Olympics 2012 – Stadium taking shape

Its interesting to see the progress of the construction of the Olympic Stadium, the Aquatics Centre etc for the London Olympics 2012.

On the official website, you can see the latest photos and also click the photos to see a timeline, from start to now.

Progress looks good and well on track for 2012.

Evening Standard to be free paper

This story was on the BBC website just now. Apparently, the publishers of the London Evening Standard have announced it is to become a free paper, with approx. 600,000 copies to be given out in London.

This follows the recent closure of the London Paper, News International’s London free sheet.

No details on the Standard website at the moment.

Quite often they dish them out free in the evenings anyway, at least in Central London, at main train stations, tube stations etc. I assume thats to keep up the circulation/readership figures, to keep the advertisers happy.

Will be interesting to see if this leads to any further new papers being launched or if too many hands have already been burnt in this market, especially with the  low levels of advertising about at the moment (except for all those poxy ’sell your gold’ adverts on tv!)

Porsche-smashing bus

Check this CCTV out, a stray London bus slams into a (luckily) un-occupied Porsche and then careers into the bus stop, smashing all before it.

Mercedes Vito taking on the black cab

This article on the Evening Standard website says the Mercedes Vito is rapidly taking market share from the traditional black cab – the Manganese Bronze TX4.

According to the article, advantages of the Vito are room for six passengers and air-con and – most importantly for cabbies - better mpg.

Mercedes Vito

TX4 – Traditional Black Cab

Article: Evening Standard website

Another article on the Vito: London Daily News website

Hilton doorman loses his hat

Another YouTube video that always cracks me up.

And a little birdie told me that the doorman actually got his hat back in the end. Don’t know how he managed it.

News blooper

This’ll make you laugh, works every time for me. Think its a bit old, but who cares, well funny.

Trouble in the kitchen at TGI Fridays, Covent Garden

This story might put you off your lunch. Especially if its at a TGI Fridays.

Health inspectors shut down the Covent Garden branch of TGI Fridays, after they investigated customer’s complaints of spotting mice. The inspectors found ‘piles of dead cockroaches and mouse droppings’ in the kitchens!

I’ve never been a fan of the whole TGI Friday concept and this makes it worse. All a bit 1980s really.

The full story at The Metro website

And more at Bloomberg website

Trouble at West Ham v Millwall game

Who’d a thought it eh?

Last night there was large-scale trouble before, during and after the Carling Cup game between West Ham and Millwall.

This included fights between the fans outside the ground, pitch invasions and more trouble after the game.

Apparently, there were 500 or 1000 police there, depending on which report you read and it seems they didn’t do much to stop the trouble.

Surely they must have seen this coming???

On a lighter note, heres a great picture of a rotund West Ham fan getting chased by a steward.

West Ham fan being chased by a steward

And here’s the same bloke again… about to go for a burton…

West Ham fan about to go for a burton

Cockney Cash Machines

Cor blimey, guv, would ya Adam n Eve it?

Found this on the BBC news site today:  ATM company The Bank Machine is introducing a Cockney language option to some of its ATMs in the East End of London. Apparently, users will be asked for their Huckleberry Finn (PIN) and asked how much sausage and mash (cash) they want.

Full story on BBC website

Size of things to come?

The picture below shows the new ‘fat seats’ specially laid on in the Brazilian underground stations for the more obese commuter. Could these appear on the Tube?

Size of things to come?

 

Full story at The Metro website