Bells ring in the Olympic Games

Thousands of bells, big and small, rang out across Britain for three minutes as the country prepared for the London Olympics opening ceremony later.

Churches across the UK and British embassies around the world got into the spirit of the bell-ringing extravaganza, devised by artist Martin Creed as part of a 12-week programme of cultural events celebrating the arts alongside sport.

People were encouraged to ring any kind of bell -- from a church, a bicycle, a door and even a mobile phone as the harmonious ringing spread from Wales in the west to Weymouth in the south.
One of the biggest bells taking part was London's Big Ben in parliament's clock tower, the first time it has rung outside its regular hours since the funeral of King George VI in 1952.
It chimed about 40 times between 8:12 and 8:15 a.m. after special permission was granted by parliament.
Creed, whose won the famous Turner prize with an installation of lights going on and off in an empty room, created "Work No. 1197: All the bells in a country rung as quickly and as loudly as possible for three minutes."

"It was open to anyone to take part," he told BBC television.
"I was thinking of trying to make something like a sculpture or something for the Olympics, but I was thinking to look at something you have to go to the place to look at it.
"I thought that maybe if I did something with music or making a noise it could go out across the city, you know, and across the country."
More than 10 million listeners were expected to have tuned in to the live broadcasts shown on TV, radio and online. The BBC showed British Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt ringing handheld bells at an event on London's HMS Belfast ship on the River Thames.
In Beijing, the British embassy rang its bell which was cast in 1897 for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee while staff at the High Commission in Bangladesh rang rickshaw bells.
In Brussels, the British ambassador rang the bell at the Belgian Stock Exchange to begin the day's trading.

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Top Five Free London City Apps

London is in the global spotlight this month as it gets ready to host the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In order to make the most of all the exciting events and celebrations happening across the capital, check out our pick of the best London travel apps – packed full of helpful hints and tips from how to get around to where to stop for lunch:

Copyright Rex

 

For getting around: Tube Map
When you’re going to be spending your days hopping around London, from sporting events to music festivals and everything in between you need an app you can rely on – and this is it. Packed full of features this app will help you plan your journey, check your Oyster balance, find stations, check departure times and so much more. By checking to see which lines have a good service, you’ll be able to keep ahead of the game – and the queues. 

For everything you need to know: Time Out London
An award-winning app, Time Out London is written by local experts and will help you track down the best bits on-the-go, featuring the lowdown on great museums, attractions, restaurants, bars, arts, entertainment and nightlife. Best of all, Time Out travel apps are entirely offline, so you won’t receive any nasty, unexpected roaming charges! 

For indecisive diners: Urbanspoon
Are you an indecisive person when it comes to what you fancy for dinner? With all the great restaurants in London, it can be a tricky task. The Urban spoon app is part Magic 8 Ball, part slot machine, part expert restaurant guide. You choose a restaurant genre (such as Moroccan) shake your phone and it finds a good nearby restaurant for you. Keep shaking it until it comes back with something you want to try. Sorted!

For stepping back in time: Street Museum – Museum of London
A very clever app which makes the most of new technology, Street Museum: Museum of London gives you a unique perspective of London – old and new. Whether you’re discovering the capital for the first time or revisiting favourite haunts, this app offers a window through time. All you have to do is choose your location from your London map, or via GPS, hold your camera up to the present day street scene and the app will overlay the historic image, from the museums huge archives, over the current view – as if you’re stepping back in time! 

For insider tips: Condé Nast Traveller iPhone city guide
Put together by the experts at Condé Nast Traveller magazine, the Condé Nast Traveller iPhone city guide is packed with top tips for what to see and do in what promises to be a very exciting year for the capital. The app covers all the main London neighbourhoods, from Greenwich to Hampstead and some of the capital’s most fashionable and informed faces have given their insider tips for the app, including designers Japer Conran and Paul Smith, restaurateur Jeremy King, and style guru Sarah Walter.