Visit to the Olympic Park
Discussion
Was lucky enough to have been taken on a guided tour a couple weeks ago.
If you like looking round building sites then it might float your boat. Still a fair bit to do but it looks fairly cosmetic. (scaffolding for the grandstands etc). All the main venues are up, the only one that looks as if its only just been started is the BMX track.
If there is nothing official left then suggest you go to Pudding Mill lane station on the docklands light railway. Bloody good view from the station platform but if you exit out the station and carry on going when you get to ground level it takes you up onto an embankment (which is due to close in the next couple of weeks apparently) you can see the sheer scale of the park. Its pretty impressive!
The really interesting part of the day was dropping into Canary Wharf LOCOG offices and having a look around their operations centre.
View from the embankment
View from the station platform
(for reference the embankment can just be seen in this shot alongside the yellow building with windows)
Happy to share more pics if you like.
If you like looking round building sites then it might float your boat. Still a fair bit to do but it looks fairly cosmetic. (scaffolding for the grandstands etc). All the main venues are up, the only one that looks as if its only just been started is the BMX track.
If there is nothing official left then suggest you go to Pudding Mill lane station on the docklands light railway. Bloody good view from the station platform but if you exit out the station and carry on going when you get to ground level it takes you up onto an embankment (which is due to close in the next couple of weeks apparently) you can see the sheer scale of the park. Its pretty impressive!
The really interesting part of the day was dropping into Canary Wharf LOCOG offices and having a look around their operations centre.
View from the embankment
View from the station platform
(for reference the embankment can just be seen in this shot alongside the yellow building with windows)
Happy to share more pics if you like.
I don't think you'll get near it. A colleague was there recently doing some testing etc, it's all Mag and Bag security at the entrance sites.
They're not going to simply let you wander around, although that might be specific to the actual venues and therefore it may be possible to wander between them, and around the park, like you asked initially
.
There's one way to find out I guess.
In China, by way of recent and relevant example, anyone could walk around the outsides of the venues, but obviously you couldn't get in. This was during the Olympics though, not the building phase, although whether that makes a difference is not something I know.
They're not going to simply let you wander around, although that might be specific to the actual venues and therefore it may be possible to wander between them, and around the park, like you asked initially
. There's one way to find out I guess.
In China, by way of recent and relevant example, anyone could walk around the outsides of the venues, but obviously you couldn't get in. This was during the Olympics though, not the building phase, although whether that makes a difference is not something I know.
we went on sunday to "have a look" - couldnt get in the park as there was some test event on ( as i presume there will be most days ) and you needed tickets. Good views from john lewis and interesting to see although have to say it looked like a s
te milton keynes with a dodgy concrete helter skelter
te milton keynes with a dodgy concrete helter skelter
I've been on the park twice. Once for the track cycling test event and once on a tour organised via work (benefit of working for a media organisation)
Even on the official tour all we got was an hour long bus trip with commentary. Interesting enough, but it was a grey miserable day and that just made it all look even more like a building site than it actually does. There was no chance of getting off the bus let alone into any of the venues.
The velodrome however is utterly amazing. If you have tickets for the track cycling you are a lucky, lucky person!
If you just want a looksie, go to Westfield Stratford and you'll get a good enough view of the south end of the park (aquatics, stadium, orbit) to make it a little more special get the Javelin service from St. Pancras. Six minutes from St. P to Stratford is pretty impressive!
Even on the official tour all we got was an hour long bus trip with commentary. Interesting enough, but it was a grey miserable day and that just made it all look even more like a building site than it actually does. There was no chance of getting off the bus let alone into any of the venues.
The velodrome however is utterly amazing. If you have tickets for the track cycling you are a lucky, lucky person!
If you just want a looksie, go to Westfield Stratford and you'll get a good enough view of the south end of the park (aquatics, stadium, orbit) to make it a little more special get the Javelin service from St. Pancras. Six minutes from St. P to Stratford is pretty impressive!
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