From Hackney With Love

Hello Everyone! Yesterday, we traveled by bus to the borough of Hackney. At the Town Hall, we had the opportunity to meet with Councillor Guy Nicholson, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and the 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games. He focused on the 2012 London Olympics' impact on Hackney, including the creativity and innovation that it fostered in the region. Nicholson explained that the "Olympics accelerates regeneration and expansion." Furthermore, East London has undergone an incredible social, cultural, and economic transformation, with a new type of collaboration emerging among the business community. Also, most of the Hackney business community lives in the area and is passionate about making positive change. From Hackney we visited St. Paul's Cathedral, a British landmark steeped in Olympic history. In 2012, the cathedral hosted a multitude of Olympic-related events, such as the Olympic Torch Relay and the Victory Parade. According to its website, "During the 1908 London Olympic Games, the founder of the International Olympic Committee, Pierre de Coubertin, listened to a sermon being preached in St Paul's. The words he heard laid the foundations of the Olympic Creed: 'The most important thing...is not to win but to take part.'" Additionally, the Cathedral's 300th Anniversary Restoration Program was completed in 2011. In route to the British Museum, we stopped at Pret A Manger to enjoy a quality sandwich. At the Museum, we observed Ancient Greek and Egyptian artifacts, as well as the actual Rosetta Stone! It was a fabulous second day in London, and we're all looking forward to more exploration this weekend.

Cheers!