2012 in the Beautiful South

The 2012 London Olympics

2012 is a special year for the UK. Not only does it mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, but also the year when London and many other sporting venues across the country will be hosting the world’s largest sporting event – the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. The country will be celebrating both of these events in style making it the perfect year for visiting the UK – and the South East.

The Beautiful South is particularly well placed for enjoying both these historic events. With excellent rail connections from destinations throughout the South East to all the London Olympic venues and to the big royal attractions in London, you can easily enjoy all the excitement, pomp and colour of these events using the South East as your base, without the hassle and expense of staying in the centre of London.

Not only that, staying in the South East will put you at the centre of the action for a number of Olympic events taking place in the South East including rowing, paralympic rowing and canoe sprint events at Dorney Lake near Windsor Castle; the road cycling race which will include Guildford, Dorking and Box Hill in Surrey on its route; the sailing competition for the Olympics and Paralympics at Weymouth & Portland; and paralympic road cycling at Brands Hatch in Kent, home of numerous international racing events. More information on Olympic events taking place in the South East is available on the London 2012 website .

The Olympic Torch Relay will also be passing through the region stopping off at various locations from 9-11 July and from 14-19 July. More details of the route are available on the London 2012 website .

The London Olympic Games will be taking place from 27 July to 12 August 2012, and the Paralympic Games from 29 August to 9 September 2012.  

Combine attending one of these events with a visit to some of the wonderful cities, towns, castles, gardens, museums, galleries, coastline and countryside, and much more on offer in the South East.

2012 Anniversaries

As well as The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the South East celebrates some important anniversaries this year including the 200^th Anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens in Portsmouth. Dicken’s long association with Rochester, Broadstairs and Chatham in Kent is being marked with a number of special events.

The ill-fated Titanic was launched from Southampton 100 years ago, and it is now 50 years since the legendary James Bond 007 created by Ian Fleming first appeared in print and on cinema screens. Details of events to mark both these anniversaries, as well as a full programme of events being held across the South East throughout 2012 can be found on Tourism South East’s website .