London 2012: 50 days to go until Olympics - Newham Recorder 24
Sarah Shaffi, Olympics editor (news)
Thursday, June 7, 2012
8:43 AM
Today marks just 50 days until the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
To celebrate the occasion London 2012 has published a list of 50 ways to join in with the Games.
Ideas for London include getting your photo taken with the Olympic Countdown Clock in Trafalgar Square, watching Damon Albarn in his opera Dr Dee at the national Opera House as part of the London 2012 Festival, and sending a message of support to Team GB’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes via www.ourgreatestteam.com.
People are also encouraged to consider training to become a referee, official or coach in a sport that interests them, visit the giant Olympic Rings at St Pancras International Station, and view the Tate Britain’s exhibition of Olympic and Paralympic posters.
Seb Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), said: “The Jubilee celebrations and the incredible welcome given to the Olympic Torch Relay have shown the great community spirit of British people and their enthusiasm to get involved with big events.
“By releasing this list, we want to demonstrate that whatever your interests, there is a way for you to be part of London 2012. We are urging the UK public to join in, and to keep their bunting and flags ready to mark what will be an unrivalled summer of sport, culture and celebration.”
London 2012 is also encouraging people to become a Local Leader - a person in the community who organises events to celebrate the Games.
There are currently more than 14,000 Local Leaders across the country for London 2012 who have already hosted or are planning events.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “With a mere 50 days to go, we are keeping our foot on the pedal to make sure everything is in place for a smooth and successful Games. We will learn any lessons from the spectacular celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee and will make sure the capital is buzzing as we roll out a huge programme of events and festivities for everyone to enjoy.
“So whether it’s watching the sporting spectacle at our live sites or being inspired to take up a new sport, joining in the free arts extravaganzas going on across the city or just enjoying the shopping, theatre and restaurants that make this the best big city in world, London is the place to be.”
Vauxhall restaurant offers 'Good for the Soul' food - NJ.com
Good for the Soul, is a new soul food restaurant in Vauxhall. It is a family-owned restaurant specializing in good Southern Cuisine. From crispy fried fish to delicious Soul Punch, we have an extensive and inviting menu and offer tasty daily lunch specials. Not only are we the only full service, dine-in Soul Food restaurant in the area but we also provide catering services for either on- or off-premises events. Good for the Soul will be offering patrons a larger, on-site, banquet facility option for parties and events, this summer.
Menu samples are: fried wings and waffles, fried wings and red velvet waffles, baked chicken, fried wings, Buffalo and stick wings, macaroni and cheese, string beans, cabbage greens, Tilapia, fried Whiting, pork chops, sweet mashed potatoes, Soul chips, fish and grits and our very own Soul Punch. Daily specials - beef ribs, pork ribs and assorted salads. Homemade Desserts - Red Velvet Cake, Cheesecake, Red Velvet Cake Pops, Pound Cake.
A meeting room is available for private functions, birthday parties, graduation parties, kids parties, book club meetings, bridal and baby showers, bachelor and bachelorette parties, spa parties and corporate meetings, family reunions and christening parties.
Good for the Soul is located at 2170 Springfield Ave. (near Maple Avenue) in Vauxhall - 908-378-5354. Visit us on Facebook. Dine in or take out; on- and off-premise catering. Hours of operation are Monday, closed; Tuesday, Wednesday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, noon-6 p.m.
London Welsh prepare for appeal over Premiership exile - The Guardian
London Welsh's appeal against a decision barring them promotion to the Aviva Premiership looks set to be heard this month.
The Exiles won this season's Championship after beating Cornish Pirates in both legs of the final.
However, the Richmond-based club were told just hours before the first leg kicked off in Cornwall that they did not meet minimum standards criteria set down by English rugby's Professional Game Board for Premiership entry.
London Welsh played the final's second leg at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford, which is thought to be their preferred venue should they gain Premiership status.
As things stand, Newcastle will remain in the Premiership next season despite finishing bottom, a point behind Wasps, this season. However, should London Welsh succeed in overturning an original decision that went against them then they will go up and the Falcons will be relegated.
