Sussex wrapped-up a ten wicket County Championship win against Surrey at Horsham today in a tense finish.
Ed Joyce and Chris Nash guided Sussex to the win after they had been set 22 runs to win from the final six overs of the match when Surrey were dismissed for 248 in their second innings.
Surrey had started the day 39-1, but Sussex chipped away throughout the day, with wickets at regular intervals.
They were 183-7 at tea, before Murali Kartik, who had gotten away with some big heaves, saw his middle stump sent cartwheeling by Jimmy Anyon with Surrey still 30 runs short of making Sussex bat again.
New batsman Jon Lewis dug in alongside his skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown and eked Surrey towards to final hour of play, but Sussex introduced Chris Nash for a second spell, and in his second over, the Horsham boy teased the thinnest of edges from Lewis to set up an enthralling finish. Anyon then wrapped up the Surrey innings when he emphatically ripped Hamilton-Brown’s off-stump out of the ground, it meant needed 22 runs off six overs in their second innings to secure the win.
Nash and Joyce wasted little time in racing to their victory target, with Joyce hooking one enormous six off Lewis into the Barrack Field, to see Sussex home with four overs to spare.
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Seb Coe Pledges Support for London CITIZENS 100 Days of Peace Project and CitySafe Campaign - Danbury News-Times
Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has pledged his support for the 100 Days of Peace project, by becoming one of the first people to sign the Peace Pledge.
(PRWEB) June 09, 2012
Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has pledged his support for the 100 Days of Peace project, by becoming one of the first people to sign the Peace Pledge.
- Link to images of Seb Coe and London CITIZENS members meeting to mark the 100 Days of Peace project here
The launch rally for the 100 Days of Peace project will be held on Saturday 9 June at the Scoop by City Hall. Shadow Minister for the Olympics Tessa Jowell MP and Chair of the CitySafe Foundation, Deputy Mayor of London for Planning Edward Lister, Simon Hughes MP and Leader of Southwark Council Peter John will also attend the event.
There will be 18 other CitySafe rallies organised by London CITIZENS taking place across London on the same day in 18 other Boroughs.
The objective of 100 Days of Peace, which is a London 2012 Inspire Mark project, is to promote a safer and more tolerant society across the Games period and is specifically aimed at young people. It is strongly linked to London 2012’s work around the Olympic Truce and seeks peace in London for 50 days ahead of the Games and for 50 days afterwards. At the end of this period, on October 28th, London CITIZENS will publish a new map of London with CitySafe Zones marked on it.
An integral part of the 100 Days of Peace project is the CitySafe Campaign where young people and adults will work on a number of initiatives. These include encouraging local businesses and organisations to offer their premises as CitySafe Havens, pledging to report 100% of crime and organising events that facilitate dialogue between police and young people, led by CitySafe Champions.
The aim is to build stronger communities, neighbourhood organisations and relationship with the police to strengthen CitySafe Zones.
The CitySafe Campaign is led by London CITIZENS member communities which include Families United and The Jimmy Mizen Foundation.
Both 100 Days of Peace and the CitySafe Campaign are coordinated by London Citizens, the UK’s largest independent civic alliance with over 250 schools, churches, mosques, trade unions, charities and local associations. One of the four sub-regional groups of London Citizens is the East London Communities Organisations (TELCO) which has been working with London 2012 from the start of the bid process.
TELCO has worked with LOCOG on a number of issues, including getting all London 2012 contractors to agree to pay the London Living Wage where applicable and appropriate, ensuring job opportunities were promoted to citizens in east London, and putting forward candidates for recruitment events.
Seb Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: “The 100 Days of Peace project is a great initiative and I would encourage all members of the public and businesses to back this. It absolutely fits in with the vision we set out in Singapore to inspire young people and provide them with new opportunities in life. The first meeting I had once I was appointed Chair of the Bid Committee was with London Citizens and over the years we have been driven, guided and steered by them on a number of key issues for residents in London. I would like to thank London Citizens for their leadership and very practical way in which they are helping deliver our vision at a Borough level. This is something we will always want to support.”
