Olympics - David Powles

It's almost here and the nerves have started to kick in

David Powles — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 06:41:37 GMT

It is hard to believe we are at this point - just a few hours away from the start of the 2012 Olympic Games.

For the organisers of the event today is the culmination of years of hard work. Firstly to lobby for the Games to come to these shores and then to ensure our capital, as well as the few locations not in London, are ready to host the world’s best athletes, their entourage (the so-called Olympic family), millions of spectators, the world’s media and of course thousands of volunteers.

And that’s where I come in.

For me today is the culmination of two years of preparation.

I’m fortunate enough to have been selected as one of the Gamesmakers and even more fortunate enough to be part of tonight’s opening ceremony.

My exact role at the ceremony I’m not yet completely sure of, or even sure whether I’m allowed to disclose at this stage. Every volunteer has been warned that they can share the fact they are a volunteer, but not go into specific details about their roles.

We’ve also been warned we shouldn’t stand there and take pictures of the competitors - and we certainly can’t touch them.

All I can say is I’ll be working with the world’s photographers.

Writing this on the morning of the opening ceremony I can feel the nerves start to kick in. It's a mixture of excitement and fear. God only knows how the competitors feel when they near their event.

Over the next two weeks I get to be part of what I consider to be one of the greatest shows on earth - that’s pretty much why I decided to volunteer.

But at this stage I don’t really know what to expect - and I just hope it all goes okay.

And overall I just hope that in a few weeks time we are able to look back and agree that it was worth all of the effort.

We all know there’s been problems getting here, most notably the ticket sales fiasco and the last minute security problems which led to the sacking of G4S.

And of course there are those who think the event is a complete and utter waste of time.

But I hope that once the sporting action begins, the dramas unfold and heroes are made, the whole country gets swept up in this great occasion.

Let's hope it's not just a spectacular Games - but a safe one as well

David Powles — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 06:33:56 GMT

There was an interesting juxtaposition on the BBC website in the aftermath of the horrific Colorado shooting last week.

The main headlines recounted the attack, while underneath was a story about the Olympic Games.

“Coe promises safe and secure Games” - read the headline.

But, and it gives me no joy highlighting it, the main story on the page emphasises that not even Lord Coe, the Olympics organisers, is able to give such a guarantee.

As the shootings have shows it takes just one madman to cause untold carnage and untold horror on thousands of people.

And sometimes, if that’s what a person is hellbent on doing, they will find a way.

Security at the Games has dominated the headlines in the last few weeks with the realisation that G4S was not able to deliver on its contract.

In their place has come the army - but even with their specialists training there is only ever so much they can do.

But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that - and that at the end of it all we can look back on not just a spectacular London 2012 - but a safe one as well.

First the Jubilee and now the Olympic Flame, will the real legacy of the games be a return of community spirit?

David Powles — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:35:44 GMT

So where were you when the Olympic flame made its way through our region?

Such was the undoubted success of its two-day trip from the far west to the east, the actual moment that it passed people seems destined to become one of those defining memories that live long in the mind.

Personally, I never got anywhere near the many torches being passed from person to person.

Didn’t get to touch it, wasn’t amongst the throngs as it passed through our communities and didn’t get to savour any of the entertainment laid on before and after its arrival.

In fact for both days I spent most of the time in the office, chained to the desk.

Yet, despite this I feel able to claim that my experience of the event was up there with pretty much anyone else’s (bar maybe the torch bearers themselves).

And that isn’t because I was glad to be away – one of those cynics looking to slam the London 2012 Olympic Games, and anything associated with it, at any given opportunity.

You see, my role as the torch travelled along our patch, was to co-ordinate the coverage provided by the Eastern Daily Press and its website.

So while our reporters and photographers were out capturing the colour, taking pictures and placing on record those memorable moments, it was being fed back to me at base camp to share with the world.

And what that position afforded me was the opportunity to really appreciate how much the occasion meant to so many people.

In all of our reports and pictures, as well as on the footage being placed online by the BBC, one thing remained constant – a sense of joy and elation amongst so many people, young and old.

And, I’ll be honest, that surprised me somewhat. Even though I can’t wait for the games to arrive, I had wondered whether many others felt the same.

Or had the cynics won them over with their cries of ‘money being wasted’, ‘ticket sales badly handled’ and it ‘all going on for far, far too long’?

Now I know those cynics are still out there, but I’m hoping they are very much the minority, but have just found it easy to make their views seen and heard.

But for these brilliant two days the moans of the cynics were drowned out by those who were just happy to revel in something a bit different, and something a bit special.

