I met the Superhumans

If you have seen the Channel 4 advert, you know I am talking about the paralympians. I enjoyed so much the Olympic Games, both as a volunteer and as a spectator, that I thought I would get disappointed going to the Paralympics. I bought the tickets one year ago during the initial draw. I was then just eager to watch anything, I was applying for everything - I just wanted to be part of it. I am so glad I did!

Yesterday, I went to the Aquatics Centre at the Olympic Park and saw those amazing athletes performing at their best, and even a few world records. Swimmers are grouped according to how their disabilities affect their performance at a certain stroke. So, a swimmer may be classified as 9 for breaststroke, but 10 for freestyle. Some need help to get to the pool or to climb on to the platform, some start already from inside the water, but once they start swimming it is as thrilling as, and sometimes even more remarkable than any other swim race.  

 

In a way, they are true ‘superhumans’. They had to overcome have some horrific stories of car crashes, accidents, wars, childhood illness and birth defects. They have the same (or more) discipline, drive and training as all other Olympic athletes.

I was wondering if I would find the same atmosphere as during the Olympics. I shouldn’t have worried: the organisation was again perfect, the friendly volunteers were there to greet us, Olympic Park  looked amazing (especially when evening came and lights went on) and there were crowds of happy people with flags from different countries. Going to the Olympic Park itself is already an experience on its own.

Although tickets were all sold when they first went on sale (a first for a paralympic event!), there are still some tickets coming up on the resale scheme on the London 2012 website. I have tickets for wheelchair basketball and athletics – I can’t wait to see even more of the superathletes!

by Ana Beatriz Alencar

 

Visit the FOCUS website www.focus-info.org

Outfoxed

Ok, I’ll admit it…I’m afraid of foxes. People tell me this is an irrational fear, and that foxes are more scared of me than I am of them, but I know this just isn’t true, especially when it comes to the foxes found freely roaming the streets of London. The cute, cuddly fox I was introduced to as a child by watching Disney’s, ‘The Fox and the Hound’, was clearly not the same species as the UK’s ‘Urban Fox’.

Growing up in the States, I was taught that a fox seen wandering amongst houses, businesses or people was a sure sign that the animal was rabid, dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. This is apparently not the case here in London, where foxes are so prevalent you really can’t get away from them. I’ve read that the fox population in London is as many as 28 foxes per square mile! 

You’ve probably seen or heard them yourself—with a cry not dissimilar from that of a screaming woman—cavorting in the city streets at night, scouring for last night’s leftovers in our rubbish bins. But the Urban Fox is not only a creature of the night—I have seen several in the light of day, like the one I once glimpsed sprinting down a busy Fulham street, dashing between the rush-hour traffic. Out for his evening jog, perhaps?

Since recently moving to the ‘suburbs’ of London (just southwest of the city), I have become more closely acquainted with the Urban Fox than I would ever want to be. On sunny mornings in the winter months, I would look out in to my back garden to find the Fantastic Mr Fox either curled up, asleep in a prime, sunny spot beside my garden shed or snoozing on top of my neighbour’s shed. When the snow came, my front and back gardens were criss-crossed with lines of little foxy footprints. Now that summer has arrived, my back garden has turned into a playground for two adult foxes and their two children. I recently made the mistake of throwing some stale bread out into the yard for the birds, just to look out a few hours later and see the fox family happily noshing away. Sorry birds, but there will be no more bread for you!

Lately, there has been something new to discover in my yard each morning—a chewed-up sandal, a dirty tennis ball, a tattered Frisbee, used tea bags, a dead frog… In addition to these playthings, there are the holes. Large holes dug underneath the fence from my side into the surrounding neighbours’ gardens, creating quick and easy escape routes from one yard to the next.

