London 2012: Olympics opening ceremony details revealed - BBC News
The Olympic Stadium will be transformed into the "British countryside" for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Games on 27 July.
A cast of 10,000 volunteers will help recreate country scenes, against a backdrop featuring farmyard animals and landmarks like Glastonbury Tor.
The opening scene of the £27m ceremony will be called "Green and Pleasant", artistic director Danny Boyle revealed.
He added the show would create "a picture of ourselves as a nation."
"The best way to tell that story is through working with real people," said Boyle, who has reserved a role for NHS nurses in proceedings.
There have already been 157 cast rehearsals and Boyle added: "I've been astounded by the selfless dedication of the volunteers, they are the pure embodiment of the Olympic spirit and represent the best of who we are as a nation."
The set will feature meadows, fields and rivers, with families taking picnics, people playing sports on the village green and farmers tilling the soil.
Real farmyard animals will be grazing in the "countryside", with a menagerie of 70 sheep, 12 horses, three cows, two goats, 10 chickens, 10 ducks, nine geese and three sheepdogs.
One billion people worldwide are expected to watch the opening ceremony.
Boyle, best known for directing Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting, said the show was inspired by The Tempest and would be about a land recovering from its industrial legacy.
The world's largest "harmonically-tuned" bell, weighing 23 tonnes and measuring 2m tall x 3m wide, will ring inside the Stadium to start the Shakespeare-inspired spectacle, featuring 900 children from the six Games host boroughs.
The bell, which was produced by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and is inscribed with a quote from The Tempest's Caliban: "Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises", was installed in the Stadium last week.
Boyle said it was appropriate because: "That's how communities notified each other that something important was going to happen...after the war the bells were rung in London to announce the peace and we will begin our Games with a symbol of peace."
Among the other features will be two mosh-pits - one representing the Glastonbury festival and another the Last Night of the Proms - filled with members of the public.
Tickets for these positions are yet to be allocated, with organisers still to decide how to distribute them.
The set will feature real grass, an oak tree and "clouds" suspended from wires above the stadium - one of which will produce rain, provided the British weather does not provide its own on the night.
Meanwhile, the home nations will be represented by Maypoles topped with a thistle, a leek, a rose and flax.
A full dress rehearsal will be held for a capacity crowd of 80,000 in the Olympic Stadium, which will be fitted with a million-watt sound system.
The production team at 3 Mills Studios is completing work on nearly 13,000 props, while staff in the production department are creating 23,000 costumes for the four Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies.
'Fantastic celebration'Seb Coe, who chairs the Organising Committee Locog, said it would be one of the biggest sets ever built for a show.
"I'm sure [it] will be a fantastic celebration that will welcome the 10,500 athletes from around the world and make our nation proud," he said.
The three-hour ceremony will begin at 21:00 BST with "an hour of culture", followed by the athletes parade, then the lighting of the cauldron and a fireworks display to bring down the curtain.
Boyle is collaborating with electronic musical duo Underworld, whose 1990s rave classic Born Slippy featured in Trainspotting. They have already mixed two tracks at London's Abbey Road studios.
Asked about timings for the ceremony, Boyle said the music will be used to help dictate the pace of athletes parading around the stadium.
The director, who said it would be impossible to keep details of the show secret, said he was trying to represent something of everyone's dreams in the ceremony and hoped viewers would "find something of themselves" in what they saw.
London based firm leading a corporate rebellion - Fresh Business Thinking
12/06/2012
By Daniel Hunter
London start-up Escape the City has raised £600,000 pounds via Crowdcube.com — the UK’s first equity crowdfunding platform.
Escape the City is a website that helps professionals make exciting career transitions. It has a community of more than 65,000 people who want to escape from unfulfilling corporate jobs. The site helps people find new jobs, start businesses, and go on big adventures.
The company was founded by Dom Jackman and Rob Symington, who quit their management consultancy jobs in 2010 in order to set up the business. Given that "leaving the city" was part of the company's philosophy, they were reluctant to have to rely on the city for financing.
“We have rejected an offer from one of London’s top Venture Capital firms. We want to remain independent and allow our own members to get involved in a very real way as shareholders," said Escape the City Co-Founder — Dom Jackman, 29.
Platforms such as Kickstarter have helped crowdfunding become a popular phenomenon in recent years. However, Crowdcube is the world’s first crowdfunding platform for equity. Escape the City’s £600,000 is the largest equity crowdfunding fundraise for an online start-up anywhere in the world.
“We are really thrilled to be one of the startups spearheading equity crowdfunding in the UK. We think it is a fantastic way to democratise start-up investment and fund exciting ideas," said Escape the City Co-Founder — Rob Symington, 28.
