London: 2012 Olympics

London Dept: York, United Kingdom It is hard enough to find posters or buzz about the Olympics in London, except at the actual venues and in the road signs indicating which lanes are closed to all but vehicles carrying privileged members of the Olympic family . Near the top end of England, in the capital in Yorkshire, there is virtually no sense at all that the 2012 Olympics open Friday in this country. "It is curious that the Queen's Diamond Jubilee has really overshadowed the Olympics," said Larch Cardona, a blue badge tour guide who knows the historic cathedral town of York far better than most. Like every other community in England and most communities in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, York was decked out in thousands of Union Jacks in late May. Royal memorabilia and kitsch including elegant portraits of the monarch, as well as mugs, teaspoons and key chains were for sale in most shops. Neighbourhoods all over the British Isles held street parties that were usually well attended and lots of fun. "People here were thrilled to bits by the Jubilee," said Cardona, whose family has been in Yorkshire for many generations. "Everyone felt they were part of it. They went potty over the whole thing. There is nothing like that feeling here about the Olympics." The only hint of Olympic spirit in Yorkshire occurred a few weeks ago when the Olympic torch spent two days in the county, attracting reasonable crowds. But the presence of athletes from several foreign countries who came to the dales of Yorkshire for last-minute preparations for the Games attracted almost no public attention. Some Yorkshiremen, such as the gentleman with a broad local accent selling the Yorkshire Post in front of the museum-like Victorian train station, were certain that British patriotism and jingoism would kick in once the masses were able to watch the opening ceremony Friday night on the BBC. But the general lack of British interest in the Games so far, which has also been much commented upon in London, contrasts sharply with the very public pride and affection that most Canadians took in the Vancouver Olympics 29 months ago. Mind you, it was a bit easier to get caught up in the Vancouver Games because police enforcing a ban on the public use of the Olympic rings were not quite as zealous in Canada as they have been in Britain, where the government has enacted and enforced stiff laws to protect the rights of the International Olympic Committee and its sponsors, who spent more than $1 billion to have exclusive use of Olympic trademarks and words like "Twenty Twelve" and "gold" and "games." In a day spent asking, only Margaret Caress, who was visiting York from Hertfordshire with her husband John to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, expressed joy that the Olympics were about to begin. "I wish I could go to the opening ceremony, but the tickets were too hard to get and far too dear," said Caress, whose son is working as an executive with the London Games. After rhyming off the names of some of her favourite Olympians including diver Tom Daley, 18 "and gorgeous," and Rebecca Adlington, who is back again after having won two gold medals in swimming at Beijing Caress said she would also watch the Paralympics, which take place after the Olympics, because she "admires those athletes so much." But Caress then had a confession to make. "I'd watch Neighbours first," she gushed, referring to the popular Australian soap opera, "and tape the Olympics second. I do love my Neighbours." Back in London, there is now a definite sense of excitement in many parts of the old city, especially around places such as Trafalgar Square, where entertainment is being laid on. This was particularly true as the Olympic torch snaked its way down the Mall and past Westminster Abbey and Big Ben on Thursday. The focal point on Friday was the torch's procession through the Hampton Court maze and on to the royal barge Gloriana, where it was taken to Tower Bridge to be held in a secret location. From there, it will make the final leg of its long journey from Greece to the Olympic stadium, where its flame will be used to light a cauldron that will burn throughout the XXX Olympiad. The Olympics dominate the news and the British media had a lot of fun Friday with the blundering criticism of the Games by U.S. presidential hopeful Mitt Romney during a 24-hour tour that was supposed to have provided him with easy publicity. Instead, he criticized London's preparations, including problems with security. Responded British Prime Minister David Cameron: "Of course it's easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere," a reference to the Salt Lake City Olympics led by Romney in 2002. There has also been much breathless reporting about the last-minute preparations for the opening ceremony and whether thunderstorms might rain on the athletes' parade and on-field spectacular involving 10,000 actors. Different weather services offered a 20 per cent to 70 per cent chance that celebrants and spectators would get drenched. But British journalists also highlighted ongoing problems with the security guards hired for the Games, after three of them were arrested in Newcastle for immigration offences. And as always, most of Friday's criticisms concerned the city's creaky transport system and the huge traffic jams caused by the Olympics. It is hard to tell, but London's always opinionated cab drivers probably have it right when they grouse that hundreds of kilometres of special lanes, some of which slice through the heart of the city, are causing far more problems than they are saving. The cabbies are fuming because they chose not to press for Olympic bonuses received by other transport workers. Now trapped in massive traffic jams, the drivers' revenues are down considerably at a time when, in a bitter irony, London is rocking with as many as one million more visitors than usual. fisherrmatthew@hotmail.com div (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.