i was just going back through my photos adding a few names. found one of millar that i hadn't put up.
i enjoyed the whole thing very much. london now is very different to 20 or 30 years ago, they know how to make big events work in the centre of town. trafalgar square, the mall, the royal parks, westminster and hyde park form a series of interconnecting spaces that can handle huge crowds, multiple stages, race routes, big screens, rock concerts, sporting events, all with appropriate tourist-picture backdrops. they don't have to close many major roads, there's plenty of tube stations, crowds can melt away in all directions afterwards. it seems easy and natural now, where 20 years ago it was a big heave just to do something in hyde park. i guess they've had practice, especially since the millennium. and now the mayor intends to show off how well london will handle the olympics.
considering recent terrorist activities the security seemed very light, or perhaps just unobtrusive. you could get surprisingly close to the starting gate, and to the team areas as my photos show - and the finish seemed more blocked off by grandstands and the media than security. and of course it's all free - including the programmes. hope it's not too long before the tour returns.
The Tour... I'm jealous!
Posted by: Mike | July 09, 2007 at 01:09