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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be considering selling our olympic tickets as I tink it will be too stressful to go

81 replies

katedan · 19/06/2012 13:48

We got 5 tickets for the athletics in the ballot last year and were thrilled. You could only request a date not a time and we were allocated 6 -10pm. Kids will be 9 and 5 yr old twins and having looked at the transport links it is going to take hours to get home after the event. (we only live in Reading). We have been told to allow 2 hours each side to get in and out of the venue, you are not allowed to take bags or water etc in and I think the whole thing will be nightmare with the children getting very tired and not enoying the event. I realise it is a once in a lifetime event butI am dreading in.

So AIBU?

OP posts:
ChippyMinton · 19/06/2012 18:11

Make an afternoon of it enjoying the atmosphere in the Olympic Park, get settled in your seats and stick it out for as long as the 5yo's can stand it. It's a straightforward journey on the tube from Stratford, change to mainline at Waterloo and the DC can sleep all the way back to Reading.

Or leave the 5yos behind and take someone who will appreciate it Smile

Heifer · 19/06/2012 19:12

Go for it, it will be worth the effort.

We got hockey tickets then found out it was for evening session (finish 10.45). We got them through England Hockey so really didn't know for what day or session.

As we live near Liverpool, this sounded a nightmare, but have found out about campsites at various sports clubs around London so will now be camping for 2 nights (£25 per tent per night), so will be making a mini break and really can't wait

Blu · 19/06/2012 19:14

You got athletics tickets? Gold dust! I can see it might be a bit tricky with the the younger ones, but I think it WILL be a fabulous experience. The Olympics are in London - why miss out, it will never happen again!

Make the whole thing part of the adventure.

MissBetsyTrotwood · 19/06/2012 21:20

Go - if you don't, you'll wonder about it for ages. Look, it might go swimmingly or it might be an ordeal. The reality will probably be a bit of both.

Westfield is just next door; come up for the day, feed them all up before you go in (loads of good places to eat there, all family friendly) and ship out when you've all had enough. I'm assuming you don't have to stay until 10pm?

I can see the stadium from my bedroom and the DCs and I didn't get any tickets. So FGS, go and enjoy it!

Ohyoubadbadkitten · 19/06/2012 21:31

Thank goodness we can take bags - gave me a bit of a fright as we are spending the night before in a hotel. ( and taking a sleeping bag as we could only find a room with one double bed and there's 3 of us.)

izzyizin · 19/06/2012 21:34

Despite being one of the Londoners who has paid, for the past 6 years and will be paying for god knows how long, extra council tax to contrbute £1 billion (conservative small c estimate) to the 'people's' Olympics I didn't get any tickets either, Betsy.

It seems to me that, at the very least, those that are paying for the capital to be gridlocked for 6 weeks spectacle should have been awarded a free ticket to some event or other along with the bill.

PiedWagtail · 19/06/2012 21:39

We have tickets to cross-country (horses!) and can take a small backpack each, which will be scanned by security device, so why can't you take a bag too?

FreudianSlipper · 19/06/2012 21:48

yes it will be a very tiring day and at times stressful

but you will be watching the best athletes in the world, the atmosphere will be fantastic you are so lucky i envy you and would happily buy them off you. go if you don't you will regret it

we are going to the basketball, it will be a late finish for ds (4) but i know he will have a great time and it will be a wonderful experience

go go go and enjoy you will enjoy it no doubt about it :) and rest the following day

Woodlands · 19/06/2012 21:49

I'm really looking forward to the Olympics - we have four sets of tickets, and for three of them we have tickets for DS too (he'll be 2). We've now basically decided not to take him with us - he won't appreciate it and we'll be able to enjoy ourselves much more without him there. Childcare isn't an issue as he'll be at nursery for two of the sessions (we only live 3 miles from the Olympic Park) and the third is at a weekend and I'm taking my mum to that event so he can stay with DH (and my parents are looking after him the other day we have tickets for). I do feel a bit bad as it would be nice for him to say as an old man that he was there - but I think we're best leaving him at home.

OP, I would say go but leave early.

trixymalixy · 19/06/2012 21:56

It's a one off opportunity, you have to go!!!

Having said that I am a bit relieved in some ways that we didn't get tickets as we would have had to sort flights and accommodation etc, but we may try to get some Hampden football tickets as they are struggling to sell them.