Paul O’Shea, Chair of London Citizens Trustees said: “We are delighted that the working relationship we forged with Lord Coe and the Bid Committee in 2004 has been so constructive throughout and adds massively to the legacy that the Games will leave behind for Londoners – particularly East and South Londoners. LOCOG has delivered on all of the commitments made to London CITIZENS and signed off in a ceremony in City Hall in November 2004 – Living Wage Jobs throughout the Estate; Construction Training for local people; money for schools and health care in Stratford and jobs for local people. We look to the Legacy Company to ensure that the land available for housing on the site includes Community Land Trusts which will ensure affordable homes for local families in perpetuity.
“We wish to thank Lord Coe and his team for their steadfastness, leadership and for honouring the commitments made eight years ago. Lord Coe’s support for our CitySafe Campaign is a bonus and fits exactly with the Olympic tradition of a legacy of peace and more integrated communities.”
Paul Amuzie, a former student from St Bonaventure’s School in Newham and other young people from Forest Gate came up with the name and concept of CitySafe in 2008. Paul attended a meeting with Seb Coe earlier this week and said: “I am very proud that Lord Coe that the 100 Days of Peace and the Inspire Mark will help us take the CitySafe campaign to over 20 London Boroughs and make those communities safer and better organised. There are now over 300 CitySafe Havens, including City Hall and the Mayor has agreed to be the CitySafe Campaign Ambassador. This not only makes our streets safer, it reduces the fear of crime in our neighbourhoods by bringing traders and neighbours together with the police to ensure folks can go about their business in peace.”
Notes to editors:
For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office.
Find out the latest from London 2012 on http://www.london2012.com, follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/london2012 or download the Offical London 2012 Join In app.
The Official London 2012 Join In app is a free mobile guide to help you plan, enjoy and share your Games experience. From the Olympic Torch Relay to the Olympics and Paralympics, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, plus all the cultural, city and community celebrations happening across the UK, the Official London 2012 Join In App is your essential companion. It is available now at app stores and at http://www.london2012.com/mobileapps/
About CitySafe Zones
A CitySafe Zone is a street or neighbourhood with CitySafe Havens and a London CITIZENS member community that has agreed to organise the communities for peace, work closely with the police and ensure the traders and neighbours all know each other and meet regularly to ensure the ‘Zone’ offers protection and security and positive relationships for the future.
London 2012 Games partners:
The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.
LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS. There are now twenty-eight domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield.
There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games-only Partner, Sainsbury’s and two domestic Tier Three Paralympic Games-only Suppliers, Otto Bock and Panasonic. The London 2012 Paralympic Games also acknowledges the support of the National Lottery.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/6/prweb9588721.htm
Source: www.newstimes.com
London 2012: London bus drivers vote to strike over bonuses - BBC News
Bus workers in London have voted to take strike action in a row over their workload during the Olympics.
Nearly 40% of Unite members working for 21 bus companies voted 94% in favour of strike action. No dates have been set.
The union, which is asking for a £500 bonus, says bus workers are the only London transport staff not in line to receive an Olympics bonus payment.
Transport for London (TfL) said bus workers were employed by private firms who set their pay.
Dates for strike action could be announced early next week.
Unite says it expects 800,000 extra passengers to travel on buses during the Games.
It said workers on London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railways, Network Rail and Virgin would all receive between £500 to £900 in extra payments.
In May, a survey of 2,955 London bus and rail passengers commissioned by the union found that 88% were in favour of Olympic bonus pay.
'Completely reprehensible'Peter Kavanagh, Unite regional secretary for London, said: "It's a disgrace that London's mayor, Boris Johnson, and the bus companies have allowed this dispute to get this far.
"Our members are only asking for an extra £17 a day which will just about buy you a pint of beer and a portion of fish and chips at the Olympics.
"Our members want the Games to be a success but their patience has run out."
Leon Daniels, TfL's managing director of surface transport, said: "I am not surprised that 70% of London's bus drivers did not vote for strike action.
"That is because about 70% of London's local bus services are not affected by the Olympic Games.
"The whole country is really entering into the spirit of the Games and the overwhelming responsible majority are pulling out all the stops to make it a huge success.
"Only Unite appears to want to exploit it by adding a further multimillion-pound burden to the hard-pressed fare-payers and taxpayers of London."
