Posts tagged "Opening"

London 2012 Olympics: Danny Boyle’s Shakespeare theme for £81m opening ceremony

• Hollywood director Danny Boyle chooses Shakespeare theme for £81m opening spectacular
• 27-ton bell inspired by Shakespeare will form the centrepiece of £27m opening ceremony
• Hundreds of NHS nurses and schoolchildren will be involved in event
• 20,000 performers will take part in Olympic and Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies

By Emily Andrews

Last updated at 1:43 AM on 28th January 2012

The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will feature a performance by hundreds of nurses, it was revealed yesterday.

Artistic director Danny Boyle – the Oscar-winning director behind Slumdog Millionaire – said he wanted to celebrate everything that was ‘unique and special’ to the British Isles…including the National Health Service.

Europe’s biggest bell will be specially made to ring in the start of London 2012.

Our turn next: Mark Foster of the Great Britain Olympic men’s swim team carries his country’s flag to lead out the delegation during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics

The 27-ton bell will be a feat of engineering and twice the weight of Big Ben.

Mr Boyle said the ceremony will be called ‘Isles of Wonders’ after a speech in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest.

More than anything, he said, he wanted it to be a ‘people’s Games’ and to try to capture the very particular, and sometimes peculiar, British sense of humour.

A sense of humour that has, at times, been tested by the spiralling budget for the Olympic ceremonies – last month it doubled to £81million.

At the vast rehearsal studios in East London Mr Boyle gave a small glimpse of what 80,000 spectators and millions of TV viewers can expect on July 27.

The biggest ringing bell in Europe has been commissioned and will hang at one end of the stadium.
It will ‘ring in’ the start of the Games and will be inscribed with Caliban’s line from The Tempest ‘Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises’.

Shakespeare, NHS and schoolchildren will be at the centre of the Olympic Opening Ceremony display, Danny Boyle, pictured, revealed today

The half-man, half-monster Caliban is devoted to the island on which he lives – and Mr Boyle hopes to mirror that pride and patriotism in the ceremony.

Indeed he seemed to be rather keen on monsters – he said that last year’s production of Frankenstein at the National Theatre had allowed him to practise lots of ideas.

So perhaps we’ll see lots of prosthetics, green paint and pantomime costumes alongside runners from Kenya and gymnasts from Russia.

Another theme will be the cleansing and recovery of poisoned land – after the Olympic park site was cleaned of all its industrial pollutants.

Greatest show on earth: The spectacular Opening Ceremony in Beijing in the Bird’s Nest Stadium four years ago

One certainty is that there’ll be lots of flying – and flowers. A flying system that can lift 25 tons, the equivalent of five elephants, has been installed in the main stadium to enable some impressive aerial acrobatics.

And Sebastian Coe, chairman of London 2012, dropped another hint by saying whenever he popped down to see rehearsals he kept tripping over buckets of flowers.

So it will be noisy, acrobatic, colourful and floral. What else?

Well, the only other confirmed part was that nurses will have a starring role in one ‘sequence’ as the NHS is one of the things that is ‘unique about us…along with our sense of humour’.

Featuring with them will be some 900 children from the six Olympic host boroughs who have been auditioning in recent weeks.

No details of performers were revealed – but again a hint that ‘everyone’ wants to take part. But we can expect the spectacular. And the unexpected.

Asked if the fear of technology going wrong had ensured they play safe, executive producer Stephen Daldry implied they would be pushing boundaries. He said: ‘The idea of jeopardy is one of the great fantastic tensions of the evening.’

Mr Boyle said only about a third of the budget would be spent on the opening ceremony, which was much less than the £65million the Chinese spent at Beijing 2008.

He said: ‘You are standing on the shoulders of giants when you do this kind of job. You cannot but live in the shadow of your predecessors.

Countdown: Sebastian Coe, Boris Johnson and David Cameron discuss the six-month countdown to the Olympic games in Davos yesterday

‘The spectacle of Beijing was just breathtaking. The sheer beauty of Athens is very inspiring but I have to say that Sydney has inspired us. It got the feel of a people’s Games right.

‘It is inevitable that people will compare us – and that is fine.

‘I think there is a sea change and we are lucky enough to be setting it. It will be spectacular but the reduction in scale is inevitable.’

London 2012 said it will release more details of the opening in the run-up to the Games to give people a flavour of what to expect.

