UK Book Club discussion

It's a once in a lifetime event and despite my innate northern cynicism, even I'm looking forward to them being in the UK even if I am already cheesed off with all the ads.....

Nice one, scouse.

I live in Croydon, which ain't too far from London, but I'm probably too lazy to actually bother going there.

Telly ftw

I'm mystified by all the fuss over it. I don't mind playing sports, but I've never been into watching other people do it. It's the same as I like eating out in good restaurants but have no interest in just watching other people do it.

I wish they'd stop pushing it so hard. The sponsorship deals they've got for it seem borderline offensive too.

I think the analogy is perhaps you eat in good restaurants cos you can't cook as well as a good chef. I love watching sport, but do find it bizarre that people become obsessed with a sport that they take no interest in the rest of the year. Wimbledon and Any Murray is perhaps the best example. I shall however be glued to the women's beach volleyball lol.

I was chatting with my husband about this, this morning. I've always been absolutely useless at sport, but enjoy watching most sports and usually look forward to the Olympics. Unfortunately, I feel a bit jaded about the whole thing - the torch relay seems to have been going on forever - feel fed up with hearing about it all every day. I wonder how other people who've hosted the Olympics felt in the run up.

Although I feel excited about the Games themselves, especially as they are being staged in this country, i do think there is a bit of overkill in some of the build up, with so many businesses, manufacturers and such like, who have at the best very tenuous links with sport, jumping on the band wagon.

It's the same with most things nowadays though I suppose, akin to starting to promote Christmas at the end of August!

Anyway, I'm hoping our Olympics are a huge success....im looking forward to it.

Fiona wrote: "To think we never appreciated the Hell each country who hosted the Olympics had to go through. All we had to do was sit down and watch it. NEVER AGAIN!!!

Why is it that we have the dumbest mascot ..."

"Olympic Moaning"! Oh yes:)
Actually, I really hope that all goes well once Friday comes.

Angela, in the small version of your profile pic, you look like a tennis player.

The missus and I are heading over shortly, hoping to get tickets to a couple of events. Otherwise will enjoy the coverage and visit family..

I am not looking forward to it at all I hate all sport! Since living on my own I have not had any news programme on or sports! I have no idea what is going on in the world unless I spot something on a headline on the internet start up page or a patient's family has the news on at 10pm when I arrive. I don't read a newspaper either. Our roads have all been altered for the sailing at Weymouth and have apparently caused chaos long before the start of the extra olympic traffic. Glad to say I don't live down that area but it has stopped me visiting places along the coast.

My TV watching is limited as it is with all the sport on all channels at the momment and it will only get worse. I really begrudge paying for the licence as the rest of the progs on are all repeats!

Thank god for my library!

When I went to buy a train ticket to Cardiff I was told it was an extra £20 as one of the first Olympic events would be on!

Michael wrote: "Angela, in the small version of your profile pic, you look like a tennis player."

Nooo! Hahaha!! More like champion wine sipper:)

I cant wait
i have always loved the Olympics I will watch sport that will never look at for another 4 years and pretend to be expert in all of them!!
Did not apply for tickets as knew would be working them. Glad security has been highlighted as army will do it properly rather than cut costs with private,profit is all company.
I am day off ( at moment ) for mens Triathlon so will go and see that.
Thought the flame would be rubbish BUT surely 12,000,000 people cant be wrong!
Get behind it watch a couple of odd sports and you may find you like it
Not much reading for me over next month Yes Paralympics caught my imagination to this time. dont see disability now just pure athletes
Bob
Remember I am a super skeptic

Join the club Bob - even this skeptic is excited. I'm just hoping either Stephen Fry or Phil Mitchell lol gets to light the flame. Neither will happen I know, but I can dream........and Angela, now that's a sport I could still be competitive in.