I’m still not sure though that the scale of celebrations was merely a sign that everyone is very excited about the Olympic Games after all.

I think many are, but for the real reason we need to dig a little deeper.

The Olympic relay is the second time this year people have been given a reason to not only celebrate as a nation, but in small communities as well.

Last month the Queen’s Golden Jubilee prompted similar scenes of unity and even this cynical journalist was won over by how brilliant it was to see people connecting.

For years people have bemoaned the diminishing sense of community in our country.

But with the Jubilee, the torch relay and perhaps the Olympic Games themselves, are we seeing signs that people do actually want to see a return to the good old days when you knew who your neighbour was and perhaps even occasionally shared the odd happy moment with them?

Time will tell I suspect, because you can’t deny the fact people are more likely to bond over massive nationwide events such as these, than when life is just ticking along as normal. The test will be for our nation to find ways of evoking this spirit when there’s little on the agenda.

There’s been a lot of talk about creating an Olympic Games legacy. People have talked about new sports stadiums, better homes in London and more sport take-up.

But could the greatest legacy to come from 2012 be the return of good old-fashioned community spirit?

Tickets please! What a shame if people remain apathetic over the prospect of watching the Olympic drama unfold

David Powles — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:09:36 GMT

When the dust settles on the 2012 London Olympic Games those in charge of the mammoth task of organising the event will at last have a bit of time to reflect on what went well and what didn't.

Hopefully the list of 'went wells' will be a long one and proof to those who remain cynical that it was worth it after all. Though even then I doubt many would ever openly admit to it.

And hopefully the list of 'didn't go wells' will be comparatively short and sweet.

But whatever happens between now and the end of the event, however medals Great Britain wins, whatever problems occur, it's likely the one aspect of London's management of the games to go down in history as a big disappointment will be the handling of the many millions of tickets on sale to the public.

There's no way of hiding from the fact that it's been a PR disaster from day one.

When the tickets first went on sale millions tried to get hold of them - such was the excitement and anticipation amongst the public.

So many people wanted to be part of this big event.

Unfortunately the demand completely out-weighed the initial supply and millions missed out in the first round of ticket sales.

Yet, some 18 months later, the supply is suddenly there, but now we hear there's no longer the demand.

According to the latest reports, more than two million tickets for both the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games remain unsold. And we aren't just talking about the most expensive ones.

It begs the question; how on earth have we managed to get from the first situation to the last? One in which millions of people are seemingly no longer bothered enough to try and get tickets, even though there are plenty of them available, at a reasonable price.

Having been through the process myself, I never really had a problem with the fact that may have to miss out on tickets. Until we find a way to build stadiums with limitless capacity that was always going to be the case.

On hindsight though, it would seem that not enough tickets were put on sale initially, when people were at their most excited.

There's no doubting the process of buying the tickets was time-consuming and not customer-friendly enough.

It would seem the biggest problem surrounds communication. I wonder whether the frustration and anger could have been avoided had it been properly explained that literally millions more tickets were still to go one sale. I think the media has to take some of the blame for failing to reasonably highlight this amongst all the negativity over the sales process.

Whatever reasons and whomever is at fault, it would be a massive shame if the public, who were initially excited enough to try for tickets, remained unconvinced to do so again.

The recent jubilee celebrations have shown (even to an old cynic like me) just how amazing it can be when the whole nation unites under one cause.

And that spirit is exactly what the organisers will be hoping for a repeat of when the games get underway in just under six weeks.

If you’re reading this and remain cynical and unmoved by the prospect of getting tickets, please lighten up – it’s going to be great!

Why our Olympic hopefuls deserve to milk the Games for all their worth

David Powles — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:10:23 GMT

As well as the day job, myself and a hardy bunch of colleagues have been busy working on the Olympic Games since last July, when the first edition of our monthly guide, London Calling, was published in the Eastern Daily Press, Norwich Evening News and several of our weekly titles.

Right at the very start of the project we were busy brainstorming for ideas and ways to fill the pages with interesting and relevant content, rather than dull and generic stuff, over the next 12 months.

One idea we were keen to pursue was to get behind a local hopeful, provide them with sponsorship, regular coverage and basically follow their many ups and downs both before and during the event.

Everyone agreed it was a fantastic idea and something we were keen to pursue.

However, making it happen proved much, much tougher than I ever envisaged and provided a fascinating insight into a part of the event you don’t normally see.

A part which has nothing to do with training, qualification and the quest for glory - but more to do with the desire to make the most of the potential 15 minutes of fame.

