Today's local trivia

This morning I looked for Obama's helicopter as it departed for the G20 Summit. Sadly, I missed it. However, I saw him coming home this evening at 8.14pm, followed by several other aircraft. For the last few hours we've had helicopter's continually circling the neighbourhood. They're clearly on patrol and its becoming rather annoying.

Tomorrow the President departs for Stanstead Airport where Air Force One has been parked since Tuesday. He's off to France for NATO's 6oth anniversary summit. I had to laugh on Monday when Ryanair, a budget airline based at Stansted, proudly boasted that the President of the United States prefers uses the same airport as itself.


On to more mundane matters. Last September I reported that escalators at our local tube station were being refurbished. At the time we were told the first escalator would be back in service by December. However it's still out of action. Posters have recently appeared in the ticket hall advising that the work won't end until May, five months behind schedule. A second escalator will then be out of service until September.

I've also noticed that the refurbishment is now considered part of London's preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games. I guess we'll see more of this as the opening day draws closer. The Jubilee Line terminates at Stratford where the Olympic Stadium is rapidly rising (you can see it above). If all goes according to plan, the upgrade will finish at the end of this year, increasing the line's capacity by a third and reducing journey times by almost a quarter.

However, if our escalator is any indication we could be waiting a while longer. Public works never seem to finish on schedule in the UK. You have to wonder if London really will be ready on time for the Olympics.