jerseyboi Posted December 30, 2011 Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 Olympic Park Afternoon by Nigel Lomas' date=' on Flickr[/quote'] 'Glittering' 2012 start for London A dazzling fireworks display is expected to attract up to 250,000 people to London to welcome in the new year. The London Eye will be the focal point for the pyrotechnics, which Boris Johnson said would be a fitting way to mark the start of an "extraordinary" year for the city. A "quirky" and "surprising" show has been planned, the Mayor of London's office added. There will be some 12,000 fireworks, producing 50,000 projectiles, launched during the display, which is triggered by Big Ben's chimes and lasts for 11 minutes and 15 seconds. Mr Johnson said: "A glittering display will light up the sky to herald the start of 2012, the most extraordinary and exciting year we are likely to see in our lifetime in this city. "We will stage an incredible Olympic and Paralympic Games, which will put us in the global spotlight and spur the long-term rejuvenation of east London and bring benefits to the whole capital. "From the magic of the Games, to the Diamond Jubilee, and the London 2012 Festival to our own outdoor arts festival, we will welcome the world with thrilling events in every corner of the capital, to create a summer like no other." Describing the planned show, a spokesman from the Mayor of London's office said: "Without wanting to give too much away, it describes London: diverse, quirky, surprising, evolving, inspirational. There is a nod to the nostalgic past, but, like the city, it is very contemporary and of course it looks ahead to an amazing year for the capital." London-themed songs will accompany the fireworks, which are expected to be watched on television by millions of people around the world. Those travelling to the Southbank to see the pyrotechnics have been warned that visibility may not be good. Gareth Harvey, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "It looks like it will be cloudy on the night but temperatures should remain mild, with the chance of a few spots of drizzle." http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5ixVph0xcRZlx8UuHkWdJxZSz41PA?docId=N0712661325248219746A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseyboi Posted December 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afiqnadzir Posted December 30, 2011 Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 london theme song? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseyboi Posted December 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted December 30, 2011 Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 If its anything like last year. I'll be a happy boy. The soundtrack was amazing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob2012 Posted December 30, 2011 Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 Up to a quarter of a million people are expected to usher in the new year with a synchronised music and firework display on the banks of the Thames, in what is billed as a showcase celebration prior to this year's Olympics and Queen's diamond jubilee celebrations. DJ Nihal of Radio 1 and the BBC Asian Network, who has put together the playlist for the evening, said the event would include a 10-minute sequence featuring a remix of Chariots of Fire, Jump Around by House of Pain, and Nigerian No 1 Oliver Twist by the D'banj – all precisely set "beat-by-beat" to thousands of fireworks. "It's more like a symphony than a DJ set," said Nihal. He added that the events company in charge on the night had staged the Beijing Olympics in 2008. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/dec/29/london-new-years-eve-party?newsfeed=true Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseyboi Posted December 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 London and Britain aim to deliver in 2012 Reuters) - Londoners waking on Sunday with blurred vision and throbbing heads will not have to wait long for their next party as the city enters its Olympic year and prepares to host the sporting show of a lifetime. Queen Elizabeth's diamond jubilee, marking 60 years of her reign, will be celebrated in June followed by England's appearance at the European soccer championships before the Olympics open on July 27. Sebastian Coe, the double Olympic 1,500 metres gold medallist who is now head of London 2012 organisers LOCOG, this week likened the sequence of events to the appearance of Halley's Comet which flashes across the night sky roughly every 75 years. London will be the only city to have hosted the summer Olympics three times, after 1908 and 1948, and the latest will be easily the biggest sporting event Britain has ever staged. With a budget of 9.3 billion pounds, fears of transport chaos and more British troops assigned to protect the Games than are currently serving in Afghanistan, there are plenty of potential clouds to darken the horizon. Coe, who says he will wake up on New Year's Day with the same excitement he had as an Olympic athlete, prefers to see the Games as a chance to show Britain at its best while also raising spirits both at home and abroad at a time of financial hardship. "Waking up just 200 days away from the biggest thing this nation will have delivered in living memory is a massive responsibility," he told the Guardian newspaper. "And at a time when the world is a pretty difficult place for a lot of people, I think we also know we have a responsibility to try and help lift people's spirits." BRITAIN CONFIDENT With just over 200 