On Monday, we published a comprehensive article from NOEOE which articulated the concerns of many over the planned equestrian events for Greenwich Park. It went into exhaustive detail about the issues that campaigners have with Greenwich Park being used for the 2012 Olympics.
On Tuesday, I met up in Greenwich Park with Dave Hill from the Guardian website to walk the planned cross country course, paying particular attention to the Flower Gardens. Dave put this report together the next day.
Personally, I would place myself in the sceptic camp over the use of Greenwich Park in 2012. My scepticism isn’t because there’s unlikely to be much sporting legacy, although there probably won’t be. It isn’t because there might be damage to historic trees and park land, although there might be. It’s not because it is likely to cause traffic chaos on already busy roads, although that will probably happen. My scepticism is because Greenwich Park is so perfect as it is, that to do anything at all with it – however great that might be for a couple of days in the summer of 2012 – has to be a second preference in my book to just maintaining it and preserving so it can just be enjoyed now and forever as the park that people love, without any prolonged interruption or loss of access.
I would like to think that this website has space for all opinions on this contentious issue and would be more than happy to publish the opposing viewpoint. In actual fact, I’m desperately trying to find someone who wants it to go ahead but people of that opinion are proving quite elusive. Have you met anyone in favour? Keep ’em peeled, as they say, and let me know.
Also on Tuesday, we published the latest article from Andrew Gilligan. He welcomes Boris Johnson’s decision to postpone any further on the Greenwich Waterfront Transit scheme. Andrew, in customary fashion, was blunt in his views about GWT, describing it as “complete rubbish” and saying “Despite the name, intended to make it seem like something special, it is simply a normal bus service” at an “eyewatering” cost. The Mayor has also abandoned plans for a Thames Gateway Bridge – this was attacked by Greenwich council as a “shocking decision” over a scheme which has the “overwhelming support of Londoners”. In neighbouring Bexley, the council welcomed the decision, saying “This news will be welcomed by all those who campaigned so long and so hard to stop the bridge”. Pays your money and takes your choice on that one, I guess.
On Wednesday, there was a late night shopping in event with food and live music in the market til 10pm. Did you go? What did you think?
Over at the O2, Damon Albarn’s new opera, Monkey: Journey To The West, was enjoying its first night and seems to have got great reviews. It’s a new adaption of the classic Chinese tale, and is taking place in a custom made tent for the next month.
Earlier on Wednesday, the HMS Illustrious ended her stay in Greenwich and set again back out to sea, not before repeating that slightly tricky task of navigating her way through the Thames Barrier with only 10m to spare on either side. Yikes! On Thursday, the Greenwich Phantom had some fantastic pictures showing air carrier passing the Old Royal Naval college.
This morning, it was great to see a few other websites pick up on the fact that Andrew Gilligan is writing for Greenwich.co.uk – here in the Media Guardian and here at Journalism.co.uk. The growth of hyperlocal websites is quite an interesting topic and a challenge for established local media outlets. I was delighted to get Mr Gilligan onboard so it’s great to see it being picked up by the trade press. And I must take the opportunity to congratulate the Greenwich Phantom on her 1000th blog post – looking forward to the next thousand!