The Olympic site and surrounding areas

I took a guided tour around part of the Olympic Park (or at least around the perimeter) and the surrounding parts of East London- slightly to the east of where I used to live in Bethnal Green. They want to have everything basically completed by 2011- the building is apparently going pretty well, though they will have massively overspent by the end of it.

Sign near one of the entrances
The Olympic stadium where the Opening and Closing ceremonies will be held

Another view of the Stadium- the top half is only temporary- it will be removed after the Games

Some of the Olympic park- just mounds of dirt- but the Park will be about the size of Hyde Park

The aquatic centre

This rather grand tower is on the top of the Victorian sewage pump station- apparently they were painted inside and quite beautiful. It was still in use until 1997.

The Old House Mill in Bow- lots of the bakeries of London were in the area

The Clock Tower Mill-directly across from the Old House Mill. The circular towers are called oasts and were used to dry hops for beer. There are lots of Oasts in Kent- many have been converted into rather posh houses

The River Lee beside the Mills-what powered them obviously

This has nothing to do with either the Olympics or East London. It's just some bloke dressed in a pigeon outfit in Trafalgar Square- don't know why!!

The Blessing of the Horse

On Sunday, I went to a church behind Hyde Park where they hold a blessing of the horse every year. All the horses from the stables near Hyde Park come and get blessed, it was really cute.

St John's- where they held the service
The guy in green is the vicar- he performed the service on horseback

Some of the horses and riders

More Horses

A shetland pony

A working Horse and cart

Horses from Vauxhall City Farm- in South London

A mews- the Hyde Park stables are near here

Children playing in the Princess Diana fountain