- The Guardian,
- Friday September 2 2005
Eight weeks ago, at 12.46pm on July 6, Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, had opened the envelope in Singapore and declared London the winner. The crowd which had gathered to watch on a big screen in Trafalgar Square erupted into spontaneous and disbelieving cheering and applause.
Less than 24 hours later London listened to a different soundtrack - the wail of police and ambulance sirens as three rush-hour bombs exploded on the tube and another ripped apart a double-decker bus, killing 52 people.
Yesterday the Olympic party, which had been put on pause, burst back into life.
Back in Trafalgar Square, at 12.46pm, they replayed the video clip of Mr Rogge's announcement and blasted multi-coloured confetti around Nelson's column and the fountains.
The event was celebratory, but the mood was businesslike, with the emphasis on the hard work ahead to ensure the games are successful and the necessity of restoring London to economic normality after the bombings.
Although yesterday's spectacle was billed as modest and low-key and not well advertised, hundreds of people gathered in the fierce lunchtime sunshine to listen to short speeches by Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, Lord Coe, chairman of London 2012, and Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary.
Ms Jowell said: "Eight weeks ago when we knew we had won the bid, not just the whole of Trafalgar Square, but the whole of London and the whole of the country celebrated.
"Just as the following day more than 50 families were robbed of the people they loved in terrorist attacks on London, so too was London robbed of its continuing celebration. Just as forever those who lost their lives will be remembered as part of the Olympics and the Olympic dream that will take us through to 2012, so too will the fortitude, solidarity, strength and resilience of London and Londoners see us through the next seven years until the games begin in 2012."
As the confetti rained down on the square, two acrobats abseiled from the top of Nelson's column, performing synchronised slow motion cartwheels and somersaults. A giant banner with the London 2012 logo was unfurled from the column.
As Heather Small, formerly of M People, backed by a gospel choir, sang Proud, the bid's anthem, a troupe of dancers pulled back a red silk drape across the square to reveal the words London Prepares.
Ms Jowell, who jigged along to the anthem and joined in the singing, told the Guardian: "It makes people very proud. It was a lovely event and reminds everyone that when we won the games, it did not just matter on July 6, but that it will go on mattering to London."
She said the games would last 17 days but produce a legacy lasting for decades, transforming one of the poorest parts of London. "The other legacy [will be] the optimism and vision of thousands of young people in our country who will dream of taking part in London's Olympics as athletes, volunteers or spectators. We are all proud to be guardians of this dream."
Shirley Robertson, who won two sailing gold medals at the Athens Olympics and was one of the London 2012 ambassadors who supported the bid in Singapore, was caught up in the same buoyant optimism.
"It was a privilege to be involved in the bid - it was very emotional and today has brought back a lot of memories from Singapore. We did not get the chance to celebrate and realise how fantastic it is for the whole country."
Lord Coe spelled out the message that with a little more than 2,500 days to go until the Olympic flame is lit, the hard work is only beginning. "It is probably the biggest project that any city can take on, but I think in the bid process we showed we had a partnership that can work well and we are now quickly making it work. It is a partnership between government, sport and the people of the East End.
"The foundation stones are already being laid. Do not expect an Olympic stadium to be there after Christmas, but do not be lulled into thinking nothing is happening."
Mr Livingstone said he had directed the London Development Agency and Transport for London to ensure there were no planning delays. He also helped to launch Everyone's London, a month of events including cheap hotel rates and special offers on theatres, culminating in a street festival in Oxford Street, all designed to attract tourists back to the capital.
"It is what we did after 9/11. It helped turn things round," he said.
James Bidwell, chief executive for Visit London, said: "There is a feeling that the celebrations in July were disrupted and we were consumed by such awful happenings. Now we are drawing a line in the sand. With people back from holiday, September is a good time for rejuvenation."
The seven-year countdown
· In the first six days after London was awarded the games, 17,000 people registered an interest in volunteering. The total now stands at 60,000 of the 70,000 who will be required.
· Eight days after the decision the Olympic bill was introduced to parliament. It will set up the Olympic Delivery Authority, which will control work on the athletes' village and transport infrastructure. It will also introduce legislation to prosecute ticket touts and introduce rules on ambush marketing.
· 20 days after the decision, the first National Lottery scratchcards were launched to fund the Olympics. The intention is to raise £1.5bn from the lottery towards the £2.4bn cost of staging the games. The Go for Gold scratchcard costs £1, with 28p going to the games and a top prize of £2,012. A council tax increase of 38p a week for a band D house will be introduced in April 2006.
· A management board, consisting of Lord Coe, Tessa Jowell, Ken Livingstone and the British Olympic Association chairman Craig Reedie has been set up. A 16-strong board, the London Organising Committee is being set up, including the Princess Royal, who is a member of the IOC, and former triple jumper Jonathan Edwards as athletes' representative.
· Work has begun on removing 50 electricity pylons in the Lower Lea valley that have blighted the local community, putting replacement cables underground. Contracts worth tens of millions of pounds have been signed to restore the Olympic site from decades of toxic contamination
· The first of the venues, Wembley, is due to open next year. The aquatic and veloparks should be ready in 2008, with the Olympic stadium built by 2011.
· Talks took place on Monday with Xavier Gonzalez, chief executive of the International Paralympics Committee. The Paralympic Games will be held after the Olympics finish on August 12 2012.