I’m sure you will understand that I won’t be identifying the Olympic hopeful in question as it would not be fair on them.

However, if they are reading this, hopefully they will realise that what I am about to share with you is in no way meant as a criticism of the person in question, or the many others in the same position.

To provide some context, we are not talking about a household name here, but we are talking about someone who has worked hard to become a leader in their chosen sport.

For the effort and dedication they have put in they more than deserve their bid for glory.

Once we had chosen our preferred hopeful to try and support, the call was made directly to that person, someone we have spoken to time and time again over the years.

They seemed keen, but non-committal, the idea was mooted that this person needed a certain type of kit to help their preparation. It sounded ideal but at this stage no firm agreement was reached.

A few days passed until a call came in out of the blue from an agency in London, one which was now ‘in charge’ of opportunities involving this particular Olympic hopeful.

And all of a sudden the goalposts had been not just moved, but taken out of their post holes, put on a spaceship and sent to the moon.

We’d need to provide this and that and much, much more than had originally been mooted and happily discussed.

It was no longer feasible and sadly the talks didn’t go much further, but happily the relationship we enjoy with that person has not been impacted. We continue to support and publicise their efforts and they remain happy to keep us updated.

What it really spelled out to me is just how keen many of Great Britain’s Olympic hopefuls must be to squeeze out as much from the event as is possible.

And do you know what, I don’t blame them, because I’d be the same if I was in their position.

For many of them this will be the only chance they have in their lifetimes to register with the national consciousness.

Many of the sports involved are enjoyed by what is best described as ‘niche’ audiences and once the Games are over that will probably go back to being the case.

Yet just because millions don’t watch some of the events all year round, in the way they do football for instance, it doesn’t mean the people taking part in them spend fewer hours involved in hour after hour of tiring, often painful and probably monotonous practice.

In fact there’s probably a large proportion of competitors in the Games who have to go to work in the day to be able to supplement being the best in the sport they love.

No doubt we’ll see such a story emerge in the next few months. So and so, who by day delivers the post to sleepy village, but still manages to be the best in their chosen sport on the planet.

These types of people are no doubt getting up at some ungodly hour to practice before work and then doing the same as soon as they finish.

Many of their efforts will probably massively outweigh those lucky enough to be talented at a sport where the rewards are millions and millions of pounds and household fame across the world.

And it’s for that reason I happily urge any of our Olympic hopefuls to milk it for all it’s worth.

A burger giant, chocolate company and fizzy drink manufacturer - is this the best we can do for Olympic sponsors?

David Powles — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:11:00 GMT

Over the past few weeks the thousands of people chosen as volunteers for this year’s games have been flocking to London’s Wembley Arena for what probably ranked as one of the most surreal mornings of their lives. And I was one of them.

For this is the venue for the first stage of training people to be ready to help out in this year’s event.

Unfortunately, it was made clear very early on that we are not allowed to share too much of what went on during those four surreal hours with the outside world.

As I have discussed in one of my earlier blogs, rules against blogging, tweeting or facebooking (is that the word?) details about your role as a Games Maker are very, very stringent.

However, what I’m pretty sure I can say is that the event involved television presenter John Inverdale (looking as equally bemused as the crowd) on a centre stage hosting what is best summed up as a chat-show where the guests were various different people involved with the event.

We were taken through some of the roles, what is the expected behaviour of a Games Maker, shown the uniforms (I was excited to learn we get to keep those lovely purple and red creations) and given our Games Maker workbook, which we will use at the various role-specific events we must attend over the next couple of months.

It was kind of like the first assembly on your first day at big school, except in Wembley Stadium and taken by someone vaguely famous.

Forgetting the bizarre nature of the whole thing it was a really good way to get you enthused about the events that lay ahead.

In fact perhaps that’s the answer to tackling the apathy amongst certain parts of the nation towards the games - make them all head down to Wembley for some supporter orientated training.

After an interesting morning I came away with a bit more background about what exactly Games Makers have to do, a renewed sense of excitement about the role I have been chosen to carry out and two free bars of specially made Cadbury Olympic Chocolate.

Now I mention the chocolate bars for a reason - and it’s not because I have managed to secure sponsorship for this blog from the company (other brands of chocolate are available).

It highlighted another own goal from those organising the event - and that is their choice of main sponsors.

A quick scan of the official games website quickly reveals that around a dozen or so of the world’s biggest companies have paid enough dosh to be officially recognised as sponsors or partners of the games.

