Olympic Park's surprise tourism success
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For the last three years, I've been going down to a cycle path with a good view of the Olympic Park in east London to broadcast.
Now I don't expect any sympathy but for the first two years it was often a lonely and freezing place with few people around apart from a few security guards with dogs.
But the "Greenway" path has changed dramatically in the last 10 months.
Suddenly, thousands of . Suddenly, I'm far from alone.
In fact, there's a real buzz on the edge of the Park.
At least 10,000 people each month have been walking through the doors of a visitor centre which was built just 10 months ago.
Often there are no seats free in the café in the centre. People sit in the sun with a latte watching the diggers and trucks.
In short, the Olympic Park has become a major tourist attraction.
Tour guides are littered along the Greenway telling the story of the . You hear all sorts of languages being spoken - Danish, German, French, Italian and Japanese.
If you had told me this would happen a year ago, I would have politely suggested you'd been working too hard and needed a long holiday.
I never thought people would be so interested in the construction of a few sports venues.
Many of the people visiting are from outside of London. Many are also pensioners who are really interested in the Games.
But you don't need to pay for a guide to see all this if you don't want to. The visitor centre is free. It has a balcony with information boards with all the key buildings marked.
In December they are going to have a Christmas market along the Greenway. There are regular cultural events in the centre.
I have to admit, this is one of the most extraordinary developments I have seen around the 2012 Games.
If you get a chance, pop down to the Park and see it - on the DLR, one stop from Stratford Station.
I'm ´óÏó´«Ã½ London's Olympics Correspondent, which means I report on every aspect of the preparations for 2012. I'm going to be telling you what people are saying about London's preparations - both in the Olympic corridors of power and on the streets of the capital - and I want to hear your views.
Comment number 1.
At 6th Oct 2010, Tiger Rose wrote:I went for a walk there last year to have a nose at the progress on the Park before the visitor centre was open & hope to go again soon. It was very interesting & would recommend it and as Adrian has pointed out it's free.
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Comment number 2.
At 7th Oct 2010, Jack Timbrell wrote:I have been down there a couple of times and taken my family, sadly the DLR was down so we had to walk from Stratford. They loved it and want to come come and visit every year to see the difference.
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Comment number 3.
At 7th Oct 2010, donald merritt wrote:I am a Past Governor of Rotary London and we gave to View Tube 7500 crocus corms. These were planted in the grass areas around the View Tube Walkway by London Wildlife Trust Friends of the Greenway Rosie Murdoch Manager of View Tube and a prominent Shadow Minister. The reason for the gift was to raise the awareness of Rotary's campaign to rid the World of polio.In 1985 Polio was endemic in 126 countries and there were 3000 cases per day NOW there are only 300 cases per YEAR and is only found in pockets of Pakistan Afghanstan India, Nigeria.Bill Gates Foundation donated US$255 million and Rotary has to raise £100million.The Crocuses will flower around 23rd February 2011 which is Rotary END POLIO NOW day and will flower year on year to remind people that Rotary eradicated polio from the World Don Merritt
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Comment number 4.
At 7th Oct 2010, lets be honest wrote:Following up Don Merritt's post, the planting around the View Tube Walkway, is one of many thousands around Great Britain and Ireland being undertaken this month ... see www.focusonthecrocus.org . In total, Rotary Clubs in RIBI have purchased over 5m purple flowering crocus bulbs to underatake the largest ever bulb plant in support of a single humanitarian cause. Now that is a world record. To find your local Rotary Club visit the Club Search at www.ribi.org
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Comment number 5.
At 7th Oct 2010, Adrian Warner wrote:Thanks for the crocus information. I was aware of the planting campaign because there was a big session near to where I live recently. I will look out for the ones at the View Tube.
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Comment number 6.
At 7th Oct 2010, gunsofnavarone wrote:The ODA also operate free bus tours of the Park - if the numbers on the one I went on were anything to go by, they're very popular too. Again, a mixture of people, including pensioners, many of whom didn't strike me as the 'sports geeks' (I count myself as one!) I'd expected. The View Tube has been busy both times I've been to the Greenway too.
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