days to go, Britain is confident its athletes are on track to hit the stated target of winning more medals from more sports in more than a century. Britain finished fourth in the medals table in Beijing in 2008 with 47 from 11 sports, including 19 golds. "We have recently reviewed the data for 2011 across all World Championship and other relevant world events and rankings in every Olympic discipline for 2011," British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Hunt said on Thursday. "This shows Team GB finishing in sixth position with 59 medals across 13 different sports in what would be a relative Olympic medals table." Hunt was however mindful of the fact that some major nations do not always send top athletes to championships in the year before a Games and that London promises to be the most competitive Olympics yet. The building of venues and infrastructure is 90 percent finished with the formal handover of the Olympic Park in east London to LOCOG due in early 2012. "In 2012 we will complete our task, finishing the Olympic Village, Water Polo Arena, shooting venue at Woolwich and parklands, as we work alongside the Organising Committee to prepare for next summer," said John Armitt, chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority. January 9 will mark 200 days to the opening ceremony while the 27th, after an international gymnastics test event, will be the six month milestone. The 100 days to go date will come up on April 18 while the Torch Relay around Britain and into Ireland starts at Land's End on May 19. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted December 31, 2011 Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 I believe that in the 2000 New Year celebrations in Sydney, they displayed the word "Eternity" on Harbor Bridge during the fireworks -- and the bridge with the "Eternity" sign on it re-appeared in the Olympic opening ceremony later that year, as a firework display. I wonder whether London will pull off something similar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseyboi Posted December 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 Go for it London...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faster Posted December 31, 2011 Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 Enjoy it guys, the year will go by very fast. There is nothing like a home Olympics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikarus360 Posted December 31, 2011 Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 I would be very happy if they use London skyline during the opening ceremony (Like Melbourne, Auckland and Sydney did ) That would be epic and the ceremony would not only just happen in the stadium but at the city as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citius Altius Fortius Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 Happy New Year London!!! 2012 started in the UK 7 minutes ago!!1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveb81 Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 WOW - London - Best ever Firework display I have seen...Music was in Sync, each having a connection with this special year for the UK, The Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Summer Olympic & Paralympic Games...;et's see what they do in 208 days at the Opening Ceremony!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 Loved the fireworks once again this year. There was even a little tear in my eye with the 2012 announcement at the beginning - it may have been the champagne http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J--WBdwnyvI&feature=youtube_gdata_player Also you can't beat a bit of faithless, prodigy and shirley! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikarus360 Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 Awesome fireworks show. Like I said before, I really hope they use not only the stadium but the city as well for the fireworks, like today. That would be awesome Congratulations to London for finally reaching it's olympic year this is going to be a very exciting year for us in GB. Can't wait for July! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseyboi Posted January 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 First time Big Ben had Exploded! Boris is mad - but we love him. Big Ben made sure the Olympic year was welcomed with a bang as hundreds of thousands of revellers were treated to a stunning display of fireworks launched from the tower at midnight. In a first for the London's New Year celebrations, the pyrotechnics were fired from the landmark to coincide with each strike of the bell, marking the start of 2012. There was a distinctly Olympian theme to the display on the River Thames with fireworks launched over the London Eye in the shape and colours of the Olympic rings. The accompanying soundtrack saw Chariots of Fire kick off a medley of London-themed songs. Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "Our New Year fireworks were a brilliant start to a spectacular year. "This is just the beginning - as the eyes of the world turn to London for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, there will be amazing events across the capital up to, during and beyond a summer like no other." About 250,000 people were estimated to be in the capital to watch the 11-minute and 15-second display, which saw 50,000 projectiles light up the capital's skies. The Mayor of London's office said the display was the result of 12 months of planning. A crew of 306 has been working on the site since Boxing Day, with 1,803 staff - including stewards - on duty on the night itself. There were 30 tonnes of equipment on the three fireworks barges on the river ready for the display, which was triggered by GPS to the chimes of Big Ben. Big crowds were also seen in other cities, including in Edinburgh for the Hogmanay street party attended by some 80,000 people. More than 20 acts were playing on seven stages ahead of the midnight fireworks display. The start of the London fireworks display was accompanied by a recording of the moment the capital learned it would host next summer's Olympic and Paralympic Games. (UKPA) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseyboi Posted January 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 New Years Eve in London by merciacoventry, on Flickr New Years Eve in London by merciacoventry, on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/geoff42/6609677239/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Fireworks are fired from the EDF Energy London Eye to mark the start of London's Olympic Year. Thousands of revellers lined the streets of London to celebrate.London, UK. 1st January 2012. by Paul Brock Photography, on Flickr Fireworks are fired from the EDF Energy London Eye to mark the start of London's Olympic Year. Thousands of revellers lined the streets of London to celebrate.London, UK. 1st January 2012. by Paul Brock Photography, on Flickr Fireworks are fired from the EDF Energy London Eye to mark the start of London's Olympic Year. Thousands of revellers lined the streets of London to celebrate.London, UK. 1st January 2012. by Paul Brock Photography, on Flickr Fireworks are fired from the EDF Energy London Eye to mark the start of London's Olympic Year. Thousands of revellers lined the streets of London to celebrate.London, UK. 1st January 2012. by Paul Brock Photography, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Tickle Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 Blimey. The fireworks last night were a fantastic start to the Olympic year. Lighting up big Ben gave a great new take on the display and that start intro was just plain wonderful. I can't believe 2012 is here. It was so long ago that announcement was made. My new years resolution is to enjoy every single moment of the run up to these games. I'm never going to be able to experience it like this again so let the roller coaster ride begin. Happy new year all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevzz Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 I kinda expected there to be more Olympic themed fireworks/ symbolism in last night's countdown. Too bad they didnt unveil giant Olympic rings in the middle of the London Eye! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 I love this video of the fireworks. Make sure you click on 720 or 1080, it makes all the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 London, your year has begun! Best wishes for a happy and memorable Olympic year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citius Altius Fortius Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 Looking forward to watch the firework displays at the Opening and the Closing Ceremony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 I sent shivers down my spine (in a positive sense, of course) when I saw those fireworks going off right at the first chime of Big Ben -- and those fireworks coming out of the tower with each further chime. Real drama -- staged very well. And the host city announcement made even me as a non-Briton emotional. I hope that all you in London and the UK will have a ball this year and especially next summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinkParkFn Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 Hard to believe it's 2012 (and no the world will not end..unless I date a girl, then it will) Will definitely be looking forward to the Games, even if the host country isn't. I'm definitely excited at the prospect of possibly seeing RG3 (Robert Griffin III) go from Heisman winner to Olympic champion in the span of only a few months (would love to see a matchup of RGIII vs Usain Bolt.) Phelps vs Lochte, Janet Evans and Ian Thorpe's potential comebacks, Kevin Durant, CP3 (Chris Paul) (would love to see Marcus and Markieef Morris on the team, will not happen, that's just speaking as a Jayhawk diehard.) and the rest of the hoops team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 Will definitely be looking forward to the Games, even if the host country isn't. Not sure why you say that. The last approval rating I saw for the games was over 80%. The level of demand for tickets is also unprecendented. Doesn't really fit with the view that the home crowd is not looking forward to the games. Not sure why you would say that, seems quite ridiculous, everyone I know is really looking forward to them. BBC has uploaded it's full youtube coverage of the 2012 fireworks. Switch it over to 1080p and enjoy. I sent shivers down my spine (in a positive sense, of course) when I saw those fireworks going off right at the first chime of Big Ben -- and those fireworks coming out of the tower with each further chime. Real drama -- staged very well. And the host city announcement made even me as a non-Briton emotional. I hope that all you in London and the UK will have a ball this year and especially next summer. Sent shivers down mine too. I especially liked the Rogge announcement being worked into the music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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