The funding will be used to build a forward-looking discovery network where people can set their aspirations in order to be matched with relevant opportunities, people and information.
“We want to help people plan exciting career moves that fit not only their experience, but the future that they want for themselves. We are essentially building a forward-looking Linkedin," said Escape the City’s New York Partner — Mike Howe, 27.
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Vauxhall picks Rockingham for Astra VXR launch challenge - Expert Reviews
Posted on 12 Jun 2012 at 10:32
Vauxhall has confirmed that it is to use the Rockingham motor racing circuit in Northamptonshire to launch the AStra VXR, its most powerful Astra model to date, in a special motorsport event.
The Motor Sport Association-accredited Astra VXR Media Sprint Challenge will see a selection of motoring journalists compete in road and track testing to see who can post the best time in Vauxhall's latest Astra over a course comprising a three-hour 110-mile route on the roads surrounding Rockingham followed by a sprint event on the Rockingham track itself.
Sadly, the event won't be open to the general public: as an MSA-accredited event, participants are required to hold a relevant race licence, while mandatory safety training will be provided before the chosen few are let loose in the new Astra VXR.
Vauxhall has good reason to be cautious: the most powerful production Astra to date, the new Astra VXR has a 280PS 2.0-litre turbo-charged engine which can push the vehicle to 60mph from a standing start in 5.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 155mph. On a track, that translates into a hair-raising ride for the uninitiated.
The Astras used in the event, which is based on the Vauxhall Challenge theme used to launch the Astra GTC last year, will be full retail specification models including the mechanical limited-slip differential, bespoke Brembo brakes and FlexRide adaptive dampening system.
The general public will be given the opportunity to get their hands on the vehicles in July, when the Astra VXR goes on sale priced from £26,995.
Author: Gareth Halfacree
Plymouth's Tom Daley so excited after getting call for London 2012 Olympic Games - this is plymouth
TOM DALEY admitted he is already getting 'really excited' after the city diving superstar was named in the Great Britain squad for this summer's Olympics.
Plymouth Diving's Daley will lead the Great Britain charge in both the men's individual 10m platform and the synchro events at the London Games.
Daley made certain of his place in the teenager's own 'dream Games' by winning a gold medal at the British Championships which doubled as Olympic trials at Sheffield's Ponds Forge at the weekend.
The former world champion scored a total of 547 points in the individual, outscoring Waterfield who ended the dive-off with 452.
Britain's new national champion will be joined in both events by individual runner-up Peter Waterfield, while Daley's club-mates Tonia Couch and Sarah Barrow have both been picked for the women's 10m synchro.
Although the most casual observer of diving would have assumed Daley was a shoo-in for London 2012, for the 18-year-old European champion to see his name on the list was clearly a relief.
And, he said, a reward for the self sacrifice and long hours spent training for the globe's biggest sporting event.
Daley said: "It is very exciting. It feels really great to be finally named in the Great Britain Olympic team.
"After all the training hours I've had to put in and all the thousands of dives, it feels so good to know I'm going to be there."
Daley acknowledged that because of his own excellent form this year the level of national expectation for him to medal will have been cranked up a couple of notches more.
But the teenager insisted his rivals, notably China's number one Qiu Bo, will also be feeling the strain the closer the Briton gets to him at world-class tournaments.
Daley said: "The pressure is going to be massive for everyone. It comes down to whoever deals with it the best.
"Qiu Bo has never been to an Olympic Games, so he's not going to know what it's like.
"There will be a lot of pressure on him, because he's the favourite and from China.
"And, gradually, everyone's scores around the world are getting higher and higher and therefore, closer to him."
The Plymothian believes having taken part in one Olympic Games already will work to his advantage.
Daley said the experience could be key to how he handles the pressure in London.
He said: "I think it helps massively to have been able to compete in the Olympics in Beijing.
"I've gained the experience of being at one. If I hadn't gone there (Beijing), it could have been a little bit overwhelming, being at home and all."
Daley admitted his own form in the lead up to next month's Olympics had been very pleasing, to say the least.
The 2008 Olympic finalist in Beijing, at the age of just 14 years and reigning Commonwealth Games champion ended this year's prestigious World Series as number one and then reclaimed the European individual crown in Eindhoven last month.
Daley, though, while delighted with those awards, said he is looking forward, with all his thoughts concentrated on the Aquatics Centre.
"The Olympics is the major event of the year and that is what you want to peak for. Everything is focused and concentrated on the Games in London," said Daley.
"Yes, I want to do well in every single competition I take part in, because I'm competitive.
"Everything I do, I want to do to the best of my ability: I'm a perfectionist.
"I go into every competition trying to win, because that's my nature.
"The only thing I can focus on is myself as diving is such an individual sport, not like tennis, for example, where you can hit a ball in one direction and your opponent will hit it back in another.
