As our bus twisted and turned on its route I kept spotting local landmarks from unfamiliar angles. Canary Wharf Tower blinked over us, and in the distance it was possible to see the North Greenwich Arena where the Badminton, Rhythmic Gymnastics and Volleyball will be staged.
St Mary of Eton Church in Eastway, known to me as the home of excellent jumble sales and of the Hackney night shelter, suddenly loomed very close as we trundled west towards the site of the Handball Arena. A minute or two later we were cruising past the Olympic Stadium, being constructed on an island site, neatly tucked into a loop in the River Lea. The waterways are an integral part of the London 2012 site and I was pleased to hear that a large number of newts who had made their home there were safely relocated before construction began.
As night fell we saw a lone walker on the Greenway, which is part of the Capital Ring walking and cycling route, and which will remain open during the run-up to 2012. The Greenway is constructed on top of Joseph Bazalgette’s Northern Outfall Sewer. It has the big advantage of being traffic-free, offset by the odd waft of, well, sewage.
The Olympic Village where the athletes will stay is destined to provide thousands of much-needed homes after the London 2012 Games. East London will also be gaining a new retail centre at Stratford City.
Thanks to the ODA for providing me with the opportunity to see all the work that is going on.
My Olympics
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