London 2012: Olympic saltire flag ban lifted for Hampden - BBC News
The saltire flag will be allowed to fly over Scotland's national football stadium during the London Olympics, games bosses have confirmed.
The move came after they previously said it could not be flown over Hampden, which is hosting some Olympic 2012 football matches.
Scottish athletes represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games, under the banner of the Union Flag.
The Welsh dragon will also be allowed to fly at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
A spokesman for the London 2012 Organising Committee said the move had been backed by the International Olympic Committee.
Hampden is holding eight London 2012 football matches.
The original restriction did not apply to fans attending games at the stadium.
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London Welsh to contest decision soon – Rugby News Update - Bettor.com
London Welsh to contest decision soon – Rugby News Update
London Welsh, a club that plays in the Championship, the second tier of rugby in England have defeated the Cornish Pirates over a two-legged final to be declared champions.
However, they are not being allowed promotion into the Aviva Premiership, the top tier of rugby in England, as they do not fill the minimum requirement criteria. Their application to join the country’s elite was rejected by the Professional Game Board, a decision that was upheld by the Rugby Football Union.
After securing the title, the club is keen to fight their case in order to secure their promotion into the top flight. They have a minimum of three months to know what tier they will be playing in, as the new season will start by then. It provides the club a very small window of opportunity to take the matter to court or settle for an out of court settlement. London Welsh were waiting till the season concluded, and now that they have emerged winners, they are in a strong bargaining position.
Club chairman, Bleddyn Phillips, said, "We shall be lodging an appeal in the very near future and in parallel we are pursuing all other available opportunities to make sure we can take our rightful and deserved place in the Aviva Premiership."
John Taylor, the managing director of the club has said that the refusal of the RFU has brought the situation into a tipping point. He referenced the need of the RFU to make the Championship a professional body, and they need to support the lower league teams, in order to create a culture where the teams have an opportunity to advance.
He said, "The feeling is that even if we were to be in a situation at the end of it for whatever reason we didn't win this appeal, and we are going to fight it very, very hard, things will never be the same again. They will not be prepared to go through this again at the end of next season.”
It is going to be a long summer for London Welsh and they have to make important decisions regarding the future of the club.
London 2012: June events calendar and diary - Daily Telegraph
David Nash at Kew, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens; June 9 – April 14 2013
The works of sculptor David Nash will go on display at Kew Gardens this month, with sculptures, installations, drawings and film in place in the open air, garden glasshouses and on-site exhibition spaces. Nash is renowned for his work with wood and the exhibition will see the artist work on a ‘wood quarry’ in Kew, where he will create new pieces for the exhibition using trees from Kew Gardens that have reached the end of their natural life.
Bt Artbox Project, throughout London; June 18 – July 16
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s traditional red telephone box is an icon of British design but this month it gets a temporary revamp from select artists and designers. Keith Tyson, Romero Britto, Zandra Rhodes and Giles Deacon are among those selected to participate in the BT Artbox Project, which will see them decorate a full-size, fibreglass replica of the K6 telephone kiosk, which will then be displayed in different areas of the city.
Codebreaker - Alan Turing's life and legacy, Science Museum; June 21 – June 2013
One hundred years after his birth, Alan Turing is celebrated with a free year-long exhibition at the Science Museum. Examining his life and legacy, the exhibition considers his contribution to computer science – which still holds influence today – and remembers his wartime codebreaking successes. The exhibition will display one of the most comprehensive collections of Turing-related artefacts, including machines he developed and worked on.
BP Portrait Award 2012, National Portrait Gallery; June 21 – September 23
The National Portrait Gallery follows its exceptionally popular Lucian Freud exhibition with the BP Portrait Award. This is the most prestigious portrait competition in the world, with a £25,000 prize going to the work judged to best showcase contemporary portrait-painting technique. Admittance is free.
New London theatre and performing arts openings
London 2012 Festival, throughout London and nationally; June 21 – September 9
The London 2012 Festival is the cultural complement to the London 2012 Olympic Games and the culmination of the four-year Cultural Olympiad. Throughout the capital, and throughout the country, thousands of events will take place to ensure millions of people will have the opportunity to participate in this exceptional summer. Highlights in London include the BT River of Music festival, which will see act including the Scissor Sisters and the Noisettes perform at six separate Thames-side locations, and an enhanced West End LIVE in Trafalgar Square which will this year see the casts from every one of London’s West End musicals perform for free. You can see coverage of the festival as it progresses on our London 2012 Festival portal.
Southbank Centre Summer Festival; June 1 – September 9
The Southbank Centre has another summer’s entertainment sorted with its Festival of the World. With a focus on learning, the event seeks to showcase how art can transform lives with a programme that’s challenging, moving and engaging. Highlights include Bryn Terfel’s four-day celebration of Welsh culture and Unlimited, the largest series of commissions by disabled and deaf artists ever undertaken in the UK.