"With diving, you do what you do and hope it's good and the other divers will do exactly the same for themselves."
Daley said he is becoming confident at mastering what he considers his most difficult dive – the forward 4½ somersault, but insisted he will not be resting on his laurels.
"To be honest, I find all the dives very hard but the forward 4½ I consider my hardest. But I've been doing them a lot more consistently and doing them better," said Daley.
"It's difficult making sure I get that dive right and the others in (his tariff), too, and going into every competition trying to do the best I can."
Ever the realist, Daley said that while it is his goal to top the podium at the Olympics, he does not dream about medalling, just competing.
He said: "Obviously, it's my dream to win a gold medal, and that's any athlete's dream, isn't it?
"But whenever I dream about appearing at the Olympics, I'm just doing my dives, but I never see the scoreboard so I don't know where I'm going to end up.
"For me, it's all about doing everything I can beforehand to make sure I'm well prepared to compete at the Olympic Games."
Daley said his next event is the Olympics but that his schedule is showing no sign of relaxing.
"No, it's kind of scary knowing that the next competition I take part in will be at the Olympics," said Daley.
"It's all very busy for us. We're going to be training twice a day, five times a week.
"We (Team GB) all go to Majorca today for a training camp and then we go to the Olympic pre-camp on July 24, which is a complete lock-down and focused on preparing for the Games.
"That'll be at the Aquatics Centre and it will really be make or break time for me."
London 2012 Olympics: Athletes let down by UK sporting system over selection for Team GB - Daily Telegraph Blogs
Athletes by their very nature like to be in control of their destiny, which is why, on the eve of the London 2012 Olympic Games, there have been so many selection appeals – in taekwondo, fencing, triathlon, rowing, rhythmic gymnastics, diving and modern pentathlon.
Many are opportunistic and understandable or wild last-minute stabs to ensure no stone has been left unturned in the battle to make the GB team.
But many others have great legitimacy. Many athletes, not just those involved in high profile cases such as taekwondo player Aaron Cook, can rightly feel that the UK sporting system has failed them badly.
This is because some of the country's top athletes have had no control. Their sporting careers have been determined by blazer wearing officials whose opinion overweighs any objective criteria.
Circumstances in taekwondo over the past fortnight have exposed the flaws in this system. UK Sport has being missing in action – it has distanced itself from any responsibility over national governing bodies – even though the taxpayer and national lottery player are contributing the £100 million a year to keep many of these sports solvent.
For nearly four years UK Sport has been monitoring each sport to extract the optimum chance of Olympic medals but now, on the eve of that performance, worryingly significant governance issues are bubbling to the surface.
The British Olympic Association has tried to enforce some responsibility, by demanding adherence to the various selection policies, but its power is largely limited to Games-time operations once the team has been selected.
The Minister for Sport Hugh Robertson has been relatively quiet too, claiming to want to have the best team to win medals, but his Ministry has been lax in its oversight of many of the smaller sports procedures.
In this vacuum of scrutiny, many national governing bodies have instituted secretive, and on occasion, completely subjective policies where there is zero accountability.
Seemingly the one fundamental value – athletes' rights – has been overlooked within these policies. The sports appeals system restricts objections to whether the selection policy has been implemented fairly, but then sends the selection back to the same group of selectors for more clandestine meetings.
What happened to the notions of justice, procedural fairness and transparency? Surely the Olympic team shouldn't be a function of how good a lawyer an athlete can hire?
In the United States most of the team selections are objective. It is a cruel one-shot chance. Compete in the Olympic trials, finish in the top two (for swimming) or the top three (for track and field) and you are in the team. Injury or illnesses are not considered.
World rankings, Olympic medals, having a relative as a sponsor / selector / coach are immaterial: it all comes down to a single performance. Athletes in combat sports earn their place with victory at a selection tournament. Such a black and white approach has its failings of course, notwithstanding that the country's best medal hope might dip out by 100th of a second, but athletes are accepting of such a model simply because they know where they stand.
In Australia and Canada many of the sports have adopted a similar performance-based system. But those that haven't are required to publish their selection criteria openly on websites. Appeals are heard by quite separate selection panels. It may well have been the case that Cook's rival, Lutalo Muhammad would have been selected by both selection panels if such a system existed here in the UK, but at least Cook, and the public, would have some faith that the system was fairer.
GB Taekwondo has come in for particularly harsh criticism of late and rightly so. Even after three selection meetings, the taekwondo selection policy has remained secret. As outsiders we are puzzled by the decision and can only infer it has included an overweight “subjective'” component. For how else could a relatively inexperienced Muhammad, ranked 59 in the world, earn the Olympic berth repeatedly ahead of the world number one Cook?
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