London Update -- 2012 Toys for Christmas; Security Spend Increases; Three Years to Go

A line of toys from Hornby will carry London 2012 branding. (Hornby)London 2012 Toy Maker Appointed

The first London 2012 toys will be available for Christmas, after LOCOG announced Tuesday that Hornby had been awarded a three-year license to make a range of Olympic-themed toys.

Hornby are makers of electric train sets, Airfix model kits and Scalextric slot car racing sets, beloved of generations of British children. They are expected to have 2012-branded Corgi die-cast model red London buses and black Taxi cabs on-sale later this year, as well as build-yourself plastic models of key Olympic venues in what LOCOG called “the first of several exciting toys and souvenirs licenses to be awarded.”

Paul Deighton, the LOCOG chief executive, said, “We are proud to be working with a truly iconic British company which can offer us a great range of products across its brands that will celebrate the Games in 2012 and live on for generations after as collectors’ items.”

London Raids Reserve Fund For Security

London 2012 organizers will spend $31.4 million of reserve funds to help secure Games venues from terrorist attacks, Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell announced Monday.

Jowell, in a statement to Parliament, maintained that the spending of this element of the contingency fund will not affect the overall Olympic budget, which remains unchanged at $11.9 billion.

The need to modify Olympic Park facilities “to make them more secure and resilient to attacks” has been the only cause to call down from the contingency fund in the past three months.

London will spend $34 million more on security for the Games. (Getty Images)“The overall funding package for the Games remains the same and the anticipated final cost of the Olympic Delivery Authority budget is the same at it was at the end of March,” Jowell said.

A total of $2.1 billion in contingency funds remains unallocated.

“The project continues to provide jobs and millions of pounds worth of business opportunities to companies around the UK in a challenging time,” Jowell said.

On Monday U.K. security agency MI5 downgraded the country’s alert status for terrorist attacks for the first time in four years.

Meanwhile, the Home Office has confirmed that it will divert aircraft flight paths from over the Olympic Park at Games time, although it said that this will not affect planes flying into “major” airports. The status of flights to and from London City Airport, which serves short take-off airliners flying in to Docklands, close to Stratford’s Olympic Park, remains unclear.

Stadium Debt Repayments Examined

Margaret Ford, the chairman of London’s Olympic Legacy Committee, is in negotiations with HM Treasury over the debt repayment schedule on the $1 billion used to buy the Olympic site.

In an interview last week, Ford expressed concern that the promised regeneration of the area around Olympic Park might be compromised by a need to sell off land quickly to satisfy Treasury demands in a period of record government borrowing.

In total, in acquiring the 250-acre Olympic Park site, the London Development Agency has spent more than $2 billion, half of which came from borrowings or national lottery money and is to be repaid.

Ford said: “I’ve had absolute commitment from all my shareholders in the government that we will have a debt repayment profile that will allow us to have time to plan and build value in the Park. I’m assured my ability to do the job will not be compromised by the burden of debt repayments.”

Open Weekend Marks Three Years To Opening Ceremony

London will mark the three-year point to its Opening Ceremony with an eclectic range of sports, arts and other events at its Open Weekend from Friday.

Young Londoners will be offered the chance to try water polo, diving and kayaking in Hayes, there will be hip hop dance and ballet at the South Bank arts center, circus displays in Woolwich, and a celebration of 700 years of history at Bow Church.

British Water Polo Wins Royal Approval

Prince William showed his support for British water polo at a tournament in Manchester. (Getty Images)Prince William, Queen Elizabeth’s grandson, was among the supporters at a women’s water-polo tournament staged in Manchester last week.

The Prince – who represented Scottish Universities at water polo when at college at St Andrew’s - watched Great Britain beat Slovakia 17-6 before meeting players and officials in a show of support for the sport ahead of the 2012 Olympics, where Britain’s men’s and women’s teams are hoping to qualify despite funding cuts announced last year.

“Water polo is very personal to me,” said Prince William. “I used to play regularly and it’s a fantastic game. It’s physical, competitive and really engaged me”.

Prince William’s uncle, the Earl of Wessex, has now taken over as President of the Central Council for Physical Recreation, the influential lobby group that represents all British sports bodies. Prince Edward succeeds his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen’s husband, who held the CCPR role for 58 years.

Prince Edward, the Queen’s youngest son and brother of IOC member Princess Anne, now holds two important posts in British sport, as he is also the head of England’s Commonwealth Games Council.

USA Track to Train in Birmingham

USA Track and Field has confirmed an agreement which will see its anticipated 200-strong athletics team have its training camp in Birmingham, England’s second city, ahead of the London Games. Birmingham, around 100 miles north of London, has pledged to improve the sports facilities, including Alexander Stadium, to meet American requirements.

Written by Steven Downes

For general comments or questions,

click here