Duchess of Cornwall to visit Greenwich twice next week
June 30, 2011 by Rob Powell
Greenwich will receive two visits from HRH The Duchess or Cornwall next week.
The Duchess, who is patron of the British Equestrian Foundation, will be present at the Greenwich Park Eventing Invitational, part of the London 2012 test event series, on Monday and Wednesday.
On Monday, Her Royal Highness will attend a reception for 400 guests including riders and international equestrian federations. On Wednesday, she will be present for the final show jumping phase of the event and will present the prizes.
Speaking to journalists at a press briefing yesterday, the Leader of Greenwich Council, Chris Roberts (pictured below), said that being a host borough continued “to be a source of tremendous pride” and listed the benefits for the Greenwich.
“1000 of our residents are working on the Olympic sites, our businesses have secured something like £70million worth of contracts and we have the most iconic venues of the games which will continue to support our tourism in the years following the games.
“We are investing close on £20million across our borough on playgrounds, parks and school in terms of additional facilities… to raise our parks and get 12 of them to Green Flag status. We’re planting 2012 trees in recognition of next year and ensuring the Cutty Sark and new pier are constructed in time for the games.
He also confirmed that Greenwich school kids are working to “design a Greenwich jump” which will feature in the course for London 2012.
David Luckes MBE, London 2012′s Senior Sports Manager and a former Olympian himself, said Greenwich Park was a “fabulous location” but also a “historically sensitive site” which they were “committed to treating with great respect.”
The next phase of closures begins in the park tomorrow as footpaths on the eastern side of the park are closed until the 6th July.
Local pressure group, NOGOE, will be holding peaceful protests on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week at the St Mary’s Gate entrance to the park.
Flower Garden gate reopens after unexpected closure
June 23, 2011 by Rob Powell
One of the gates to the Flower Garden in Greenwich Park has been reopened after being fenced over yesterday.
While the Flower Garden itself and the entrances at Vanburgh Hill Gate and Blackheath remained open, park users were surprised yesterday to find that the gate at the corner of Bower Avenue and Great Cross Avenue had been blocked by metal fencing.
Public information brochures and maps had not given advance notice of the gate being closed yesterday.
Greenwich.co.uk raised this issue with London 2012 organisers and was today told by a LOCOG spokesperson:
“We are pleased to say that we have been able to remove the two fencing panels in front of the gate in question today and the gate is now open.
“However, this gate will be closed again and fenced off from 1st July when Great Cross Avenue and the routes to and from Maze Hill and Vanbrugh Gates will be closed off for part of the test event period. This gate and the paths will re-open from 5th July.”
Organisers also say they will update access notices which they put up yesterday.
Preparations for the Greenwich Park Eventing International are now well underway – see yesterday’s post on the jumps that are being installed for the cross country event.
Jumps installed for Cross Country test event
June 22, 2011 by Rob Powell
The next phase of closures has begun in Greenwich Park as the cross country course for this July’s Olympic test event takes shape.
Most of the east side of the park will now be inaccessible until July 10th as dozens of jumps are placed around the course by course builders, London Eventing.
The cross country course for the Greenwich Park Eventing International will not be as difficult as next year’s Olympics but it will still be challenging for the “younger and less experienced” horses expected at the test event, says Eventing Manager, Alec Lochore.
They will be ridden by top class riders, however, and the best four in world are expected to be at the Test Event.
A variety of fence styles will be used around the course including tree trunk jumps, brush fences, flowerbed jumps and novelties such as oversized benches.
“We”ll make some more bespoke ones for the Games but for this it’s less about what the jumps look like and it’s more about the types of jump and it’s about the course designer, Sue Benson, being able to test out certain design concepts.” explains Tim Hadaway, the Equestrian Manager for London 2012..
I asked Sue Benson if there was a “gold standard” cross country track that those in the sport looked upon as being in the one they had to match.
“Well, after this, there’s going to be one.” she said.
“My dream is that when people go to Rio in five years time, in 2016, they will look at the course and say ‘well it’s good but not as good as London 2012′”
Pictured: Tim Hadaway
Daily Photo: 21/06/2011 – Test Event arena
June 21, 2011 by Rob Powell
Comments Off
The arena for the test event taking place in Greenwich Park looks almost done.
