Boris says awesome things...

I know it might still be two years away, but the prospect of the Olympics is starting to get a bit exciting, isn’t it?

Pre-registration for tickets started last week, with over half a million people having registered their interest already.  And this week, Boris has announced a package of measures aimed at turning London into one giant Olympic party for the duration of the Games.

Taking a leaf from the Vancouver approach, large parts of central London will be closed to traffic for the duration of the Olympics to create a sort of ‘party zone’ replete with banners and flags.  The area will be from Nelson’s Column to Leicester Square and Covent Garden.

There will also be four giant screens in the city where people can watch the Games for free.  100,000 complimentary tickets will be handed out every day for the sites at Hyde Park, Victoria Park, Jubilee Gardens and Potter’s Gate.

As the Telegraph reports, “Johnson and the other Olympic bosses know that engaging the locals and encouraging a spirit of national support for the athletes goes directly to the heart of whether the Games are judged a success or not.”

Air pollution is an item that’s been in the Mayor’s in-tray for quite some time now.  However, in conjunction with London boroughs and private landowners, the London Hydrogen Partnership (LHP) has announced that it is working to deliver “at least six refuelling stations” by 2012 to service hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Hydrogen vehicles emit no pollution during operation, only water vapour is emitted from the ‘exhaust’. In order to make the transport completely carbon neutral, the hydrogen fuel needs to be sourced from renewable sources. Once this can be achieved, the LHP believes that cities will see “huge benefits in improving air quality, cutting carbon emissions and reducing dependence of fossil fuels”.

Bozza explained the Science Bit, much like those white lab-coated ‘experts’ in shampoo adverts. “Harnessing low carbon technology is key to solving the pressing issues of energy security, cutting climate change emissions and improving air quality.

“We are ploughing millions into plans to encourage the widespread uptake of electric vehicles, to boost cycling, to expand the use of hybrid bus technology to make London a more pleasant and less polluted city.”

Clean air. Because we’re worth it…

A project run by the Young Foundation, First Political Memory “aims to reconnect people’s everyday lives with politics through collecting and sharing stories of when people first became aware of the bigger world around them.”

The First Political Memory website houses a collection of fascinating stories, hilarious anecdotes, and moving recollections of ordinary people as well as people in the public eye, from the United Kingdom and further afield.

Included on the site are recollections from both PM Gordon Brown and, of course, our own Boris. Whilst Gordo’s first political memory is of raising money with his brother for people in Africa at the age of 8, Bozza’s, typically, is much more entertaining. At the age of 10 (this would place it around the time of the IMF bail-out of the Labour Government in 1976) he painted a picture of the White Cliffs of Dover “complete with seagulls, buoys and drizzle. I pompously entitled this masterwork (in oils): England – home of the economic crisis”.

This week, London got its first new Olympic sized swimming pool in almost five decades.  Bozza was on hand to officially open the new Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Complex which also includes an outdoors 1930′s style lido and a state of the art gym.

The Mayor successfully managed to crowbar the name of the one swimmer he’s heard of into his comments. “This outstanding accessible sports complex is a real boost for everyone in the area whether you’re striving to be the next Mark Spitz or just trying to shift a few pounds and get a bit healthier before the sun arrives.”

When asked whether he wanted to test the new facilities out in person, Bozza was more reserved. “I can’t think of anything nicer than coming somewhere like this on bright Sunday afternoon and having a swim. Sadly, I don’t think people would take kindly to seeing me in my shorts.”

Oh, I don’t know. I think we’d pay good money to see BoJo in some funky surfwear, wouldn’t we…?

Speaking at a City Hall event this week, Bozza has waded into the eduction debate by using a speech to outline the importance of teaching certain key subjects in today’s society.  In this modern, technological age, what do you imagine the Mayor focused on as key to a child’s eduction?

That’s right: Latin.

Apparently, only around four per cent of state primary schools offer Latin, compared to 40 per cent in the independent sector. Boris therefore took the opportunity at a speech aimed at promoting the classics to call for a greater recognition of the language. “I firmly believe that we must not starve the minds of students eager to embrace the great intellectual disciplines of Latin,” he said.

OK, so it’s the precursor to many modern day European languages, but (from long experience) it is a bugger to learn and isn’t much use once you have mastered it. With no-one speaking it these days, difficile est tenere quae acceperis nisi exerceas.