Robert wrote: "Thought the flame would be rubbish BUT surely 12,000,000 people cant be wrong!"

lol - I'm not commenting on the flame (didn't see any of that) but just the logic used there. I don't think there is any law governing how many people can be wrong about something. For example there are over 100 million members of the Communist Party in China (a lot more if you look at the PRC's figures), but I still think they are all misguided.

I still don't understand why the opening ceremony is a couple of days after the games started. (Sorry if I get GR into trouble for using "the games" without a licence from LOCOG).

Maybe football should not be in as poor lovies obviously need more rest so can't fit in 2 weeks. Football prob only sport where very best not there. Know you will argue boxing. But couple of good boxers come out of Olympics. Frazier,Holmes,Sugar ray. Oh some bloke called Ali

Go Anthony Joshua I say - the next - well in several years....heavyweight champion of the worrrrrrrrrrrrrrld.

Robert wrote: "Maybe football should not be in as poor lovies obviously need more rest so can't fit in 2 weeks. Football prob only sport where very best not there. Know you will argue boxing. But couple of good b..."

I've no idea why football is in there anyway. Aren't there enough football competitions each year anyway (I'm with David Mitchell on that one!)?

Yes I'm proud that we are hosting the olympics and am very aware that it is a once in a lifetime event for our country but really, this has been overdone with advertising, I would have thought the sponsors would have been more appropriate than at least be something that promotes healthier living. I may watch the odd bit (a couple of events that I watch everytime) but that's it. As I say to my hubby every time, this is a good time to catch up on those little jobs we keep putting off and for me to reduce my tbr list a little

I just dont care, truly...

If anything I find it irritating... AND if I have to listen to Boris Johnson ONE MORE time tell me to check my travel plans when I am enroute to wherever I am going, I might just storm city hall and do some mischief......

Shush, woman!

The opening ceremony has been great so far.

I'm in Olympic heaven. Cheered on Team GB at Old Trafford last night - the atmosphere and support was truly brilliant.

It's definitely a once in a lifetime thing, am looking forward to going to London to catch some of the tennis next week.

The games will inspire a generation, gold medals will hopefully give the country a feel good factor and perhaps give the economy a kick up the backside.

I've loved the Britishness and humour of the opening ceremony - the Queen with James Bond - classic lol!

Watching the ceremonies from the West Coast of Canada and have been very impressed. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to visiting for the next few weeks..

Brilliant opening ceremony.......Danny Boyle take a bow...and I loved the Arctic Monkeys, an unexpected treat.

Loved the opening ceremony:)

Great. Start of what I saw. Flame was amazing!!!

Now for the first gold medal - come on Cav.

So glad I had a nightshift, I couldn't think of anything worse than watching it all day and night.

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "So glad I had a nightshift, I couldn't think of anything worse than watching it all day and night."
Lynne never heard you so negative about something.

I'm on my hols at mum's. Gorgeous sunny day but we have to watch the Olympics! now her laptop won't turn on & is performing a 'march' test, it's taken over an hour so far!

@Bob, I am not usually I just hate sport on all the channels with constant repeats between them for non sport fans. For nearly £150 a year for a licence I don't feel I get good value for my money!

In the days when it was just the three main channels, ie BBCs 1 & 2 and ITV (yep, even before Channel 4 and Five), wall to wall sport was rather unfair on those not interested.

But now you can watch endless repeats of Last of the Summerwine, Big Brother, various CSI, Marple etc on lots of free channels - just hit the change channel button to get away from the sport!

Loved the Olympics opening ceremony - particularly the Queens entrance video and the children's literature segment.

I will now join Lynne in my complete indifference to the rest of the event. Thank good I've got lost of Mad Men and NCIS to watch.

@Helen whats a 'march' test - does the laptop grow little legs and run around the room?

I have no idea! It didn't recognise the battery & then went into 90 mins of testing before turning off. I think the battery died. Now I'm scared of turning it on in case I have to pay for a new one!