Mr Boyle said he would have preferred to keep everything a ‘surprise’ but that was impossible when everyone ‘films everything on their mobiles’.

Estimates suggest the advertising spend during the ceremony, which will last three hours, could be worth £2billion globally.

News | Mail Online

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Toddler’s arm ripped off by washing machine after opening door

• Boy, 3, was able to reach inside while machine was mid-cycle
  
• His mother: ‘I can’t believe he was able to open the door so easily. It was terrifying. I’m devastated’
• Trading Standards officers are examining the rented machine as part of their investigation

By Liz Hull

Last updated at 11:56 PM on 12th October 2011

Horror: Rachel Wrench, 24, with son Lewis who lost his arm after getting opening the door of a Creda 800 washing machine in the family kitchen in Crewe

A boy of three lost his arm after he managed to climb inside a washing machine during its spin cycle.

Lewis Lightfoot appears to have been trying to help his mother, Rachel Roberts, do the laundry when he suffered the horrific injury.

The door should have remained locked because the machine was switched on but somehow Lewis managed to open it and get inside.

Miss Roberts, 24, found the traumatised youngster screaming in pain in a pool of blood.

Lewis was taken to hospital but doctors were unable to save his arm, which was ripped off just below his shoulder. ‘When I rushed in, the machine was still going. I switched it off and scooped him up and ran screaming to my neighbours,’ said Miss Roberts, a full-time mother-of-four.

‘There was blood everywhere. When I asked him about what had happened he said, “I opened the door and went round and round and round and I banged my head and then my arm fell off”.

‘My daughter Kadie, who is five, came in and saw the state he was in. She’s been very traumatised.

‘I can’t believe he was able to open the door so easily. It was terrifying. I’m devastated.’ Lewis spent eight days in hospital following the accident at his home in Crewe last month.

A friend of Miss Roberts retrieved Lewis’s severed arm and immediately put it on ice but doctors were unable to reattach it. Lewis, who has had three operations so far, is expected to be fitted with a prosthetic limb.

Recovering: Lewis, who has just turned three, may need further surgery after losing his arm in a horrific accident

The front-loading Creda 800 washing machine was rented by Miss Roberts two years ago. It has been taken away by trading standards officials. ‘Overall Lewis has been fine, he’s been very brave,’ said Miss Roberts, whose partner, Terry Lightfoot, 25, a removals driver, was out at the time.

‘He was left-handed but he’s been getting on really well with just his right arm.’

Friends have rallied round and are organising a fundraising event and sponsored bungee jump for Lewis this Saturday.

Miss Roberts, who has two other children, Leon, seven, and Kelvin, four, thanked the emergency  services for their help.

She added: ‘Everyone was absolutely amazing and we’re really grateful to them all.’

News | Mail Online

‘I went round and round and my arm fell off’: Toddler’s arm ripped off by washing machine after opening door

By Louise Boyle

Last updated at 11:22 AM on 12th October 2011

A toddler’s arm was ripped off by a washing machine after he opened the door while it was mid-cycle. 

Lewis Wrench, who has just turned three, had wandered into the kitchen and managed to open the door of the front-loading unit while it was still running and reach inside.

His mother Rachel Wrench, 24, was in the living room at their home in Crewe when she heard her son’s screams.

Traumatic: Lewis Wrench, three, from Crewe, lost his arm because of a washing machine accident

The mother-of-four found him covered in blood with his arm still inside the machine. The boy was taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool but doctors were unable to save the arm, which was torn off just below his shoulder.

Ms Wrench said: ‘When I asked him about what had happened he said ”I opened the door and went round and round and then my arm fell off”’.’

‘When I rushed in, the machine was still going. I switched it off and scooped him up and ran screaming to my neighbours.

‘There was blood everywhere. It was horrible seeing him like that. My daughter Kadie came in and saw the state he was in. She’s been very traumatised.

‘I can’t believe he was able to open the door so easily. It was terrifying. I’m devastated.’

The washing machine, which Rachel rents, had been in the house since 2009 and Trading Standards are investigating the cause of the incident.

Brave: Mother-of-four Rachel Wrench, 24, and her son Lewis who had his arm ripped off after the washing machine at their home in Crewe opened during the cycle

The traumatic ordeal took place at 11.30am on September 11 a week after Lewis’s third birthday.