Whilst Boris is clearly passionate about this subject, perhaps he should also remember the old Latin motto: ‘mutantur omnia nos et mutamur in illis’…..

Not only does Boris have to make decisions on a daily basis concerning the future of London, but an important part of his role is that he is also London’s representative whenever an important event comes round.

This week, Bozza has worn both of these hats.  Firstly, he has approved one of the biggest planning applications in London’s history to create a brand new ‘town’ at Brent Cross. The Mayor said on approving the scheme, “This is another great example of pushing ahead with major development and infrastructure improvements to create jobs, and boost the capital’s economic growth, while transforming the quality of life of thousands of Londoners. The scheme will bring a new vitality to a part of the capital in need of regeneration.”

Secondly, the Mayor gets to have a nice little jaunt to Cannes this week to fly the flag for London at Mipim, the property conference.  Along with representatives from other major cities, Bozza has to schmooze with the movers and shakers in the property business to secure as much investment as he can for the city.

Bozza will point to a survey of over 300 firms which indicates that ninety per cent of international companies are satisfied with London as a place to do business. This will be one of the main points of a speech BoJo will make at the Mipim conference this week.

Still, if you’re going to have to do property deals, you’re better off in Cannes than Brent Cross, right?

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Have you ever had a ‘superb but slightly surreal’ evening?

According to his Twitter page, that’s exactly what BoJo has experienced as the Mayor took part in a walk through the Thames Tunnel connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping. They’ve halted the East London line work, you see, in order to take 1500 people through the tunnel over the next couple of days. It’s over 140 years old and a lucky few will be able to walk through the tunnel before it starts carrying trains again.

Bozza said: “This is an entirely one off chance for the public to walk through the Thames Tunnel ahead of the reopening of the East London Line, which is running so well to time that we have been able to pause the works to allow for this moment in history.

“You cannot underestimate the importance of the pioneering engineering that went into the Thames Tunnel at the hands of Marc Isambard Brunel and his son, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. This tunnel is without doubt the forerunner to the tube and metros systems we know the world over and this is a great story of old and new London in tandem. What the legacy of this amazing tunnel, first of its kind, has taught us, is the need to always invest in transport infrastructure, the benefits of which are preserved for Londoners for generations to come.�

Some days, I imagine that Bozza’s life is just, well, a bit weird.

Take yesterday, for example. It began with him launching a competition whereby musicians or singers aged 16-25 can compete for the coveted prize of a year’s licence to busk on London Underground. It’s a great scheme, and last year’s winner James West is about to release his first record.

Boris (rather improbably) said, “As The View so purposely said on their album Hats off to the Buskers - it is high time we recognised how marvellous our buskers truly are. I’m searching for the finest act to join the myriad of talented musicians on the Underground.”

(Really? Do you think Boris is a huge fan of The View? Perhaps he has had the same jeans on, for four days now).

Then, after launching this competition and quoting album titles of popular beat combos, he met with HRH the Duchess of Cornwall. According to Bozza’s Twitter, HRH has ‘taken a keen interest in our Violence Against Women Strategy’, don’t you know.

Buskers and Bowles on the same day, eh?  Just another 24 hours in the life of the Mayor of London…

(Apologies for the quality of the picture, it’s taken directly from BoJo’s Twitter site).

I’m not sure Richard Whiteley would have stood for it.

Contestant: “I’ll have one from the top and five from anywhere else, please Carol.”

Carol: “Now you won’t.” *points finger* “You’ll have EXACTLY what I say….”

The Vorderman Question Time appearance debate rumbles on.  I’m glad it wasn’t just me who thought she was quite frightening, as the Daily Mail (of all people) seem to agree.  The Mail makes the great point that the one actual Tory on the panel, our Boris, seemed to be distancing himself from Vorderman, even though she is a Conservative advisor.

The Mail actually calls here ‘the new Sarah Palin’ which is about as damning an association as you can think of.  Who does that make Boris?  The new Obama?  The new McCain?

Anyway, other parties must be thinking twice about getting well known TV personalities to back their campaign.  Unconfirmed reports say that Labour have changed their mind about sending William G Stewart and Lorraine Kelly to represent them on this week’s Question Time, whilst the BNP have dropped Ainsley Harriott.  (Eh?  Oh.)