Sitting inside the Olympic Park is a “megastore” packed with Olympic branded goodies. Some garish, some surprisingly tasteful, including the canvas bags with 1948 posters on them – alas, a plastic style print transfer that wouldn’t last very long, and some obvious collectables.
As you enter, they try to hand you a shopping bag to make it easier to part with dollars, euros and pounds and judging by some of the bulging carrier bags I have seen on the Jubilee Line, they are doing a good trade in goodies.
But why spend your money on this year’s collectables, when you can be stocking up in preparation for the next Olympic games?
One of the Olympic Houses dotted around London has been set up by Brazil inside the basement of Somerset House. The country is hosting the Rio2016 Olympics. They are also already selling souvenirs, so I took the chance to add to my collection of mugs with a tasteful Olympics cup.
And fortunately, the Rio2016 logo is far more tasteful than the London effort.
It also meant I walked around London2012 yesterday with a Rio2016 Olympics bag, which appealed to my slightly twisted sense of humour.
Of course, this is the Olympics, so Rio2016 is a Visa only venue – although at least they are not claiming to be “proud” to only accept Visa, unlike their London counterparts.
I didn’t notice it at the time, but there is a paper slip inside the mug, and the text on that is quite funny in its exaggerated description of a “cup”.
This PhotoMug has been manufactured especially for you. Each mug is individually inspected to ensure you receive the best possible quality
This exceptional mug is the only mug of its kind that is guaranteed dishwasher and microwave oven safe As long as you don’t drop it, it will last you a lifetime!
This PhotoMug has been produced using the dye-sublimation print process which gives high quality images simply unobtainable by any other means.
Blimey! All that for just £8.
Stock up early, it’s only 1461 days, 10 hours, 8 minutes and 22 seconds until the next Olympic Opening Ceremony!
I’m not sure about that design, I think it looks a bit like a baby’s dummy. Especially the paralympics one.
You can also stock up early for the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi Park – but the prices are particularly painful.
Really liked Brazil’s art and design exhibition – but it really could have done with food and drink (something most of the Olympic houses we’ve visited have really neglected).
Went to Denmark and German Houses on Saturday. Denmark was pretty much Carlsberg and Danish Crown. Germany seemed less corporate and we had a bratwurst roll and pork roll (with crackling :) ) and a couple of German beers which were all very good.
Mandeville and Wendell are really growing on me. Have really enjoyed trying to find all their statues around London! Don’t think the Brazilian ones would be as versatile though they do look more stylish (or does Brazil have a mascot to go along with that logo?).
I’m keeping an eye on the 2012 auction site where they’re selling off used equipment from the Games. I picked up a few things from the Millennium Dome auction. Signed torches, used volley balls, javelins, relay batons. Shuttlecock anyone? If it’s from the China/Korea matches then they’re hardly used! The show jumping fences would be great in someone’s paddock, but I haven’t seen them on offer yet.
I’d skip the Sochi Park and instead go to the nearby Africa village. We went to the Sochi thing – they don’t seem content for you to wander through the description of their vision for the games but instead insist on sheperding you though like schoolchildren. You get an impressively slick AV thing on the forthcoming event while “your host” stands alongside – at the end HE clapped (!) even though he must have seen it hundreds of times and clearly expected us all to join in.
We made for the exits but couldn’t get out – had to make a bolt for a fire exit and then climb through a gap in the fence back to the fresh free air of Kensington Gardens. Might have been tempted to stay if a bare-chested Putin had done a twirl on his big motorbike – he’s in town I think. Great blog/site Ian.
Paul, I’d entirely agree about Sochi Park – a rather odd experience, although I evaded our guide before the final presentation so missed the clapping! I did have to sneak out of a side gate to freedom, though.