Miss Wrench said: ‘Overall Lewis has been fine and he’s been very brave. He was left-handed but he’s been getting on really well with just his right arm.’

The child may have to undergo further surgery and will eventually be fitted with a prosthetic arm.

Friends and family have organised fundraising events for the toddler. His mother said: ‘He’d love to go to Disneyland and we’ll need to buy specialist equipment for Lewis.’

Miss Wrench, who has three other children, Leon, seven, Kadie, five, and four-year-old Kelvin  thanked the emergency services for their help.

She added: ‘Everyone was absolutely amazing and we’re really grateful to them all. The police have also been trying to raise money for him.’

News | Mail Online

Westfield Stratford City opening: Ceiling tile shatters yards from Boris Johnson

• Pixie Geldof and Nicole Scherzinger launch glittering east London site as London Mayor Boris Johnson cuts ribbon
• Shock as glass ceiling tile crashes down into food court yards from Mayor
  
• Scroll down for the full list of 268 shops and eateries

By Claire Bates and Deborah Arthurs

Last updated at 8:54 PM on 13th September 2011

The launch of a £1.4bn shopping centre set to be the Olympic gateway was hit with unwelcome drama this afternoon as a glass ceiling tile dislodged itself and plummeted 30ft to the floor of the food court.

The 5ft by 2.5ft tile crashed to the ground near a stage at the Westfield Stratford mall where pop star Nicole Scherzinger had just performed live as part of the star-studded opening ceremony, shattering into pieces yards away from London Mayor Boris Johnson.

As staff rushed to clear up the debris and secure the area, Mr Johnson, who had been giving a radio interview at the time, escaped unhurt and brushed off the incident, barely missing a beat before he praised the hard work and competence of the site’s construction team.

Close shave: Boris Johnson giving an interview moments before a large ceiling tile crashed to the floor yards from where he stood for the opening of Westfield’s new shopping centre in Stratford

Debris: Staff clear away the dust and fragments left by the falling tile

‘They have worked flat-out down here and whatever has happened over there (where the roof tile fell), I’m sure will be investigated and cleared up as soon as possible,’ he said.

Christian Radnedge, a reporter from Soccer and Olympic News, was standing near Mr Johnson when the ceiling panel fell.

He said: ‘Boris was speaking to broadcast people at the time and I was there. All of a sudden the panel just came crashing down with a loud bang about 10 metres from Boris.

‘He looked confused and shocked, everyone was shocked. The people sitting nearby on the tables were petrified.”

Shock: Workers rush to clear up the debris after a glass ceiling tile falls 30ft to crash into the food court below

A Westfield spokeswoman said: ‘We have had an absolutely fantastic launch today with shoppers turning up in their thousands to watch an incredible performance by global superstar Nicole Scherzinger.

‘After the performance had finished and guests had moved on to a different part of the centre, a ceiling tile fell on to an empty part of the mall.

‘No-one was touched and the area has already been cleared.’

Earlier, excited screams filled every inch of the newly launched mall as the gleaming megalith flung its glossy doors open to an eager public.

Hysteria: Excitement reached fever pitch as Nicole Scherzinger performed to the gathered crowds

Get shopping: Flanked by Westfield’s directors, London Mayor Boris Johnson cuts the ribbon, declaring the centre open

Congratulations: Boris Johnson applauded the efforts of the team who ‘worked so hard’ to get the shopping centre off the ground

Sultry stars: Singer Nicole Scherzinger, left, Kelly Brook and Pixie Geldof with Nick Grimshaw

If Britain is in the grip of a recession, there was no sign of it in E20 as thousands pushed through the glass doors with wallets at the ready to explore the much-hyped halls of the east London shopping centre.

Hysteria reached fever pitch as Pixie Geldof and Nick Grimshaw welcomed the masses, calling Johnson on to the stage to cut the ribbon and declare the centre open.