But the digging doesn’t stop there; the sly beasts have dug up my newly planted bushes and flowers, leaving behind some rather smelly evidence, apparently meant to notify other foxes that this is THEIR territory. I thought my garden was MY territory, but it appears that I’ve been outfoxed!

by Lisa Daniels

Visit the FOCUS website www.focus-info.org  

The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round

I have been in London for many years now, but I will never forget the early days and trying to find my way around this enormous city.  For the first year I was here I had to look down at the pavement to know which direction to look for the traffic, and went everywhere by tube.  It was great – very efficient and fairly quick.  But I realised that I didn’t know where Marble Arch was in relation to Tower Bridge because I went everywhere under ground.  That was when I discovered the bus. 

The iconic red double-decker bus is not only an efficient ‘people carrier’, but a great way to see all the famous monuments in London.  In fact, when my children were small they took great pleasure in climbing to the top of the bus, sitting in the front seat and playing ‘I spy’.  It was also a great way to teach them numbers, ‘Look, the bus in front is Number 22. The bus coming towards us is number 73’, etc. 

Of course there is great nostalgia for the nearly extinct Routemaster buses.  There is still an opportunity to ride the original hop on, hop off bus along route number 9.  The abbreviated journey will take you from the Royal Albert Hall through Knightsbridge and Piccadilly via Hyde Park Corner, then onto Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square and finally arriving at Drury Lane.  There is still a conductor who comes along to collect fares (yes, you can pay with your Oyster Card), and you have to pull the string to signal that you want the bus to stop.  

Having been taken out of general service for some time now, the Routemaster’s popularity was so great that the Mayor of London recently commissioned a new bus design for London.  Unveiled a few months ago, the new model is based on the original, is more environmentally friendly and also has a hop on, hop of platform at the rear.  For now this model is only available on route 38 between Victoria Station and Hackney, but more should be rolled out soon.  For more information on buses and other forms of public transportation, visit www.tfl.gov.uk .

Another great way to see London by bus is to take one of the London bus tours.  I recommend this to all visitors and newcomers as it gives them an opportunity to view all of the sights, combined with a river boat tour.  There are a variety of companies offering this service, including The Original Tour (www.theoriginaltour.com) and Big Bus Tours (www.bigbustours.com).  I remember coming to London as a tourist, five years before moving here, and taking one of these tours.  I was amazed at all of the wonderful monuments that I saw within a very short time; and it gave me an opportunity to decide which ones I wanted to go back and explore in more detail.

So come up from underground and get on a bus.  Enjoy the sights of London and watch the seasons change – from the long days of summer to the wonderful lights of the city in winter. 

By Eva Stock

Visit the FOCUS website www.focus-info.org 

Volunteering at London 2012

It started more than two years ago when I saw an ad on TV calling people to volunteer for the Olympics and I, along with 200,000 other people, filled in an online application form. Since then, I had one interview, three training sessions, many emails and all of a sudden it was my first day as a team member of the protocol team at Olympics tennis at Wimbledon!

I was nervous and excited when I first arrived at Wimbledon. My shift started at 9.45, but I arrived a bit earlier, just in time to see the hawks finishing their flight over the grounds to scare away the pigeons. As I arrived at the protocol team office, I heard ‘Stewards, open the gates’. This was real!

There were around 80 volunteers with the protocol team at Wimbledon, covering   18 shifts of 24 positions each, over  the 9 days of competition.  We were responsible for managing the Olympic Family drop off zones, stands and lounge. The Olympic family comprises members of international (tennis) federations, national and international Olympic committees and government dignitaries.  Our guests could come and go any time they wanted and, while at the preliminary matches we had many empty seats, as we got to the end of the competition we had to manage VIP queues to the allocated seats at Court 1 and Centre Court.  Of course we were told when a very high profile person (Internationally Protected Person) was coming to Wimbledon and we would reserve seats for them. While I was there we had visits from Michelle Obama, Theresa May, Bill Gates, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, aka Kate , to name some of the most famous.

Although athletes and their families were not our guests, we shared some of our restricted areas with them and I managed to see, open doors and say ‘Welcome to Wimbledon’, ‘Good luck’ and ‘Congratulations’ to most of them. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take pictures or ask for autographs. We had a rotation system and I was lucky to be on Court 1 and Centre Court (inside the royal box!) during some great matches.  I was also allowed to stay on the grounds after my shift and watch matches either on the Hill or at one of the free seating courts.

