There is a lot of talk in the press about the advice given to the organisers of the London Olympics by those who developed the Athens 2004 event. They have warned the London committee to avoid creating venues that can't be used after the games finish.
I am in two minds about the whole thing here. On the one hand I think we should all celebrate their arrival as it will give London a break and would at the very least create a mini economic boom.
There is no question that the games would bring in many tourists who will spend money in the capital and that in itself will help job creation. On the other hand I can see what the organisers of Athens 2004 (I was there after it all ended) mean. You have a situation where all the new buildings you have put up are sitting there doing nothing. I think that the Athenians are still worried about the fact that it cost more than 9 billion pounds to put it all together and about 30 million a year to keep the white elephants (or pink if you prefer) sitting there doing nothing.
In general I think that we should be looking forward to the event as it will bring our city together and it will inspire younger people at least. Congratulations to those who made it all happen. Lets celebrate the event and look forward to a big party!
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