And this includes the aforementioned chocolate makers, burger and chips giant McDonald’s and Coca-cola, manufacturers of sugary fizzy drinks.

I don’t particularly have a problem with the fact that the games is so commercialised that the right to be associated with them is available to the highest bidder - as sad as it may be, in the modern age that was always going to happen. The cash is also doing its bit to make sure the event does not run anymore over budget than it already has.

But what a shame their choice of who gets involved was not more carefully made.

There’s been a lot of talk surrounding the legacy of 2012, and key to that is that it encourages the population, young and old, to lead healthier and more active lives.

If youngsters can be truly inspired by the event, it could go a long way to helping to tackle the rising levels of obesity that we so often read about.

Where then does giving such a high-profile to three companies behind such calorie-laden products fit in with all of this?

Just being at the inaugral games maker event showed that it’s not even as if there has been any attempt to play down their involvement.

The Cadbury and McDonald’s brand names were shoved down your throat (not literally thank god) at every opportunity - and I’m sure this will be the case for the next few months.

And there’s no doubt this will have an impact. Even in 2008, then Olympic minister Tessa Jowell admitted at a conference that sponsors had "the greatest power to change behaviour" amongst the public.

Wouldn’t it have been better to strike a balance and be more thoughtful with the choice of advertisers?

Why not, for instance, make the ‘five-a-day’ campaign, designed to encourage people to eat enough fruit and veg, a main sponsor and feature as prominently as Cadbury’s et al? They could have also done the same for the campaign to get people to spend at least 30 minutes a day exercising.

Even if they then did go ahead with keeping sponsorship open to anything and anyone at least it would provide a bit of balance.

And if the games is all about promoting the best this country has to offer, why not be creative with advertising and offer a lot of smaller ad packages at a reduced rate to independent firms? Wouldn’t it be great have an ad for Fred’s Fruit and Veg Stall pictures in the background as the 100metres champion dips for the line?

I can only hope the aim to get people out and about trying new sports more regularly works as well as is hoped - because after all those Big Mac lunches, washed down with a pint of Coca-Cole and a chocolate bar, we are probably going to need some exercise.

"I mentioned the Olympics once - but I think I got away with it"

David Powles — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:09:55 GMT

“Whatever you do, don’t mention the war.”

This was of course the not very PC advice of a deranged Basil Fawlty in arguably the most memorable episode of the classic British comedy.

And it was also the very first thing which sprang into my mind when the news dropped about the ‘gagging’ order placed on anyone who has volunteered for this year’s event.

In case you missed it, the 70,000-plus people who have agreed to give up their time for the event have been warned they cannot mention ‘in text, audio or visually’ any details about their role, location, athletes, celebrities or dignitaries, before or during the games.

Volunteers are also told not to talk to the media or discuss their job publicly without express permission.

Put simply, it’s a case of “Whatever you do, don’t mention the games”.

The guidance has not gone down too well with some of the volunteers, who feel it’s all a bit too draconian, as well as out of touch with modern times, where people constantly tweet, post on Facebook and message without a second thought.

I can see it from both sides. You can’t have a situation where, rather than doing the job they signed up for, people are spending their time on their iPhones trying to grab shots of the athletes taking part in the events.

There’s also the obvious security risk of someone happily tweeting that they have just seen ‘Prince so-and-so’ in a certain area of the Olympic Village.

However, does it have to go as far as preventing any talk of people’s roles in the event?

The games are meant to be an all-inclusive experience, which brings us as a nation together like never before.

Why not let those who are playing such an integral part in the event, be part of that experience as well?

Would it be so hard to demand that no-one can do such things while working as a volunteer, but allow people to blog, tweet and post on Facebook when not on duty?

You could still ban people from mentioning certain sensitive bits of information, and taking pictures while on duty.

I think a lot of people would be interested in sharing the experiences of those who are getting a unique insight into the event itself.

Whatever happens, there’s no doubt those charged with ‘policing’ these rules face a tough task when you consider how many people are involved and how easily it is these days to share information and experiences with other people.

Maybe I’m biased though, because maybe I’m one of those directly impacted by these rules?

I say maybe because, If I were, it would bring to mind a line from another classic British comedy, Dad’s Army.

“Don’t tell them, Powles.”

How do we know if these games are a success? The five promises our government made ...

