Not all will agree, but one of the biggest stars of the Olympics for me....

Re: The Olympics in Barnsley

For most people it was a frightening a worrying experience, Kev. Try explaining to a 9 year old why he can't play out in the middle of summer. I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

And no, I'm only from Barnsley when we're winning! The rest of the time I'm a soft, southern sinister *****.

 

Re: The Olympics in Barnsley

Steady on, Comrade, you'll be here with be on the left wing before long.

 

The supposed tourism boost is a bit of old ******** apparently. Mates' mum and dad run a b&b in Lake District, and they reckon they're about 80-90% down on last year. Lots of others well down apparently.

Still, so long as London is okay.

 

Only pulling your leg, mate

I think these Olympics have been the best I've seen, mate. Even more spectacular than the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, which were my favourite up to this year's. They've been a wonderful advert for London.
I wouldn't know how to explain any of the riots to a nine year old. But then again, at that time, I was witnessing my daughter undergoing a kidney transplant, so I had problems of my own to contend with.

 

Isn't that mostly to do with the weather? What with it raining for three months solid.

I wouldn't have thought the Olympics would have any sway one way or the other on tourism in the Lake district.

 

London is well down apparently. Nothing to do with a double-dip recession and tightening belts everywhere though.

 

Most people in London have stayed away and worked from home, or have gone to work very early to finish middle of the day to avoid the Olympic rush.

To get into the Olympic Park getting off at Stratford, you have to go through the Westfield shopping centre. Thousands of people funnelled through it and aside from the eateries, the shops were pretty decimated. All that footfall but no shoppers. And the centre is pretty dead away from venues.