We are lucky to have had this email from our very own Parwich Olympic Correspondent, Val S :
I went to the dress rehearsal for the Opening Ceremony last night. The opening scenes were shot in Parwich and then they move on to Belper. We are not allowed to tell – see #savethesuprise – but if you are going out, record it, trust me, it is worth it and it does start in Parwich!
I am off now for another day of slog and fun, so many languages, so many countries. The Park is packed and there is no public in there yet! I am working down here on the Help desk in the Main Press Centre (MPC) which together with the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC) forms part of a large media complex at the northern end of the Olympic Park to which there is no public access. The work is 24 hours a day as some-one is always awake somewhere!
The MPC contains the workspace for all written and photographic journalists from around the world. The IBC houses all the ‘rights holding broadcasters’ (RHB). Each NOC (the Olympics love their acronyms) or National Olympic Committee appoints just one, ours is the Beeb, for the US it is NBC. The non-RHBs are in the MPC so this includes some big guys, like CNN. There is a ‘high street’ between the two big buildings with bars and restaurants, live music outside, shops, banks etc so that all the needs of the journalists are met.
Inside the buildings the IT is amazing. There is an Olympic Broadcasting Service and all other broadcasters source the official pictures from them so that there is only one set of cameras at each venue, makes sense really. They do film their own updates etc so there are people everywhere with cameras and journalists speaking to camera with Olympic venues as backdrops. All of the media conference rooms are in the MPC so when you see people speaking in front of curtains etc, I am just there. At the mo it is Seb and the IOC types and Danny Boyle (I went to school with him) but once we get past Friday it will be the athletes, or probably Usain Bolt when he arrives – he’s not here yet – and maybe Ali and Becks too in the run up to Friday.
I am asked questions about everything from where are the loos, how do I get wifi, to ‘is Ryan Griggs staying in the Olympic Village (You have to ask the BOA if you want the answer to that one, but Andy Murray is!) or who put up the wrong flag? (Oops).
The Olympic Park is massive and impressive. If you are coming here, wear sensible shoes! You have to walk for miles! More tips for visitors……only Visa and cash can be used on the Park. You can buy a pre-paid Visa with another card however! Don’t bring food, drink or deodorant etc (the info is in with your tickets) or those army boys will take it off you. They are doing a great job and look much better than the G4S lot anyway but lots of them are fairly unhappy at missing leave. They are also sleeping on camp beds in disused shops!
The best way to get to the Park if you are coming down on the train is to stay at St Pancras and to take the high speed Javelin – one every few minutes and it takes only a few minutes. Take the escalators down, where the East Mids trains come in, and then walk back on yourself, away from Euston Road, to the far corner of St Pancras.
If any-one is coming down and would like to meet up, please let me know! I am off to find out who was on flag picking duties.
Val S
PARWICH.ORG 
Thanks Val – really gives us a flavour of the games from the “inside”……as Jane B said in an email – it’s not likely we’re gonna get natual sun-tans this summer! Shame about Cav yesterday – spoiling tactics by other teams – Lizzie Armitstead did us proud today though in very treacherous conditions. Let’s hope Rebecca can overcome lane 8 tonight!