New London restaurant and bar openings
Chase and Country Tails Terrace, Harvey Nichols; June 4 - July 15
Hopes are high for a good summer and if clement weather does grace us then the Chase and Country Tails Terrace at Fifth Floor Harvey Nichols is going to be popular. Created by Chase Distillery, the terrace’s traditional English-countryside look is inspired by the Herefordshire countryside where the company is based. More a bar space that serves food than a restaurant, the terrace will serve drinks featuring Chase spirits and mini tasting dishes created by Fifth Floor restaurant executive chef Jonas Karlsson.
Beard to Tail pop-up restaurant, 24 Chart Street; June 12-15
Shoreditch cocktail bar Callooh Callay tries its hand at the food trade with the four-day opening of the Beard to Tail pop-up restaurant. The meat-heavy menu is set to feature plenty of hearty, homely dishes with mains priced at £8-£13. The space will accommodate only 35 covers. Annoyingly bookings aren’t taken but you can expect the cocktail list to provide compensation. The pop-up precedes the opening of a permanent Beart to Tail restaurant, currently set for September 2012.
The Cube by Electrolux, Southbank Centre; June 1 – September 30
A Room for London, the boat-shaped, one-bedroom hotel, is perched atop the Queen Elizabeth Hall already; now The Cube by Electrolux plonks itself above the adjacent Royal Festival Hall. A pop-up restaurant sponsored by the appliances manufacturer, it will feature dishes created by Michelin-starred chefs stationed across the British Isles, including Sat Bains, Claude Bosi and Tom Kitchin. Guests who dine here will be served at least five courses with matching wines, and only 18 people will be accommodated at a time. Lunch at the Cube by Electrolux costs £175 per person, while dinner costs £215. Bookings can be made through the website.
Eat London afternoon tea, Wyndham Grand; June 1-30
Chocolatier Damian Allsop newly created Eat London chocolate bars are influenced by London’s cultural diversity (coffee and banana crunch are used for the Brixton bar; ginger, peanut and soy for China Town) and to celebrate their launch the Wyndham Grand London Chelsea Harbour hotel has launched an Eat London afternoon tea for the month. The tea features traditional teatime treats that have again been adapted to represent different parts of the city and costs £28 per person. On June 9, Allsop will be present at the hotel to run a two-hour chocolate masterclass – that costs £40 per person.
Afternoon Rock tea, W London hotel; June 1 onwards
The W London hotel is now serving Afternoon Rock tea, its variant of traditional afternoon tea. Launched to coincide with this summer’s Jubilee and Olympic festivities, the tea celebrates all things British with a menu that’s inspired by great British rock bands. Served on a three-tier stand made from original vinyl records, items served are named after rock albums and songs. London’s Burning, for example, is a chocolate pudding and hazelnut crunch; Cherry Bomb is a chocolate, mascarpone and cherry dessert inspired by The Runaways’ 1976 song.
Other London openings
ZSL London Zoo Lates, London Zoo; June 1 – July 27
From now until the end of July, London Zoo will be open late on Fridays and the venue is offering a packed Zoo Lates programme of events to celebrate. Running from 6pm-10pm the adults-only event will feature live comedy and cabaret performances on site, a silent disco (loud music disturbs the animals) and, of course, the opportunity to observe the hundreds of different animal species resident in the zoo.
Bolt vows to ‘wow’ London Olympics - Westmidlands.com
Usain Bolt is aiming to “wow” the world with his performances at the Olympics.
Bolt got back into the groove on Thursday night with victory in the Rome Diamond League 100metres in 9.76 seconds, the fastest time in the world this year. It was his fourth fastest time ever, with the previous three all world records.
Bolt will draw inspiration from London’s Jamaican community during the Olympics, and he warned rivals like Tyson Gay and Yohan Blake that his Italian job was just the start. He said: “I know I can go faster because this is the start of the season. I have a long way to go.
“I’m really looking forward to competing here. I haven’t competed in London for a while so I’m really looking forward to it. I know all the Jamaicans living here are looking forward to it also so I’m just preparing to put on a great show. At the end of the day I just want to wow people after this Olympics so I’m looking forward to it.”
Bolt was in London on Friday to launch Jamaica’s Bob Marley-inspired Puma kit for the Olympics. Asked whether he will need to improve on 9.76secs to win gold, and whether he can go faster, Bolt said: “That’s what I do. The season is still early. Everybody is running 9.8 so that’s good competition. 9.7 is also good for me.
“I’m happy with the way it is and just want to continue working hard and run faster so I’m looking forward to it. I’m ready to go.”
Bolt’s performance in Rome put to bed any questions about his form after he ran 10.04secs in Ostrava last week.
“I never doubt my ability, never. People forget, and I keep explaining to people, that athletes have bad days,” he said. “Every athlete can – cricket, football, any sport – you have bad days and that was just one of mine and I got past it and now I’m just moving forward.”
Bolt decided after Ostrava that he needed a few early nights, which clearly did the trick. His triple Olympic triumph in Beijing was fuelled on a diet of chicken nuggets – but there will be no repeat of that in London.
“The good thing about the fact we are in London is there will be a lot of Jamaican food – the only thing I have to worry about is putting on weight,” he said. “There will be no chicken nuggets this year.”
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