREET WHICH IS DECORATED WITH OLYMPIC DECORATIVE FLAGS CLOSEUP OF OLYMPIC DECORATIVE FLAGS DANIEL RITTERBAND, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE MAYOR OF LONDON, HOLDING A STRING OF SMALL DECORATIVE FLAGS CLOSEUP OF SMALL DECORATIVE FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DANIEL RITTERBAND, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE MAYOR OF LONDON, SAYING: "You don't put on the biggest party in town and not get dressed up for it, so we're delighted that after such fantastic celebrations last weekend with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, as the Union Jacks come down it's great that we can start putting up the Olympic signage and get people really excited about the Games that are happening in 49 days time." WIDE VIEW OF STREET SHOWING SMALL AND FLAGS AND STREET BANNERS / TRUCK BEING USED TO LIFT WORKMAN UP TO REACH A STRING OF FLAGS / TRUCK AND BLACK CAB DRIVE PAST WORKMAN FIXING A STRING OF FLAGS ON TOP OF A STREET LAMP, STREET BANNER MORE OF WORKMAN FIXING FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DANIEL RITTERBAND, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE MAYOR OF LONDON, SAYING: "We want to make sure that every single borough can get at least a taste of it, so the Mayor has given every borough 50,000 pounds, so even some of the boroughs furthest out are able to buy into some of the look and have some of this programme on their high streets as well." DECORATIVE FLAGS HANGING BETWEEN STREET LAMPS NEAR MARKET STALLS / TILT DOWN TO PEDESTRIANS LAWRENCE PARRIN, MARKET TRADER, TALKING TO CUSTOMER (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAURENCE PARRIN, MARKET TRADER, SAYING: "Yeah, it's only probably going to happen once in my lifetime so I think the cost sort of pales into insignificance really." (SOUNDBITE) (English) GRAHAM (NO SURNAME GIVEN), EAST LONDON RESIDENT, SAYING: "All this money that's being spent, you see it's a second national circus, and there'll probably be many more because it's diverting the attention from the capitalist crisis." OLYMPIC FLAGS ON STREET CLOSEUP OF MULTICOLOURED FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) VALERIE WEST, EAST LONDON RESIDENT, SAYING: "I don't take much notice of it all. All this money that's being spent, we're going to be paying for it for years to come." STREET DECORATED WITH FLAGS, DOUBLE-DECKER BUS PASSING CLOSEUP OF FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) LINDA ROSE, AMERICAN CITIZEN CURRENTLY STAYING IN LONDON, SAYING: "It gives a draw. It brings you in and it makes you in the mood. And I love the outside, like she was saying, the outside venues. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARY KAUFELD, AMERICAN CITIZEN CURRENTLY STAYING IN LONDON, SAYING: "The open air - you know, shopping is really fun". TOP VIEW OF DECORATIVE FLAGS HANGING ALONG STREET VIEW OF FLAGS AND STREET BANNER / BUS PASSING BELOW TOP VIEW OF DECORATED HIGH STREET STREET BANNER READING "LONDON 2012" / TILT DOWN TO STREET WITH BUS DRIVING PAST
- Embargoed: 24th June 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Kingdom
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVABBQOD02B33COGCCGT3H23AQG9
- Story Text: Stratford High Street in East London is decorated with Olympic flags, ahead of the 2012 Games.
London's first street to be decorated for the 2012 Olympic games was adorned with festive flags and banners bearing 'London 2012' logos on Friday (June 8).
Under cloudy weather, a rainbow of flags fluttered to celebrate the event hosted nearby. The Olympic stadium is just over two kilometres (1.2 miles) from Stratford High Street.
Daniel Ritterband, Director of communications and marketing for the Mayor of London, said the decorations were part of the UK's ongoing summer celebrations.
"You don't put on the biggest party in town and not get dressed up for it, so we're delighted that after such fantastic celebrations last weekend with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, as the Union Jacks come down it's great that we can start putting up the Olympic signage and get people really excited about the Games that are happening in 49 days time," Ritterband said.
Ritterband said the Mayor will be giving 50,000 pounds to each borough to spread the Olympic festivity throughout the entire city but the focus will be on those areas particularly close to the Olympic village.
Some residents questioned whether the investment was a worthwhile cause, but others hoped it might increase business opportunities.
"It's only probably going to happen once in my lifetime so I think the cost sort of pales into insignificance really," said Lawrence Parrin.
But others strongly disagreed.
"All this money they're spending, we're going to be paying for that for years to come," said local resident Valerie West.
American visitors Mary Kaufeld and Linda Rose said they were impressed with the decorations, and liked the look of London ahead of the Games, especially the various Olympic venues including Greenwich where Rose currently resides.
"It brings you in and it makes you in the mood. And I love the outside," Rose said.
London is countingdown the days until the Games begin on July 27. They will continue until August 12. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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