David Powles — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:09:13 GMT

So how will we know if these games are a success? Well did you know there are five pledges drawn up by which the event is meant to be assessed? It’s not just about how many gold medals Great Britain achieve, how many millions of people watch on television or how little disruption it causes for the people of London. It’s much more about the legacy it leaves behind. So what are these pledges and how is it going so far? Pledge number one is ‘to make the UK a world-leading sporting nation’. Well as far as the Olympic Games go this could technically be achieved were they held in London or not. Frequently we finish near the top of the medals table. Four years ago we were beaten by only USA, China and Russia and ahead of our great traditional rivals Germany, as well as Australia, Italy, France, oh and not forgetting the Republic of Moldova. As far as many people are concerned that’s not enough, just as with football, cricket and rugby tournaments, rightly or wrongly it’s all about being at the top of that tree - not plucky runners up. The hope is that a successful games will lead more to take up sport in general, therefore in the long run improving our competency at them. So to pledge number 2 ‘to transform the heart of East London’. Now here’s a side to the games which is, arguably, oft neglected by those more than happy to beat the event with a big stick. For anyone driving through the are in the last few years the transformation is clear to see. There’s improved transport links, more roads, new homes and ambitious plans for all of the main venues, some of which will provide residents with the best facilities around. Of the eight biggest Olympic venues, the futures of six of them have so far been secured, and facilities include a swimming complex, concert and exhibition centre, observation tower, cycling venue and hockey centre. Even keen-eyed regulars of Eastenders will note how the area has been spruced up during the infamous opening credits. Not all the locals are happy though and some feel the heart has been ripped out of the area. But what if that heart was a leaky, defective one and is about to be replaced by something strong and thriving? The test will come in the long-term not the next year or two. It’s all well and good sticking up a load of fancy new buildings, but if the community can’t afford to live in them because regeneration has only scratched the surface, those people will simply be forced to move elsewhere and a new community will move in. Regeneration of this area needs to be enjoyed by those who currently live there. Pledge number three is ‘to inspire a generation of young people’. There’s no way of measuring this just yet but it seems logical the sight of various Britain’s bringing home gold, silver or bronze will have an impact on those watching, young and old. We’ve seen it with previous home nation successes in the past. When England won The Ashes, cricket participation increased. The same thing happened when we won the Rugby World Cup. Most of us would love to be able to say what happened after England won the football World Cup. The test will be sustaining it in the long run because in the previously mentioned examples that simply hasn’t happened. And sadly it has to be a worry when you see that successive governments have gradually stripped away with sports in schools, done away with playing fields and cut funds to the School Sports partnerships, which aim to encourage kids to take part in activities out of school time. Let’s hope governments learn from lessons in the past and also that youngsters get an opportunity to be inspired by the games in the flesh through free tickets to events. The penultimate pledge is ‘to make the Olympic Park a blueprint for sustainable living’. This, however, involves more than just offsetting carbon emissions, but includes pledges to keep greenhouse gas emissions down, keep waste as low as possible and minimise impact on wildlife. The official olympic website proudly boasts that sustainable living has been considered throughout the planning process and each venue guide highlights numerous examples of ways in which the buildings have been developed to be as environmentally-friendly as is possible. Last, but by no means least, is the pledge to ‘demonstrate the UK is a creative, inclusive and welcoming place to visit and for business’ and I suppose this really gets to the crux of what London 2012 is all about. Yes it’s a perfect opportunity to unite the nation and lift spirits during a tough time, but equally our country is about to be put firmly in the shop window to hundreds of thousands of visitors and literally billions of people watching from all over the world. Do that well and the legacy could be long and very very prosperous.

Time to take a leaf out of 1948 and the Austerity Games?

David Powles — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:14:00 GMT

Sometimes you can’t help but feel the organisers of next year’s Olympic Games don’t exactly do themselves any favours. We all know the country is in a financial state. Pennies are being pinched in households up and down the land. Meanwhile, the government and just about every public body is having to make cuts wherever possible. So what do the organisers of the games do? They go and overspend the budget for the opening ceremony by a cool £40million.

Oh and they have also spent twice as much on security as they first envisaged - the bill for that will now come in at £553 million. Lo and behold this has led to some scathing criticism from certain sections of the media, in particular those who seem intent on regularly finding a reason to do down the event. To be fair they can’t really be expected to scrimp and save when it comes to security for the event.

If spending this extra cash prevents London from being targeted by those people happy to take lives to get their message across then it will be money well spent. We will probably never know if that has been the case. However, by being so frivolous when it comes to the opening ceremony, Olympics chief Sebastian Coe and his team have brought some of the criticism on themselves.

