TIME TO RING in the games. Almost.
Five super-sized Olympic rings were lowered off Tower Bridge today, draping the internationally recognised symbol over the landmark spanning the Thames river.
London Mayor Boris Johnson gave the order to lower the rings with a few words barked into a walkie-talkie from a barge circling below.
The fusing of a London icon — the gateway to the city — with the rings is a signal that London is ready to go one month before the Olympic games, which start July 27 and end on Aug. 12.
“We are as ready as any city has ever been at this stage in the Olympic process,” Johnson said. “I think probably better.”
The massive rings — 82 feet wide and 37 feet tall — are part of efforts to bedeck the city in Olympic banners and bold colours.
Meanwhile, all over London, the theme colours of the games are being raised on light posts, city buildings and in shopping areas. London’s look is predominantly pink, aqua blue, yellow, purple and green — not quite neon but usually shown in shards at the edges of Olympic banners.
There’s even a “Look Book” for ideas. Local neighborhoods can purchase materials to festoon their buildings in games-approved decor.
