What bemused you today?

[krennon]

My Father in Law is already very excited about the Olympics and has basically told us he wants to come up and stay with us for the duration of the games......He is insisting I could get some "great shots" of the cyclists in Richmond Park or coming through Kingston, etc and what he would really like to do is go up to Box Hill to watch the cycling.....
I'm trying to explain without causing an argument that I have ZERO interest in the Olympics, I resent the fact that Richmond Park will be closed in all probability to "Joe Public", the road race is going to cause complete and utter traffic chaos around Kingston/Richmond/Esher/Molesey none of which have particularly good "Alternative Routes" around or through them as the town planners way back when closed off/Dead Ended/One Wayed so many roads it was unreal....And my point is that I keep trying to explain to him is yes I could get some great shots of the cyclists in Richmond Park, but the only thing I really like shooting in Richmond Park is the Deer...I have no interest particularly in shooting the cycling....if I win a bit of money on the lottery before it starts next year, I'm leaving the country for 2 months......my in laws can have the house to themselves 

[picsfor]

And i believe Boxhill is already on a waiting list for access because the route is going through protected countryside.

Don't envy you that one Keith...

[michaelb104]

Got to ask, is it just young people that are not interested?  Not living in London myself it will have no effect on me other than it's going to be on TV for at least the next 13 months 

And another thing why is the BBC so London centric, this morning on the BBC news they were on about a nationwide coverage of charging stations for electric cars stretching to Scotland.  They then very kindly showed a map of where they would be, lots inside and around the M25 and then a line that looked like it went up the M40 and then up the M6 to Scotland, so no coverage in the Midlands, East Midlands or North East, so of course nationwide coverage 

[ABERS]

Don't forget Keith that they're having a practise race on Aug 14th this year. Our road will be closed that morning, so will all those that you mention in your post.
Just to remind you, Box Hill is a ticketed area.

Although the race is free to watch elsewhere along the route I can't get too excited about a large group of Lycra clad cyclists in funny shaped hats that will be gone by in about a minute! We get enough of them around here every weekend anyway.

[Hinfrance]

Only about 250 electric cars have been sold to private individuals in the UK since the £5000 subsidy was introduced. It's a reasonable bet that most of those would have been sold to luvvies and the like, and almost all of them in London.

There is to my way of thinking only one electric car on the market that is of any practical use, the Chevrolet Volt (Vauxhall Ampera in the UK). But although this will run for most people most of the time on battery, because it has a petrol engine driving a generator for longer journeys I don't think it qualifies for the full subsidy, and anyway it'll be killed off soon because GM can't shift their stock - they're vastly more expensive than an equivalent internal combustion engined vehicle so Americans aren't buying them in significant numbers.

[Jonathan]

I never applied for Olympics tickets (for one thing I don't have a Visa card) but I'm sick of the whining already.

It's here.  It's happening.  Why can't we get behind it?  Plenty of time to moan about it if it fails.  You don't win anything by assuming you're going to lose.

I for one want to see the first ever games with the Blade Runner giving the athletes with legs a run for their money.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/14212248.stm

[greypoint]

I hope it's a major success with huge numbers of people glued to their TV sets - it takes place during the summer so the more people stuck indoors watching TV the fewer out and about cluttering up the places I go to for a nice peaceful walk 

[Beaux Reflets]

I never applied for Olympics tickets (for one thing I don't have a Visa card) but I'm sick of the whining already.

It's here.  It's happening.  Why can't we get behind it?  Plenty of time to moan about it if it fails.  You don't win anything by assuming you're going to lose.

I for one want to see the first ever games with the Blade Runner giving the athletes with legs a run for their money.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/14212248.stm

I hope the games are a success too, and who knows they might even give the UK economy the boost it needs 

[ABERS]

I think I'll jump on the bandwagon! All you sports photographers here's an offer you can't refuse, (well perhaps you can  ).

Your own secure personal parking place 200 yards from the Olympic cycling action, on both the road race and the time trial days, with refreshments thrown in as an optional extra! Three places available @ £100, £150 with refreshments, (a cuppa tea and a slice of cake).
Camera battery charging points available F.O.C. when the refreshment option is taken. A free picture of Seb Coe with every booking!

First come first serve.

[skellum]

I think I'll jump on the bandwagon! All you sports photographers here's an offer you can't refuse, (well perhaps you can  ).

Your own secure personal parking place 200 yards from the Olympic cycling action, on both the road race and the time trial days, with refreshments thrown in as an optional extra! Three places available @ £100, £150 with refreshments, (a cuppa tea and a slice of cake).
Camera battery charging points available F.O.C. when the refreshment option is taken. A free picture of Seb Coe with every booking!

First come first serve.

I would not be supprised if someone took up your offer considering the daft money people pay to camp on some ones lawn at Wimbledon or the use of their parking space. But are you near a bend in the road which will give better action images or even potential accidents. 

[ABERS]

Got it all sussed out. There's a large roundabout to be negotiated just near our junction.

P.S. Only one place left!

PPS Does anyone have access to one of those 'Stinger' gizmos the cops use. Should make for a good shot.

[krennon]

And I'll put up the same offer as Abers but I'm a little further away about 2 miles, however excellent transport links to Kingston (direct bus route) refreshment options (well I can make you up a flask of tea or coffee), possible room to let as well p.o.a. and subject to my in-laws not being here, and if necessary use of p.c. to back up your files on to disk, use of elements 7 available as well.....tempting I actually wonder if we could let the whole house for the 6 weeks?.....mmm food for thought.....

[Reinardina]

.if I win a bit of money on the lottery before it starts next year, I'm leaving the country for 2 months......my in laws can have the house to themselves 

Can't you swap houses with your in laws for the duration? Or is this impractical? (or is it unpractical?)

Neither my husband, nor I are interested in the Olympics. We're also hoping to win enough to get away, but where do you go? It'll probably get worldwide coverage. Anyone any idea?

We once hired a motorcruiser in the Highlands, and had extremely bad TV reception on Loch Ness. If it is still the same in that area, it might be the solution.

[ABERS]

Sound like 'Eee when I were a lad'

Looking for some information on the web I stumbled across the house I was born in and spent the first 10 years of my life some ?+?!! years ago.
Then it was a small mid-terraced two up two down farm worker's cottage with no running water, with a well serving the four cottages in the terrace, hence a row of old fashioned bucket toilets across the yard served our natural functions. Electric lighting was wired into the two downstairs rooms and only one bedroom, no gas, all cooking was done on a beautiful coal fired cast iron range in the front room, and a Primus stove was in the scullery for a quickly boiled kettle. The strange anomaly was that it had a huge back garden, so plenty of fresh veggies throughout the year!

Rent for this back in the thirties was 5 shillings a week, and I remember once my Dad told me we were nearly chucked out when he got behind with the rent!

The information I stumbled across today was that the house next door has been valued at £254k with a rental potential of £945 pcm.

To be fair all services are connected and it has a bathroom!

No wonder I feel a certain empathy when I look at James Ravillious' book, An English Eye.

[Oldboy]

Rent for this back in the thirties was 5 shillings a week, and I remember once my Dad told me we were nearly chucked out when he got behind with the rent!

The information I stumbled across today was that the house next door has been valued at £254k with a rental potential of £945 pcm.

It increased in price after you left!