How the UK sees the East End

The site for the London Olympics in 2012 is 500 acres in Stratford, a run down part of the East End of London. A new survey has asked people in the UK what they think of when someone mentions the East End and how they see the games working out.

To the typical Brit the East End means one thing, Eastenders, an over blown soap opera that’s on four or five nights a week and has been on tv for over 20 years. From my point of view its complete garbage and I never watch it, but millions of people consistently tune in and its always one of the top rated shows on British tv.

Second on the list were The Krays(left). The closest Britain’s ever had to high profile organised crime celebrities, twins Ronnie and Reggie, along with elder brother Charlie, ran the London underworld in the 50s and 60s until they both got life sentences for murder in 1968. The longer they stayed in prison the bigger their legend got and a movie called The Krays was released in 1990 while they were still in jail. Two infamous and iconic figures whose image still lasts.

Canary Wharf is the third on the list which is kind of surprising because the latest part of London’s financial centre has really only sprung up in the last decade and is still being added to. Its very impressive what they’ve done to the old East End docks, if you come to London make sure you visit Canary Wharf.

Fourth and fifth are the disaster that is the Millennium Dome and the disaster that is West Ham United Football Club(only joking Hammers fans, I hope you stay in the Premiership). The Olympics is the next thing Britons associate with East London, followed by the country’s most famous serial killer Jack The Ripper who I thought would be higher up the chart.

The rest of the list is rounded out with Docklands Light Railway(didn’t think it was that well known outside London), Jellied Eels(no thanks), Pearly Queens and Oliver Twist.
72% of Britons think the Olympics will have a positive impact on East London and 12% said they plan to attend. 95% said they somone else should pay for the games.