TWITTER USERS ON WESTFIELD…

‘So, everyone must run to westfield in stratford for what? Like there’s any new stores that have been created from mars?’ MeMeMePoet

‘Hard to believe there’s an economic slowdown. Stratford Westfield is chaos, serious crowd issues’ hwallop

‘*Screams* westfield is coming to stratford yaaaassssss! Goodbye west end its been emotional ’ officialnaynay 

‘Before your bus enters Westfield Stratford City, a security guard nips aboard to check there are no bombs inside (honest)’ diamondgeezer

‘I actually hate the location of Westfield in East London, make no sense and is perverse like the amount of betting shops in East also.’ FunkButcher

‘Made me laugh that parts of the roof of westfield stratford are already falling off on day one. Good builders are hard to find in London!’ Annbag72

Westfield Stratford City < love it!! Its so nice and big and clean, and I love that fact it has ‘forever 21′!! Love that store! Kissanttell

Ex-Pussycat Doll and U.S. X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger took to the stage and, as the strains of her voice rang out into the furthest reaches of the packed mega-mall, the crowd – teenagers, middle-aged men and grannies alike – were whipped into a state of fervour.

It was a stellar unveiling of what is the commercial jewel in the crown of the Olympic development – a temple of chrome and carrier bags containing 300 shops ranging from Primark to Prada within 1.9million sq ft.

And this morning, its launch certainly befitted its status as the largest urban shopping centre in Europe.

Shoppers took to social networking site Twitter to express their disbelief at the crowds who had descended on the centre.

‘Hard to believe there’s an economic slowdown. Stratford Westfield is chaos, serious crowd issues,’ said one.

‘So many people here, it’s amazing, what recession?’ another queried.

Some were critical – in particular of the decision to locate what will be the UK’s largest casino on the site.

‘I actually hate the location of Westfield in East London, makes no sense and is perverse, like the amount of betting shops in East also,’ said one.

‘Why do we need more gambling in East London?’ another asked.

But others remained positive – with one local from Westfield’s new home, the borough of Newham, saying they welcome the shopping centre with open arms.

Olympic gateway: Shoppers walk to the newly opened Westfield Stratford City shopping centre across the bridge that will take Games visitors to events in 2012

Busy: A steady stream of customers arrived to explore the new shopping centre

Big impact: Stores in the new shopping centre feature impressive window displays on a scale not often possible on the High Street

‘I don’t know why people are complaining about people going to the new Westfield. As someone from Newham I think its a positive thing for our community,’ Emmanuella Jukz said. 

Another was even more enthusiastic, saying: ‘*Screams* Westfield is coming to Stratford yaaaassssss! Goodbye west end its been emotional.’

TV presenter Nick Grimshaw and model Pixie Geldof hosted the event, while Kelly Brook spent the day at the New Look store, meeting and greeting customers young and old.

Queues had formed by 8am this morning, hours before Westfield opened its doors, with long lines outside shops offering giveaway bags such as U.S. chain Forever 21, Topshop and adidas.

Shoppers were welcomed into the stores themselves at 10am.

Extensive: The store accommodates 300 shops, including a large John Lewis, top left, and M&S, bottom left, as well as a Waitrose

Waiting patiently: Hordes queue to be allowed entry into the shopping centre ahead of the first day trading

Crowds gather: Press and the public jostle for space as doors open at Westfield Stratford City today

Ready, steady, shop! Excitement builds in Stratford as Europe’s biggest urban shopping mall opens

Olympic and Paralympic athletes made an appearance at the store to sign autographs marking the shopping centre’s role as ‘gateway’ to the Olympic Park and Athletes’ Village ahead of the 2012 games.

Olympic medallist Colin Jackson launched the first Lloyds TSB branch since 2004 and customers were able to have their photo taken with the 2012 Olympic Torch.

Olympic synchronised swimmer Jenna Randall and rower Andy Triggs-Hodge were also signing autographs when they opened Next’s new store.

Large digital screens placed around the centre – which cost £1.4billion – will show the main sporting events during the Olympics as well as travel updates and news.

Big attraction: Queues form outside the second UK branch of Forever 21 inside the complex

Boris Johnson said: ‘Westfield’s Stratford City project is setting the pace for the transformation of east London. It is one of the most important legacies of the 2012 Olympics.

‘It will create 18,000 jobs and, as a result of Westfield’s investment, have some of the most modern additions to London’s public transport infrastructure.’

The retail behemoth is ‘anchored’ by a 240,000 sq ft John Lewis department store, a 32,000 sq ft Waitrose supermarket, and a 200,000 sq ft Marks & Spencer.

John Lewis are keen to appear more innovative at their first London outlet for 20 years, and customers will be able to test a range of technology and electricals before they buy.

