please empty your brain below
11) Diamond Geezer: After many years as an intriguing, well-written blog educating its readers as to events in East London in general and the city in particular, the blog's diligent, rounded and thoughtful commentary (in addition to its spectacular attendance record) elevated the blog from a very good read to the blog of record as to the Olympics - obviating the need to read anything else.

Harry | 11.09.12 - 7:12 a.m. | #

'Don't underestimate the years of transport planning that went into making all this possible'

On behalf of my fellow Olympic transport planners at the Underground, thank you in the most sincere way. We were a fairly small team throughout the last seven years and my quick estimate is that there was getting on fifty years of work put into getting the last six weeks right.

Which isn't to take anything away from the operators. They had to deliver these plans and would have had to deal with the fall out if it all went horribly wrong.

Anon | 11.09.12 - 8:33 a.m. | #

Diamond Geezer deserves a medal. Hmm. Is there a nomination form on the No.10 website ... ?

Andrew | 11.09.12 - 9:49 a.m. | #

As far as transport is concerned: I think the DLR was one of the real winners of London 2012. After 25 years from starting as an obscure line in an unbuilt docklands to one which could ferry thousands of people each day between venues at Excel / North Greenwich/Woolwich/Stratford. Also the Javelin was able to shift a lot of people very quickly.

KissenMe | 11.09.12 - 10:19 a.m. | #

12) The British urge to cheer on the underdog, regardless of nation? In the swimming heats I attended, the cheers for the last place athletes were often louder and more prolonged than for first place. Highly emotive and just astonishing...

s | 11.09.12 - 10:38 a.m. | #

10+X) Doing your weekly grocery shopping Sunday after 4pm.
Unfortunately this was just a temporary boost, but a bliss for those wishing to spend the weekend by the sea, in a park etc. rather than rushing back by 3pm to make it to the local superstore.

Greg | 11.09.12 - 10:47 a.m. | #

10+one more:) Digital TV, temporary again, but a convenient way to watch practically any event you want, at no extra cost.

Greg | 11.09.12 - 10:54 a.m. | #

Earlier this year, I saved this little quote from the BBC news. 'Network Rail chief executive Sir David Higgins warned that “bad things will happen” to London's transport system during the Olympics.'

GAA | 11.09.12 - 11:16 a.m. | #

3) As an extension of Patriotism, BRITISH Patriotism was a major winner, there was no hint of separatist talk from the competitors, and it was nice to be able to wave the Union Flag without people thinking you were a BNP supporter or football hooligan!

Echoing the comments above, other winners were
Digital TV - all those extra channels to watch minority sports
Clare Balding - an important role on the BBC, then switching channels to be lead anchor on C4!
Andy Murray - would he have won the US open last night (hopefully the first of many Grand Slams) without the massive confidence boost from his Olympic victory...

Mikey C | 11.09.12 - 12:37 p.m. | #

Talking of Mr Johnson's "predecessor with vision", has anybody seen any comment from Mr Livingstone, or was he present at any event?

As far as I can tell, he has been wonderfully dignified by his discretion. I hope that he enjoyed the last 6 weeks. Thank You to him for the part he played in making it all possible.

DD | 11.09.12 - 5:27 p.m. | #

The Games Makers are not "volunteers", they are unpaid staff. It is shameful that anyone should work for free.

Karen | 11.09.12 - 9:27 p.m. | #

DD, indeed.

I did see a photo of the proper and capable former mayor, adjacent to the good-at-speech-writing-but-not-much-else current mayor, at the Paralympics Closing Ceremony; but apart from that, he appears to have been invisible.

His discretion has indeed been most admirable.

Dominic H | 11.09.12 - 10:24 p.m. | #

@ DD - Mr Livingstone has made a couple of short comments in TV interviews. The TV news has, at least, recognised he had a key role in making it happen and get started. And Boris did, in one interview, also give due praise to Ken which I think was a genuine statement on his part. It did need to be said and I'm glad it was. It would have been churlish beyond belief not to give due recognition.

PC | 11.09.12 - 11:01 p.m. | #

I would also like to express my thanks to the many G4S staff who did work at the venues. Although the armed forces who stepped in are a lot more popular and were rightly praised for their short notice deployment and good humour, there were hardly any mentions for G4S staff and they were by and large friendly and efficient. Thanks to you all too!

Stephen Hosking | 12.09.12 - 1:22 a.m. | #

P.S. G4S did get one mention at least - towards the end of the speeches after the Parade on Monday

Stephen Hosking | 12.09.12 - 1:23 a.m. | #

I'd like to add my thanks to DG too - and raise my Games Maker red cap AND my Team London Ambassador trilby AND my Team London Ambassador pink cap in fulsomely praise and respect for such comprehensive, USEFUL and above all entertaining writing. No-one did it better.

Stephen Hosking | 12.09.12 - 1:26 a.m. | #

Transport a winner? Not cycling. Pretty much no provision for people cycling to the games except for an un-signposted bike parking facility, which was about a mile away from the entrance.

Safe cycle routes vital to many people cycling to work were shut (eg the Mall and the Lea towpath) leaving them to deal with incredibly dangerous roads instead.

And no decent facilities left either.

Not even considering the cyclist killed within sight of the stadium and all the cyclists arrested for daring to cycle vaguely towards the arena, the whole things gets a massive thumbs down from a cycling point of view.

Simon | 13.09.12 - 6:05 p.m. | #

Well, Simon, the Games were only notionally green.

Cynic | 13.09.12 - 9:05 p.m. | #











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