They’ve gone. That glorious legion of 2012 Olympic and Paralympic athletes. For a month they transformed London and transfixed the
world. On Monday, one day after the Paralympic flame was extinguished, Londoners filled the streets to cheer teams in a victory parade and bid farewell. There was a final flypast, the incorrigible Boris waved his arms once more. Then the forklifts moved in.
Fleets of forklifts arrived at the various venues to remove bleachers and clean up. At Horse Guards Parade where Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor won gold the sand is gone and horses have returned. At Stratford, football teams are jostling for keys to the Olympic Stadium space.
But not so fast. For those who still want a piece of the action, Remains of the Games, a website selling furnishing and memorabilia from the Olympics is one of the hottest and most Twittered about things in town. Almost all of the 6,900 Olympic Village Green Beanbags are already gone, along with furnishings, some designed by Conran, from the athletes village. One bed is destined for Romania – who knows if a gold medal winner slept there. Other hot items are tennis balls, traffic cones with “sticker of authentication” and ‘rugs” of fake grass used in the opening ceremony.
For more traditional shoppers Barbour is doing a brisk trade in its famous waxed jackets, a fave of the Royal Family.”Shooting or Fishing madam?” enquired a helpful assistant as a woman riffled intently through the racks. “Nah, just running around New York City looking stylish,” was the response. “I see,” the uncomprehending response.
At Fortnum and Mason, prime purveyor of upscale groceries, Jubilee and Olympic tea caddies are gone and Santa has been busy. Stepping out of the elevator on the 4th floor its all about winter wonderland. Overnight he descended the chimney and installed trees, ornaments, and fireplaces groaning with icicles all to the accompaniment of Jingle Bells and Rockin around the Christmas tree.
So Autumn is in the air. Mo Farrar has taken time off to be with newborn twins, Prince Harry is in Afghanistan, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in South East Asia and The Queen still in Scotland. Boris, is peddling back on his Boris Bike to his mayoral office, The Mansion House, and its time to regroup. But it was Boris, of course, who had the last word at the parade on Monday. “What an amazing summer and we got more gold medals than the French!”