Hassled · 19/06/2012 22:02

I'm in the same boat - we have tickets for a sport which DH and the DCs play but which I have no interest whatsoever in, on alternate days - so we're looking at a 2 hr train trip to get to central London, plus whatever it takes to get in to the place, then the trip home, one day's respite and then repeat. I have no desire whatsoever to do this. I'd rather spend the time sticking pins in my eyes.

I could stay home - DH would say he's fine with it - but then I'd feel crap and a bit of joy-killer.

notcitrus · 19/06/2012 22:03

Go! Yes it'll be tiring after but the kids can fall asleep on the Jubilee line back to Waterloo and then the train to Reading. A small bag each - I was told it has to fit under seats, like on an airline - should be sufficient. There's water fountains inside.

I'm taking ds and dn (3.9 and 4) and a five-month-old baby who has to be in a sling, and really looking forward to it. The boys know they are going to see people competing to see who is the best at running and jumping and throwing in the whole world and that there's people from all the countries of the world and are as excited as they can be about something that isn't tomorrow. :)

I'm sure your twins will enjoy it (but do consider leaving a bit early to beat the crowds and them getting tired).

wherearemysocks · 19/06/2012 22:10

I'm gutted that I didn't get any tickets. I would definitely take my 7 and 2 yr old if I did have tickets.

passivehoovering · 19/06/2012 22:22

It you are using the tubes you will have to have bottles of water with you in case of getting stuck underground, it happens often and on a packed tube is hell. If the journey would be easy I would say do it but I am a Londoner and tube user and NO WAY would I put my 3 year old dd on a tube at rush hour, and the Olympics is going to be much worse.

On just a regular morning it is almost impossible to get a tube from bethnal green. On a good day you wait for 10 trains to go by, the. You manage to squeeze yourself in under someone's arm pit and thank god you are thin. If it is a bad day the tube station is shut, you can't get in at all and there is no way you are getting on a bus, they don't stop as they are full.

The underground, especially the central line in the east just doesn't work. Now I know there is supposed to be a fast line to Stratford, but I don't see how tfl will make his work if hey can't manage normally

However I am a grump and hate sport so I may just be a miserable old sod.

Christelle2207 · 19/06/2012 23:09

I want to know how you got tickets without knowing what the times were when you applied for them. You DID have to choose the times when applying because I spent ages looking at train times etc to fit around the ones I applied for. Alas, I didn't get any.

Christelle2207 · 19/06/2012 23:16

The finals tickets (evenings) are/were significantly more expensive than the morning heats so you must have known this.

I would be gutted if I was a dc and was told I was going then not. I see what you are saying but I think you should go.

Maryz · 19/06/2012 23:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

squeakytoy · 19/06/2012 23:29

I just dont get this "one off thing, you MUST go..".. it is only sport.. and to be honest I would think a pair of five year old would be bored witless with it all as well.

captainbarnacle · 19/06/2012 23:33

Well, I'm going to the Paralympics on my own with a 5yr old, 3yr old and 1yr old (judo, swimming, athletics). Looks like I am crazy then. But only doing morning sessions :)

snowmummy · 20/06/2012 00:25

OP you've just summed up the reasons why I wouldn't go. Way too much faff and I'd rather be do something than watching.

Ohyoubadbadkitten · 20/06/2012 07:45

I think some times you just have to take a chance and live life a little (and to throw in another cliche) Life's too short!

Softlysoftly · 20/06/2012 08:37

I think it's hypothetical as you can't sell the bloody things!!!

I won two tickets to the showjumping but am now the proud owner of an EBF 3 wk old who I don't have a ticket for and who wouldn't really enjoy the spectacle, plus we now have to be elsewhere on the date.

You can't transfer them, you can't sell them privately and the ticket resale site just says "back open in spring" I've contacted them pointing out spring has sprung and we are running out of time to sell and just got a "we will reopen it in Spring" email back as a reply [hmmm].

So looks like ours will be totally wasted empty seats :(

ceeveebee · 20/06/2012 09:03

Pretty sure you don't need tickets for babes in arms now (they changed the rules) although this won't solve your other date clash problem!
Can you not sell them to a friend/relative?

ceeveebee · 20/06/2012 09:03

Oh and congratulations on the little one!

Mama1980 · 20/06/2012 09:08

I am taking ds 4 we have already been to all the London prepares events- he loves all the chaos Grin I would go simply because it's a once in a lifetime thing. I also took him to similar when he was much younger -we do the ATP etc every year since he was born and he has always enjoyed it.