Weenie wrote: "In the days when it was just the three main channels, ie BBCs 1 & 2 and ITV (yep, even before Channel 4 and Five), wall to wall sport was rather unfair on those not interested.

But now you can wat..."

Yes loads of lovely channels but still sod all new to watch! I don't want to watch repeat after repeat, seen them don't want to watch again thanks. And as for Big Brother, who wants to watch shouting matches and snoring contestants for hours on end? Not me! I want something new.

I feel quite cheered by having to not see a single bit of it so far, I felt this way about the jubilee and royal wedding too, know it makes me sounds really grumpy, but I'm not HONEST!!!

thankfully I have been saving the last ever series of House for such dire emergencies as this, and due to a small downscale in working hours for august , I can go to the theatre a tad more, and move into my local cinema should I so require.
If I get a gagging order on all my friends who have tickets, I can pretend they are not really happening.....

Only going to watch Big Brother if it involves:-
a) a serial killer or
b) a tank of piranahs or a great white to eat the person voted out.

Lynne wrote:"I want something new. "

The Olympics in London is something new...!

I was using Big Brother to illustrate the dross that's usually on the various channels so for the next 3 weeks, there's actually something worth watching!

At the end of the day, you can always turn off the telly and have a Good Read! ;-)

@Weenie - My tv hardly goes on with or without the olympics - I tend to sit in my library or conseratory and read or listen to an audio book an draw or knit.

I find the Olympics growing on me since I discovered the Ladies beach Volleyball.

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "@Weenie - My tv hardly goes on with or without the olympics - I tend to sit in my library or conseratory and read or listen to an audio book an draw or knit."

I'm much like you Lynne, when it comes to TV....I honestly rarely watch it....my Daughters are always telling me about certain series they like, and it puzzles them that I'm just not interested.
I watch a couple of movies each week, and an odd cookery programme or documentary, but that's about it....
I do like to keep up with the Olympics though....my husband has the sports channels on constantly when he's home....I am very good at not noticing it....but I find myself listening to Olympic stuff.

Deanne wrote: "Only going to watch Big Brother if it involves:-
a) a serial killer or
b) a tank of piranahs or a great white to eat the person voted out."

Thank you, someone else shares my view about it being the biggest load of twaddle ever, I went as far as to ban my dh watching it whil I was in the house, he was basically restricted to when I was at work or out.

Is Big Brother still running? I thought they announced it's final show several years ago. Why do people watch it?!

Paul wrote: "Is Big Brother still running? I thought they announced it's final show several years ago. Why do people watch it?!"

I was overjoyed when Channel 4 announced they were ditching it and then some idiot at Channel 5 thought it was sooooo good that they would start it. (explains a lot of the mind numbing programmes, all hail books and lets ditch the goggle box)

I have to say I wasn't that fussed. I was bored with all the hype but I have seen some of the events though. I do prefer the short ones:)

Kimberley wrote: "Paul wrote: "Is Big Brother still running? I thought they announced it's final show several years ago. Why do people watch it?!"

I was overjoyed when Channel 4 announced they were ditching it and ..."

Indeed.

Niall wrote: "I find the Olympics growing on me since I discovered the Ladies beach Volleyball."

And what part would that be Niall lol??? Know what you mean though. Funny how they've put it on at Horseguards so Cameron can watch it out of his back window.

When you start watching the olympics you start getting involved, at least I'm starting too. Never watched BB, don't do soaps or reality tv - too boring.

Deanne wrote: "Only going to watch Big Brother if it involves:-
a) a serial killer or
b) a tank of piranahs or a great white to eat the person voted out."

This sounds like a goer for Celebrity BB - can we decided who goes in the house?

@Niall I know what you mean - this important and highly strategic sport should surely get more BBC coverage.

Beach volleyball does nothing for me, do like watching the male swimmers and water polo, not sure what it is about them.

BB maybe we should start a poll, might need to build a bigger house, or if we're going with literature maybe Ballard's High Rise could be an inspiration.