Mr Daniels added that Unite had already negotiated binding deals for pay and conditions with each of the bus companies for this year.
"Attempting to tear up those agreements and get a new one with less than 50 days to go before the Games is completely reprehensible and out of step with every other provider of services in this city this summer."
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Concierge firms boom as the rich flee to London - The Guardian
London is facing an unprecedented surge in the number of companies offering concierge and other special services to the very wealthy, as new groups of rich emigrés relocate to the UK to escape instability abroad.
Russians have been joined by Indians and continental Europeans among the overseas buyers that have purchased 60% of the prime property available in central London in the past few years, according to estate agents. The growth in foreign purchases appears to be matched by the growth in companies that are willing to do anything for their clients – any time, any place, anywhere.
Alistair Gill, the manager of Mayfair Concierge, which started business last month, said companies such as his were there to open doors, simplify procedures and obtain the unobtainable for those who could afford it. "While times are tough, there are still a lot of people who enjoy a high quality of life – who are cash-rich and time-poor. It's a growth market," he said.
Clients typically pay a retainer of around £5,000 a month, for which they expect 24-hour service but still must meet all other costs. Neither the price of the services nor the economic climate has had much effect on demand. Andreas Ash, marketing director of Greek Concierge Group, which has been in business for three years, said his company was working at capacity with a waiting list of 350 people. "We won't be able to accept most of them. It's all about service, and if we take too many members we'll degrade our service," he said.
Russian, Indian and French buyers have accounted for almost one third of recent central London house purchases, but there has also been an increase in Greek and Italian arrivals, a spokeswoman for estate agent Knight Frank said. The French are escaping a tax regime in which the wealthy are likely to be required to pay more under the new presidency of François Hollande; the Russians are investing in an insurance policy against possible persecution from an authoritarian leader, Vladimir Putin; and other Europeans are moving their money out of the unstable eurozone.
What they share is a desire for certain aspects of British life – private education, hunting and fishing – as well as everything they might expect from a playboy's paradise, such as reservations at restaurants and nightclubs, and sometimes even drugs and prostitutes. But going to the right shoot, ensuring your child jumps the school waiting list or getting a seat at a restaurant that is fully booked for the next year require skills and contacts beyond most of us.
Gill describes the typical concierge as someone who has worked in five or six-star hotels, "someone who loves people and is well balanced, understands what people want and is unshockable".
People in the industry are happy to talk about extravagant requests but less comfortable talking about personal services such as prostitution and drugs, which they are often asked to accommodate. According to Ash: "We have been asked for some things like escorts. We always do our best, but if it's not a healthy business situation we have to say that is as far as we go."
Even some of the legal requests are as demanding as they are unusual. One company recounts how it was requested to organise a two-hour shopping spree with an unlimited budget for a client and her two friends in the style of the film Pretty Woman. "With no prior warning, and without being allowed to explain the challenge, we had to get the co-operation of managers and numerous assistants at more than a dozen stores, including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Hermès, Chanel and Yves St Laurent. Two hours later, what had started as a stroll for four friends had become a convoy of cars and vans carrying £250,000 of shoes, clothes and accessories," the website recounts.
The same site describes how the company received a call from a client at 10.40pm, saying he wanted to get engaged at breakfast the next morning. "We sourced $20m of diamond jewellery overnight in time for him to propose when his girlfriend awoke," according to the site. On many occasions, the company has been commissioned to make clients' wives burst into tears of happiness.
Some of the companies employ linguists to ensure London feels just like home. Ten Lifestyle Concierge has teams of Russian and Chinese speakers to deal with the growing number of clients.
Bryn Dyer, a director of Ten, said: "Typically our London-based Russian members will use us to get set up here. They also ask us for tutoring services, help getting their children into private schools, finding exclusive retail items, booking high-end restaurants and finding theatre tickets. Our London-based Chinese members are similar in tastes, but tend to be younger students. They tend to use us to book high-end restaurants, hotels and taxis."
All the companies say they expect their business to expand over the coming years and many are opening branches all over the world and recruiting staff. Bryn Dyer said: "The demand for our services is most definitely increasing. Not just in London but globally, as the wealthy elite are increasingly mobile."
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
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