In a statement, the RFU said: "The Rugby Football Union has today received London Welsh's appeal against the decision that the club failed to meet the minimum standards criteria set out by the Professional Game Board for promotion to the Aviva Premiership.
"It is proposed that the appeal hearing, which will take place before an independent panel, will be held on 21 June at the London Bloomsbury Hotel.
"An expedited timetable has been agreed with London Welsh, with the proposed date of 21 June the earliest possible time to allow for the exchange of cases and evidence. During the appeal, no further comment will be made."
Pure gold to have Becks at the London Olympics - Daily Mail
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Kick it: David Beckham is still a fans' favourite
Anyone who was at Wembley last Saturday could not fail to understand why David Beckham had to be in Great Britain's Olympic football team at London 2012.
The wall of noise, the palpable sense of excitement, that greeted the mere mention of his name is something only Beckham can generate.
It would be madness to be so straight-laced, stuck up and, well, British about it that we overlooked our global superstar.
We have seen where 'football reasons' have got us in the last few weeks, but Stuart Pearce's task was not to pick the best 18 eligible players based on statistics and somehow hope they can all make a go of it next month. He was asked to pick a squad capable of winning a gold medal.
Pearce has recognised that, and while the incredible midfield engine is not what it once was, Beckham's game has adapted and moved on. He hasn't been messing about in the garden with his kids in LA since leaving England almost a decade ago.
He has been winning titles in Spain and the US, a physical league with lots of young players.
He is still a brilliant passer of the ball and lethal at set-pieces but he also brings those intangible but invaluable qualities: experience, leadership and a winning mentality.
And - shock horror - he is passionate about playing for Great Britain. I am sick of unspectacular footballers turning their backs on international duty out of some misguided sense of their own importance.
Hometown hero: Beckham is set to star in London
If you are lucky enough to be picked, you play. And Beckham desperately wants to represent his country, even if it would have been a lot easier just to walk away.
'Legacy' is the watchword of these Games and Beckham's involvement gives Olympic football the chance to reach out to so many - not just here but around the world. Without him, the men's football competition was in danger of limping along from a British perspective.
A manager overlooked by England in charge of a team only one of the home nations wanted in a tournament many do not believe should even be included in the Olympics. But with Becks in the mix, things suddenly feel a lot different.
Wrexham FC to visit Vauxhall Motors for friendly on July 21 - Daily Post
London 2012 Olympics: Usain Bolt stuns the world by winning 100m showdown with Asafa Powell in 9.79 sec - Daily Telegraph
Britain supplied two of the supporting cast members for Thursday’s sprint showdown though neither were able to steal the show. Mark Lewis-Francis suffered the ignominy of being disqualified for a false start while Marlon Devonish finished sixth in an underwhelming 10.40sec.
The world 400m hurdles champion, Dai Greene, insists that winning Diamond League races is of no importance to him this season and that his training programme has been geared to peaking for the Olympics.
One can only trust he and his coach, Malcolm Arnold, know what they are doing because Greene showed none of the strength and power that carried him to the world title in Daegu last summer as he struggled home in fourth place last night in a weary 49.98sec.
A long way ahead of him was Javier Culson, the Puerto Rican who took the silver in Daegu but has looked the man to beat all season. His winning time of 47.92sec was the fastest in the world this year and has been bettered by Greene only once in his career.
Greene, who appeared to be running out of gas in the straight, said: “It was disappointing. I’m not going to lie, I wanted a lot more. I didn’t think I was going to run as fast as Culson but I just didn’t feel quite as fresh as I did a few weeks ago.” In mitigation, Greene was forced to pull out of last week’s Rome Golden Gala with a stomach virus and he admitted his preparation had not been ideal.
“I thought I could have gone about four tenths faster,” said the Welshman. “That was the target in my head. I ran very aggressively from the start but it was a struggle from hurdle seven onwards. Hopefully, things will get a bit easier in the future.”
The eagerly awaited Olympic 5,000m showdown between Mo Farah and defending Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele is in danger of not even happening after the Ethiopian trailed home in fifth place in the 5,000m here. The race had been nominated by the Ethiopian athletics federation as an Olympic trial and, unfortunately for Bekele, the four athletes who finished ahead of him were all compatriots, leaving him in serious peril of missing out on London.