Among those unhappy at the news was marathon runner Paula Radcliffe, who said: "We're in a recession - to throw money at this is a bit frivolous. Staging the Olympics costs quite a bit, so it would probably be better if we spent the money in ways that will give more back in the long term.

"I think the way the Games are organised, and the atmosphere of the whole thing, is what people remember, as opposed to the opening ceremony.”

London Mayor Boris Johnson hit back, saying: "This is something that ... we're never going to see again, we're never going to have an occasion when London is at the centre of the world in that particular way.

"The multiplier effect of investing in something that celebrates London and the UK around the world is untold by all the PR people, the advertising people ... the economic analysis, this will deliver untold benefits for the UK.

"We are not going to be spending anything like what they did in Beijing, but given that this thing is only going to happen once in 50, 60 years I think we should do it well."

The side of the fence in which you sit on probably depends on your opinion of the games as a whole. You may see the whole thing as a gross waste of money at a time when the cash could be spent elsewhere. Or perhaps you feel the Games is just what this country needs to unite its people and lift some of the gloom. Personally, I have always subscribed to the latter school of thought - but that doesn’t mean I think money should be thrown at the event without proper justification.

A lot of the talk following the release of these latest figures has centred on the last time London hosted the games. Back in 1948 the country was, in many ways, going through similar tough times as today.

Fortunately we haven’t just been through a war, however all those years ago Britain was broke, with sacrifices having to be made all over the place.

As preparation got underway the ‘make do and mend’ spirit which was quickly spreading across the country soon took over.

Firstly no new stadiums were built, only existing ones upgraded. Most of the work to redevelop Wembley Stadium took just two months. Two weeks before the games began, 100 workmen dug up the greyhound racing track and replaced it.

All participants were asked to bring with them their own food, towels and sportswear. And an Olympic Village wasn’t constructed. Instead the 4,000 athletes stayed in schools, nurses' hostels and RAF camps. Now I’m not saying next year’s games should be run on such a shoestring budget. Ironically if that were to happen you could envisage those same media criticising the lavish spending, coming out and slating the organisers for “penny pinching”.

However, it does feel like a bit of a government own goal to not try and engender some of that same spirit next year. This is the same government after all which not so long ago was so desperately keen to push a “big society” agenda.

It’s all about balance. We wouldn’t necessarily want an opening ceremony made up of people dancing around in badly-fitting homemade costumes, parading papermache creations and wearing second-hand shoes. However, wouldn’t it, for instance, have been possible to have somehow got every school in the country involved in creating some of the less integral parts of the ceremony, thus giving every child in the land the chance to be part of the amazing event?

The 1948 games is the subject of a book titled The Austerity Olympics, by Janie Hampton.

Somewhat ironically the foreword has been written by Mr Coe, who says: "I am confident this book will motivate us further in our efforts at London 2012 to maximise the power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to inspire change and reconnect young people with the inspirational power of sport, so vividly captured in the following pages of this book."

If he hasn’t read it, let’s hope it was at the top of his wish-list this Christmas.

David Powles Blog: Why not just enjoy the fun and Games while it lasts?

David Powles — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:50:16 GMT

We love nothing more than a moan in this country. It might be the weather, our nation’s attempts at international football glory or the fare offered up on television.

We’ll pick it apart, analyse it and probably in the end have a good moan about it. It’s in our DNA and I’ll profess to being no different than anyone else.

It’s absolutely no surprise then that next year’s Olympic Games have become a top subject for the nation’s best grumblers.

I overheard two such people just the other night. One was telling the other how bored they already were by the Olympics and that they just wanted it to be over. The other grunted in agreement.

Obviously, I’m not going to try and stop someone from having an opinion, but I do wish more people would try and get excited about the next nine months or so.

Granted not everything has run as smoothly as it might. If only the stadiums could be twice as bigger so more people could attend, the ticket process could have been fairer and the powers that be haven’t helped themselves with the recent news that government officials have spent £750,000 on tickets for themselves.

But it is still going to be a great occasion and a great year to be in this country.

For many people in this country an event like this will come around just once in their lifetime.

Is it no wonder therefore that those running it are determined to make the most of it?

I’m as cynical as the next person, I am a journalist after all and it is ingrained in us during the early days of our training, but I refuse to be so about London 2012.

This is an opportunity like no other for the nation to come together as one. For those all to few weeks next summer little else will be on people’s minds.

We’ll be truly thrilled by the drama, the rags to riches stories and the triumphs against adversity.

And, unlike when other sporting events take over our lives, we may even have a chance of winning something in this one.

So why not put the moans to one side for a while and just enjoy it while it lasts?