And the winner of the Olympic bid is..........................................

[MarsLady]

LONDON

I just think it is bananas to think that the Olympics is funding itself and is therefore a marvellous gift. It isn't. It will cost us all IMO. It's not like the money will suddenly rain down from heaven.

Villa park has not been mentioned as one of the footie grounds being used.

So far only Old Trafford and Hampden park have been.

Most people have televisions ....?

lets just see how this rolls out....there will be ups and downs, there will be talk of incompetence and how we can't get our shit together in time, and then there will be a games and a legacy afterwards. i really believe that on balance the whole of this country will benefit from hosting these games.

Yes Blu I have.

Are you sure that there will be no events near birmingham?

I meant for your children to become inspired not nesscesarily though the school

but to join a club like swimming or running or tennis or anything really then to watch their sport on tv.

DS was very excited when he saw fencing on olympics last time as he had just started going to a club

Since the olympics there has been a massive increase in the numbers joining and staying with the club

Villa Park has been mentioned Nutty

here

Well quite aloha. LizzyLou, we're allowed to think it's not a good thing you know!

Ok Kanga I agree with that, but one question then.

If there are any events for kids to take part in near to me, will they be free ????????? I doubt it and I for one cannot afford to send my kids to swimming or anything else.

I know WWW, and others are allowed to be excited and think it is a positive thing!

On a really picky point - it's the paralympics as well so will be longer than just 3 weeks of sport, and as the UK started the paralympic movement and it has been an integral part of the bid it is hoped that it will raise it's profile.

Tickets to the commonwealth games were free...hard to get hold of in some areas (ie. Athletics) but free

Yes you are allowed to think it is not a good thing...but you are rather spoiling it for us

We were full of enthusiasm earlier....

Sophable, I really, honestly don't believe that watching the Olympics on the telly is going to make the slightest difference to the health of the nation. It wasn't sport that made people thinner in the past anyway, it was manual work, walking to school/work, carrying heavy shopping, scrubbing floors, not having tellies/remote controls, not using the internet (!) etc. Exercise - as in sport/gym etc has always been pretty irrelevant.

Thanks for that link Saintgeorge, hadn't seen that.

Still not sure how that will benefit anyone round here though apart from maybe extra temp staff for the venue.

not a picky point zubb, shameful that it wasn't mentioned before tbh, a massive selling point imo

I'm buzzing with enthusiasm, can't you hear me...bzzzzzzz bzzzzz, and jumping up and down, too! ^

hoorah hoorah horrah

aloha but for the exact reason that most stuff is automated now, sport is crucial now, and you know that!

watching the olympics on telly is what would have happened if we hadn't won the bid. sport becoming massively high profile and children being engaged in the excitement and inspiration of the lead up to the games and the games themselves is a whole different ballgame. i think you're devils advocating!

More than three weeks of sport???
Aloha thinks of heading for the moon for 2012

Yeah - me too Blu. Yippee - the Olympics in 2012. Deffo brill

i have been and jumping. like i said, didn't think we had a hope of this, but now can't believe that we are hosting the games for the first time since 1948.

My best mate has just rung me spitting nails. She sold her house in Stepney a couple of months ago, convinced that the Games would go to Paris...hehehehehehe....

aloha, your ds is going to be soooo excited....

Yes, xtra staff, extra catering, B&B accommodation needed for thousands of visitors, extra toilet paper, people buying seats on buses and local trains, using local shops, visiting other local attractions when they come up to B'ham - they can only spend so much time inside the ground! AND the local facilities will be improved to accommodate it, and there will be a schools programme and an arts programme in conjunction - all of which will involve school children from across the region!