Bekele has yet to run under 13 minutes this season, though he insisted that he still had time to post a quick enough to catch the selectors’ eyes because the final decision would not be made for several weeks.
“I don’t give up hope,” said Bekele. “I still have time. No problem, I will make it.” Thursday’s race was won by Dejen Gebremeskel, the 5,000m bronze medallist at last year’s World Championships, in 12min 58.92sec, though Farah still leads the world rankings after his 12min 56.88sec in Eugene, Oregon, last Friday.
Jessica Ennis had a mixed night after recording her third-quickest ever time of 12.83sec in the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles only to be disqualified from the final for a false start. Victory went to Australian world champion Sally Pearson with a world-leading time of 12.49sec in her first outdoor race of the European season. Britain’s Tiffany Porter showed her own Olympic medal credentials by taking some big scalps in finishing third in 12.70sec.
Abi Oyepitan turned back the clock with her best 200m time in eight years to finish in second place in her race in 22.71sec — the fastest time this year by a UK runner and well within the Olympic ‘A’ qualifying standard.
The last time she ran so quickly was at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where she reached the final. Having already secured the ‘A’ standard in the 100m, the Tony Lester-coached athlete now looks back to her best after years of injury problems.
Britain's winners and losers in Oslo...
Good Night for...
Abi Oyepitan (200m)
After reaching the final of the Athens Olympics, Oyepitan’s career was blighted by injury, but she now looks back to her best. Her 22.71sec in Oslo took her to the top of the UK rankings.
Nigel Levine (400m)
The UK indoor champion sliced a huge 0.67sec off his lifetime best to win his 400m race in 45.11sec — well inside the Olympic ‘A’ qualifying standard.
Gareth Warburton (800m)
His winning time of 1min 44.98sec made him the third GB athlete to achieve the Olympic ‘A’ standard.
Bad Night for...
Dai Greene (400m hurdles)
He looked a shadow of the runner who won the world title last September as he came fourth in 48.98sec. The Welshman admitted he was disappointed but was not pressing the panic button yet.
Nicola Sanders (400m)
The 2007 world silver medallist finished last in her 400m race in 52.79sec, a long way off the Olympic ‘A’ standard.
Jessica Ennis (100m hurdles)
After clocking 12.83sec in her semi-final — the third fastest time of her career — she was disqualified in the final for a false start.
'Ground-breaking' changes for London cancer patients - BBC News
The way London's cancer patients are treated changed on Thursday in a move the NHS hopes will save up to 1,000 lives a year.
Cancer services in the north and east of the capital have combined to be called London Cancer - responsible for more than three million people.
It has brought together hospital specialists, GPs and scientists.
Patients can now receive specialist care at major cancer centres and then the rest of their care closer to home.
London Cancer's chief medical officer Professor Kathy Pritchard-Jones said: "We've got some of the best scientists and clinicians in the country in our capital city but we need to get them to work together much more effectively for the benefit of patients.
'Compete with the best'"I think this is a real opportunity to do something ground-breaking for our patients.
"We've been given the opportunity to think really big and to plan services for a population of three and a half million people in north and east London, so this means we can now compete with the very best in the world."
About 13,600 people die from cancer in London each year and more than 27,000 are diagnosed with the disease.
One patient is 46-year-old black cab driver Mark Fitzpatrick.
He is one of the first to experience what life will be like for future patients.
In January he was diagnosed with cancer at Barts Hospital. Since then he has been receiving his chemotherapy treatment at Whipps Cross Hospital - 10 minutes from his home - meaning he does not have to travel into town.
He said: "It's not a journey you'd want to do on a regular basis, particularly at the beginning - because if you are particularly ill you don't want to be travelling into central London.
"It's just so handy to go to your local hospital. I mean, I live 10 minutes away, it just makes life so much easier at a time when you don't feel well.
"It's nice to be treated locally as it's a small unit and they treat you particularly well."
At the moment the average survival rates for cancer in London one year after diagnosis are worse (63.8%) than the rest of the country (66.5%).
Satisfaction rates amongst patients are also lower.
It is hoped this new network, and one for south and west London, to be launched later this year, will change that.
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