The London 2012 Olympics were quite an event. Living in East London, our lives were directly impacted by all of it - both negatively through construction, security checks, and certain regeneration projects that felt more like an attempt to eradicate local history and positively by getting extra infrastructure and a renewed sense of excitement in an otherwise often downtrodden area. What legacy have the Olympics left on my life? None whatsoever. I admit to being a bit of a grumpy old woman about it all. Bah, humbug I say.
But that doesn’t mean that I’m not glad the games happened. They inspired what I feel is a great piece of music. A friend of mine lives in Hackney Wick, an area directly adjacent to the Olympic park. After living so close to the spectacle and experiencing the impact first hand, he put his feelings into a song titled “The Competitor and the Rival”. I love it so much, I feel it warrants sharing. So, if anyone is out there reading this conversation between me and myself, have a listen. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
