London 2012 Hackney Citizens’ diary: Day 0
Olympics stadium at dusk. Photograph: Hackney Citizen
The roofs of Hackney Wick. twitter.com/ChimeneSuleyma…
— Chimene Suleyman (@ChimeneSuleyman) July 27, 2012
11.30pm: Sarah Birch writes:
Out in Hackney Wick during the opening ceremony. Lots of ‘alternative’ events happening here and a great view of the stadium, sounds included.
Spotted a posse of Boris-style Dutch bikes, part of a raft of 500 brought over from the Netherlands complete with their own docking stations.
Dutch bikes outside Stour Space on Fish Island on the night of the Olympics opening ceremony. Photograph: Hackney Citizen
Lots of people milling about soaking up the atmosphere, though tourists seem largely absent.
Spectators on the River Lea at Hackney Wick on the night of the Olympics opening ceremony. Photograph: Hackney Citizen
View from here: Red Arrows fly over #Hackney #EastLondon #London2012 #OpeningCeremony fb.me/1I6XXbp3Y
— The Marksman Pub (@MarksmanPub) July 27, 2012
11.00 am: Josh Loeb writes:
Giants, acrobats and spine tingling, nigh lunatic brilliance. That is what millions of people across the country who will tune into watch director Danny Boyle’s Olympic opening ceremony spectacular tonight (Friday) can expect to see.
I was inside the Olympic Stadium in Stratford on Wednesday for the final, and sublime, dress rehearsal for the big event – don’t ask me how I managed to inveigle my way in – and heard the gasps and cheers from those seated in the packed arena and standing in a mosh pit-style dugout in the centre of the action.
I’ve been sworn to secrecy about exactly what I saw, and rightly so. Everyone hates spoilers. I don’t consider myself a tub-thumper for the Games – I loathe the corporate hype – but the show Boyle has created is monumental and tremendous.
One audience member summed it up when he said he would rather watch this theatrical extravaganza than the 100m final or any number of other events. Boyle’s brilliantly anarchic creation features scores of child performers and other volunteers as well as astonishing pyrotechnics. In other words, believe the hype.
Confused Nordic tourists on hired bicycles spotted with ‘London map’ in Hackney Downs at 8.30. Let’s all help the tourists 🙂 #London2012
— Ally Branley (@AllyLondon) July 27, 2012
Tannoy announces to an unusually empty carriage: “It is the start of the #Olympic Games and your train is fuller than usual…” #Hackney
— RuthStivey (@RuthStivey) July 27, 2012
10.00 am: Sarah Birch writes:
‘Day 0’ kicked off at 8.12 this morning with a celebratory ringing at St John-at-Hackney Church. Martin Creed’s ‘All the Bells’ was a three-minute musical tribute to the Olympic Games in which locals joined in.
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