London 2012 blog

Yesterday I flew in to Beijing to work in London 2012’s press office which is (a very small) part of the huge Main Press Centre here in the city. Having arrived first thing in the morning, fellow press officer Annabel and I had the chance to have a wander, find our feet and shake off the after effects of the flight. It was difficult to come to Beijing without having some preconceptions – particularly when it came to air quality, so we were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by brilliant blue sunshine and, as expected, searing heat.

First stop was Tiananmen Square, which was spectacular and full of visitors to Beijing as well as locals, passing the time of day in the sunshine. Many seemed to standing or sitting in lines – initially, I assumed they were queuing for something.

Turns out they were using the shade of the ‘Beijing 2008’ installation in the middle of the square. With the lack of cover in the square, people all over were using this method, sitting or standing behind lamp posts, statues and other people in order to stay out of the sun.

The Latvian ladies basketball team, a small but stunning contingent of whom we saw out and about later in the day, would no doubt have been popular visitors to the square. I’m over six feet tall, but was positively dwarfed by some of them as they explored Beijing, followed by a growing crowd of curious locals. I followed for a while. Well, it was hot and I needed the shade. Honest...