Riviera Reporter
Riviera Reporter
THE FRENCH RIVIERA'S ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWS MAGAZINE
THE FRENCH RIVIERA'S ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWS MAGAZINE

Facebook Group

Facebook Page

News Today From Other Sources

France seeks help from allies to bolster security during Paris Olympics
France seeks help from allies to bolster security during Paris Olympics France has asked its foreign allies to send several thousand members of their security forces to help guard the Paris Olympics, officials said Thursday, underlining the strains caused by the sporting extravaganza which begins in July.
Podcast: France-Russia relations, hair discrimination, tax history
Podcast: France-Russia relations, hair discrimination, tax history How France's new hardline position on Russia marks a major shift away from decades of pro-Russia policies. The fight to make hair discrimination illegal. And why VAT – a tax introduced 70 years ago – is so important to French finances, despite being deeply unequal.
France takes down fake website inviting volunteers to 'enlist in Ukraine'
France takes down fake website inviting volunteers to 'enlist in Ukraine' French authorities have uncovered a website containing a fake recruitment drive for French volunteers to join the war in Ukraine, the defence ministry said on Thursday.
Off the deep end: France's love of swimming pools
Off the deep end: France's love of swimming pools With more than 3 million private swimming pools, France has more "piscines" than any other nation in Europe. We find out why the sector has been booming for years and how the government is using AI to crack down on illegal pools. We also look into the challenges, benefits and...
Why are we changing the clocks on Easter Sunday? Daylight Saving Time is set to commence on 31st March at 2am, the same day as Easter Sunday, which has come particularly early this year. We explain the reasoning behind both.
Sport, innovation and philanthropy to unite at first-ever Padel Best Expo The fresh new concept from Italian company BSG is essentially a celebration of all things Padel, a sport experiencing rapid international growth and a boom in popularity, through a blend of competitions, networking opportunities, exhibitions and social impact initiatives.
Exclusive: Mayor Flavio Di Muro discusses Ventimiglia’s renaissance powered by Monaco’s investments In an exclusive interview with Monaco Life, Mayor Flavio Di Muro discusses Ventimiglia’s incredible transformation from border town to luxurious international hub, powered by strategic investments from neighbouring Monaco.
Fluoroquinolones: Inquest into controversial antibiotic with serious side effects begins The investigation into fluoroquinolones was launched following a series of worrying patient reports about the side effects they had suffered. These include heart problems, neurological disorders and damage to nerves and tendons.

The French Riviera's English Language Magazine

The Olympics! “Wonderful Games”, okay, but the jury’s still out

Mo FarahOne of our readers – a fan of the FT’s Lucy Kellaway, the Pink ’Un’s excellent columnist – admitted that she’d got it wrong in a knocking piece about the Olympics published on the eve of the Games: “The biggest pile of hogwash I’ve ever written.” She suggests – our reader, that is – that we also need to fess up after our own repeated negative comments on the topic. Not so. Ms Kellaway had said that the London event would be a mess. We didn’t say that. Our point was that there are lessons to be drawn from “Olympomania” as observed – by me at first hand, I might say – in Atlanta, Athens and Sydney. Quite apart from how successful a particular Olympics are as a sporting competition, there’s a depressing syndrome which seems to accompany every edition: euphoria when a city gets awarded the Games, a lot of excitement as they approach and, as with Sydney, especially, much joyful backslap- ping at their “success”... and then an at first slowish but then accelerating period of disillusion and recrimination. No reason to think London will be spared that.

Of course, with Team GB doing so well – 65 medals (of which 29 Gold) – and many spectacular performances Seb Coe was right enough to speak of “wonderful games in a wonderful city” and for a time almost all Londoners seemed infused with the impulse, as urged by Eric Idle, “to look on the bright side of life”. But, we’d wager, this won’t last. Why? For three familiar reasons: first, when the final cost of the event is revealed, and especially in this time of austerity, there will be cause for some deep frowns (it’s still too early for a definitive accounting of London 2012); second, experience has shown that the predicted post-Games tourist boom is unlikely to happen, certainly on the scale some optimists imagine; third, the physical legacy of the Olympics usually fails to be much of an asset: Sydney’s Homebush has turned out to be a white elephant and – less of a surprise – Athens’ venues are rapidly becoming “modern Greek ruins”. And what about the much-vaunted regeneration of the area of East London where the Games were held? Even before the closing ceremony a BBC radio documentary was full of pessimistic voices. As one plaintive cockney put it, “If you ask me, people like us won’t be able to afford to stay here.”

Photo: London Youth Games Ltd