The 2012 London Olympics Miles Images And Stories

Multicultural Intersection Between Two Worlds: This busy intersection in the centre of Stratford in the East London borough of Newham shows one slice of the neighborhood that is home to the Olympic stadium and park. This particular crosswalk is significant because it links the old Stratford Centre shopping mall, filled with low-end shops, market stalls and budget grocery stores, with the new Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, the largest urban shopping center in Europe. The £1.45bn complex houses more than 300 stores, 70 restaurants

Drumming Together: Children at Kingsmead Primary School in Hackney practice drumming for an end of year presentation. The school, close to the 2012 Olympic Games Village, takes cultural performance very seriously and all classes learn group drumming. It primarily serves children who live on the Kingsmead Estate. Its population is diverse which is reflected in the 42 different languages spoken by the children and 95% of them are from an ethnic minority. The largest ethnic group is African, followed by Afro Caribbean descents.

Nigerian Pentecostal Church: A moment of intense prayer at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Church. This Pentecostal church has grown from modest beginnings in Nigeria to have international branches in many cities around the world. The majority of people attending the service are originally from Nigeria. This church is housed in an old factory building in Hackney Wick, close to the site of the 2012 Olympic Games. Image: Gideon Mendel.

Roman Road Market: A busy Saturday afternoon scene in June at the Roman Road Market in Tower Hamlets, very close to the site of the 2012 Olympic Games. In the background the top of the new Olympic stadium at the center of the site can be seen. This area, which was traditionally a white working class East End community, now has a large Bengali population. The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal (now divided between Bangladesh and India) in South Asia. Image Gideon Mendel.

The Goose Pub: Customers enjoy their pints of beer at The Goose pub in Stratford, close to the site of the 2012 Olympic Games. This large pub has a mix of customers from all over the world, including many African, Irish and eastern European drinkers reflecting the diversity of the local community.

View of Newham Housing: An overhead view of some of the housing and streets of Newham, close to the main site of the 2012 Olympic Games. This is in Newham which is London’s poorest borough and the second-most deprived council area in England, according to the council’s statistics. It is also one of the most ethnically diverse places in Britain. This is taken from the Olympic Site Viewing Gallery at Holden Point in Newham.

Chatsworth Road Market: The new revitalised Sunday market on Chatsworth Road in Hackney, close to the main site of the 2012 Olympic Games. This market in an area which was once very run-down has sparked a fierce local debate about gentrification and regeneration in the area. The district which was once known as 'The Murder Mile' now has sharply rising property prices and an increasing population of young, more affluent people. Its close proximity to the Olympic site is another factor driving the fast changes in the area.

HMS Ocean: The British Royal Navy's largest ship HMS Ocean sails up the River Thames escorted by a flotilla of smaller vessels, in Greenwich, London. -- HMS Ocean is heading for Greenwich where it will act as a launch pad for helicopters during a major security exercise in preparation for the Olympic Games, called Olympic Guardian.