Media preview of Olympic Park and The Orbit

Yesterday was the press preview of the re-opening of the Olympic Park and The Orbit, and I was lucky enough to go along.

First up on the trip was the Aquatics Centre. I'd already had a peek in here, and a swim in the pool, thanks to Sport Relief a couple of weeks ago. But this time round, Tom Daley was training on the diving boards at the far end.

Next up, and the highlight of the tour was a trip up The Orbit. Love or loathe it, it gives the best views in the East of London - or so I hear. Unfortunately London's worst smog for many years prevented me from getting great views, but I managed to get a couple of shots.

Before the ascent

 Looking out into the smog felt like another city. The faint silhouette of the skyline put me in mind of images of Beijing, whilst the large expanse of wasteland/land under development surrounding the park was reminiscent of my trip up the Carlton Tower in Jo'burg a couple of years ago.

The Orbit overlooks the Olympic stadium, and happily, it has no roof at the moment, as it is under redevelopment for when West Ham take it over in 2016, giving a great view into the stadium itself.

One particular quirk of The Orbit is that you can also see West Ham's current ground, Upton Park, although yesterday the smog was too thick for my camera to pick it up. You couldn't say that about Tottenham, who also put in a bid for it.

Londonist, where I work, is media partner to the Olympic Park, so for more cool insights, including a podcast and video, keep an eye on the website.