I had a walk around the park today with London 2012 Equestrian Competition Manager, Tim Hadaway and course designer, Sue Benson, to see the jumps that are being installed. I’ll post up pictures of those tomorrow along with some of what Tim and Sue told me.
Daily Photo: 17/06/2011 – Stables in Greenwich Park
June 17, 2011 by Rob Powell
Comments Off
Thanks to Gordon Coster for this photograph of the stables that have been erected in Greenwich Park for this summer’s equestrian test event.
Test event platform takes shape
May 25, 2011 by Rob Powell
Comments Off
Work on the arena for this summer’s London 2012 test event in Greenwich Park is all going to schedule, organisers told journalists at a press briefing today.
Contractors are busy putting together the large platform south of the Queen’s House where 2,000 people will be seated to watch the Greenwich Park Eventing International in July.
Hundreds of specially strengthened legs are being laid down with the platform segments fitting on top.
The modular nature of the platform makes it easy to put in and take out, said organisers, and it can be used for a variety of purposes – Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt recently ran a race on the very same platform that is now being set-up in the park.
Work will soon begin on the cross country course and from June 1st, most of the eastern side of the park will be inaccessible apart from the playground and Flower Garden.
Tickets for the test event are being made available to local school children and to residents via a council-run ballot.
Tickets made available for Olympic test event
May 11, 2011 by Rob Powell
Greenwich Council has 1000 tickets for this summer’s London 2012 test events in Greenwich Park to give away to local residents.
The test events will take place in early July in Greenwich Park and residents who want to attend are invited to enter a council ballot.
Cllr Chris Roberts, Leader of Greenwich Council, said: “A hugely important element of the Council’s work with LOCOG has been concerned with maximising the opportunities for local people, especially young people, to be involved in the Games and be a central part of local preparations.
“These events will allow local residents and schoolchildren an early opportunity to experience the atmosphere of world class sporting events ahead of the Games proper next year.”
Information on how you can enter the ballot for tickets, limited to two per application, can be found on the council website.
Local people wishing to know more about the test events can meet London 2012 organisers at “drop-in” sessions being held this week in Greenwich Park. The sessions will be held in a tent next to the Tea House in Greenwich Park tomorrow, Friday (both 10am to 8pm) and Saturday (10am to 6pm).
Daily Photo: 21/02/2011 – Greenwich Park in 2012
February 21, 2011 by Rob Powell
Comments Off
A batch of images was revealed last week which illustrate how key venues will look during the London 2012 Olympics. This artist’s impression was carried out by Populous on behalf of the London 2012 organisers. Copyright belongs to Populous.
London 2012 schedule unveiled
February 17, 2011 by Rob Powell
Comments Off
London 2012 organisers have revealed the schedule for next year’s summer Olympics.
Full details of the whole schedule are on the London 2012 website, but here’s details of the events in Greenwich.
8th – 12th August – Basketball at the “North Greenwich Arena”, as the O2 will be known for the duration of the Olympics.
28th – 31st July – Equestrian Eventing at Greenwich Park.
2nd, 3rd, 7th, 9th August – Equestrian Dressage at Greenwich Park.
4th, 5th, 6th, 8th August – Equestrian Jumping at Greenwich Park.
28th July – 2nd August & 5th, 6th, 7th August – Artistic Gymnastics at the North Greenwich Arena.
3rd – 4th August – Trampoline Gymnastics at North Greenwich Arena
11th – 12th August – Modern Pentathlon events at Greenwich Park
28th July – 6th August – Shooting at Woolwich Barracks
“First anti-Olympics case” dropped by CPS
November 22, 2010 by Rob Powell
The Crown Prosecution Service has abandoned its case against a protestor alleged to have damaged course markers for the London 2012 equestrian events in Greenwich Park.
Edward Hill, 62, was accused of causing criminal damage to the white feather markers in Greenwich Park with a kitchen knife.
He pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Woolwich Magistrates Court last month and opted to be tried by jury at Crown Court. Dave Townsend, for the Prosecution had told magistrates: “This is our first anti-Olympics case.”
Prosecutors have now decided not to go ahead with the trial. A CPS London spokesperson said:
“During the life of a case the Crown Prosecution Service has a duty to keep cases under regular review.
“At a very early stage in the proceedings a review of this case concluded that it was not in the public interest to pursue a prosecution through the court as punishment in the form of a caution would be a suitable alternative.
“As such the case has been discontinued.”
