On Friday 8th May I decided to take a walk around the London Olympic Park (Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park) to see what it was like during lockdown. The park is just a 15-minute walk from my home, but crossing the junction of Ruckholt Road and Orient Way felt like breaching a major boundary. Temple Mills Lane, a rare survivor of the old pre-Olympic streetplan, was quiet. Two people hit balls against the wall of the Lea Valley Tennis and Hockey Centre. The Velodrome was closed but a dribble of cyclists were taking advantage of the outdoor track. The ghosts of the Eton Manor Sports Club and Eastway Cycle Track wafted in the air. Groups of people had socially distant kickarounds and some bold souls threw frisbees. A solitary security guard/park ranger went up to speak to clusters of people blatantly flouting the government restrictions which, were relaxed slightly 3 days later. The walk then continued beside the River Lea and pass back towards Hackney Marsh via East Wick and Here East.
You can also watch my most recent lockdown walk here.
We cycled through the Park last week and I was struck by how well the planting and landscaping was working. I think there is still quite a lot of maintenance needed but it is not as intense as would be the case if a more traditional model had been followed.
Given what a mess that area was pre-Olympics, the Park’s architects have done a good job and created a valued and much apppreciated public space.
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