Managing director Andy Street said: ‘We’re not investing for one year, we are investing for 50 years and probably more.

‘We are very confident that Stratford will become the natural retail destination for this part of London.

‘We have no fears about opening this store, we are really confident that this will be a really successful regional mall.

‘What makes me so sure of this is because if you look at east London there is no main centre for it at all, unlike west London which has a choice. It’s a catchment waiting to be served.’

Marks & Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland cut the ribbon to open the third largest M&S in the UK.

He said: ‘I think on site we need to be positive and celebrate the good things we have. This is certainly one of the good things we have in the country.’

Customers exhausted by shopping will be able to sit down in one of the 70 cafes and restaurants. These will include both a McDonald’s and a KFC (which were deemed too down-market for Westfield London in White City).

However, it will also launch ‘The Great Eastern Market’, which will include a sprinkling of independent fresh food providers in an attempt to create a Borough Market vibe.

For entertainment there is a 17-screen 3D Vue cinema and a 14-lane bowling alley. From December, Stratford City will also include a huge branch of Aspers, which will be the UK’s largest casino – a controversial choice for a regeneration project.

Those who can’t bear to leave these consumer delights can stay in one of the 617 rooms in three on-site hotels – including a 4-star Holiday Inn, executive Staybridge Suites and Premier Inn.

The launch of the mega mall follows on from the surprising success of Westfield London, opened in 2008, which welcomed 23million visitors in its first year and has shown 20 per cent annual growth despite the economic gloom.

Stratford looks set to continue the trend with 96 per cent of retail spaces already let.

Remember where you left it? The Westfield car park has 5,000 spaces

Westfield promoters say the Stratford branch has ‘unrivalled connectivity’ pointing out that 4.1million people with a spending power of £3.2billion live within a 45-minute drive.

The granite structure was built on former disused railway land and the company has ploughed £150million into public transport.

The centre, which is based in the deprived borough of Newham, will also provide 10,000 permanent retail jobs, including 2,000 put aside for the local unemployed.

Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham, said: ‘When we granted outline planning permission for Westfield Stratford City in 2005, we knew it would benefit the borough.

‘Westfield represents more than just bricks, mortar and fabulous shops and restaurants, it has been instrumental in helping us to transform the lives of our residents by providing them with employment and jobs that they can turn into fulfilling and rewarding careers.’

However, nearby retailers say they fear they may lose their livelihoods as experts say local high streets and other shopping centres north of the Thames will suffer.

The developers have also worked hard to try and avoid accusations of damaging the local environment.

In the beginning: The first Westfield shopping centre opened in Blacktown, Sydney in 1959. It was built next to a newly electrified major railway station

A spokesman said the buildings are at least 10 per cent more energy efficient than required by building regulations by using natural light, effective insulation and maximising the effect of solar heating.

The waste management system will recycle or recover 50 per cent of the retail waste, while many of the roofs have been designated as ‘brown roofs’ to encourage wildlife.

An on-site combined cooling, heat and power plant will provide 75 per cent of the enormous electrical power that Westfield will consume.

The first Westfield, given the name ‘Westfield Place’, was opened by Australian businessmen John Saunders and Frank Lowy in the suburbs of Sydney in 1959 and boasted 12 shops, two department stores and a supermarket.

Now 43 years later, the property developers have seen their humble beginnings go global, their incredible success topped by the opening of this, the largest urban shopping centre in Europe.

News | Mail Online

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Ultimate Electronics to close less than six months after opening

Ultimate Electronics to close less than six months after opening
McALLEN — When Winter Texans Karen and Dennis Nelson drove by Ultimate Electronics on Expressway 83, they were surprised to see that the store was going out of business. “We were driving by and we thought, ‘Jeez we’re sure that’s the same…

Pa. electronics retailer’s competitor heads back to Jersey
It’s time for a victory dance at Bob & Ron’s World Wide Stereo, the $ 12-million-a-year custom retailer that got a big scare in May 2009.

Samsung Enters New Product Market with Introduction of A3 Multifunction Printers
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Samsung Electronics America Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation, today announced its much-anticipated entrance into the A3 printer market – the MultiXpress CLX-9350ND and CLX-9250ND multifunction color printers and the MultiXpress SCX-8040ND and SCX-8030ND mono printers. Supporting throughput of up to 12-inches by 18-inches, Samsung’s A3 …