I was so tired at the end but also glad I did it! It was an amazing experience.

The London 2012 volunteers (or Games Makers) came from a variety of backgrounds;  many were retired, many were students, many were foreigners that came to London just for the Games. What we all had in common was a passion for this fantastic sport event, we saw this as a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ and we all wanted London 2012 to be a great and unforgettable event. If you have been to any of the London 2012 events and have seen the volunteers, I am sure you will agree with me that we made it!

by Ana Beatriz Alencar

Visit the FOCUS website www.focus-info.org 

The magic behind the Harry Potter films

If you enjoyed the films, books or have an interest in the magic behind film making then this activity is for you.  If you are a diehard HP fan, than this is a must.  Tickets must be purchased in advance (you cannot buy them there) and it’s not cheap. Adults (16+) £28; Children (5-15) £21; Under 4’s Free; Family (either 2 adults and 2 children or 1 adult and 3 children) £83. It’s relatively easy to get to from central London – Train from Euston to Watford Junction takes 20 minutes and then there is a special WB coach that will take you from there to the studio.  We went by car – easy to find, well sign posted and new, large parking spaces.

We opted for a family ticket and also the headsets that have a guided tour by Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy in the films) which was an additional cost.  You don’t absolutely need the guided tour as there is plenty of information and video clips at each exhibition but it was great to hear the voice of one of the characters and some of the behind the scenes stories.  There are a lot of staff members around to answer your questions – many of them were extras in the film or have had a chance to meet some of the actors so it is worthwhile chatting with them.  I’d suggest waiting to buy the guide book until the end – you might like it as a souvenir but it’s not necessary for the tour.

There are two sound stages J and K which were purposely built after filming finished ( and named in honour of JK Rowling)  to house this permanent exhibition.  You begin the tour with a short video from the actors and then you get to wander around the Great Hall.  In the first building, you’ll see many of the sets you recognise from the film and learn more about each director.  Highlights included the dorm room in Gryffindor tower, Dumbledore’s office and a chance to ride a broom in front of a green screen (and then see what you really look like flying!) Be sure to take time to read all the intricate detail on the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes products. My favourite was the Weasely house – dishes washing themselves, knitting needles making a sweater and the famous clock with all the hands pointed at mortal peril. 

In between the sound stages they’ve displayed the outside sets – number 4 Privet Drive, the Knight bus and Sirius’ motorcycle. You can get your picture taken in front of and on these props. You can also buy some refreshments.  A glass of Butter beer was £2.50.  We bought one to try but since no one liked it (it tasted a bit like sweet American cream soda) we left ¾ of a glass on one of the outside tables along with several other unfinished glasses.

In Studio K, you learn more about the special effects and creatures that were created for each film. There is a life-sized model of Hogwarts castle that is amazing and a room that had a wand box with the names of every person who was involved in all the productions on them.

Of course at the end there is a gift shop (as well as a café and Starbucks that you can visit upon entry or exit.) The gift shop had a tremendous range of things in various price ranges so it is possible to get something that’s £5 (time turner key ring) £20-30 (magic wands, etc.) or collectors’ items that are more expensive. They also had a nice selection of sweets – chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott’s beans – that you’d recognise from the films. T-shirts, mugs, books, stuffed animals – there is bound to be something for everyone. 

Allow yourself at least 3 hours for the tour – there is a lot to see and if you want to have your photo taken in the flying car and on a broom, you’ll need to queue for that which took us about 20 minutes ( although there is a lot to look at while you wait.) My only disappointment was that you cannot get a DVD with your broom flight only a still photo (although you’ll see what it looks like on the screen when you’re doing it.) Our children are 10 and 14 years old and enjoyed the day.  I would not recommend it for children younger than 7 as they may get bored unless that are Potter devotees. We came home and watched one of the movies on DVD with a whole new perspective.

By Pat Keener

http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/

Visit the FOCUS website www.focus-info.org