BEIJING DAY 5 - FINAL DAY BLUES

So my friends, the time is near…. I’m sat in Beijing International Airport, after my fifth and final working day in China for the Barclays Asia Trophy. What a week we’ve had, so much has gone on, amazing experiences working with Text100, Barclays and the Chinese media. This morning was an early start as we headed over to the proposed location for a new Barclays Spaces for Sports site in China. One hour out of Beijing, this is a partnership between Barclays and Compassion for Migrant Children (CMC), who work to help out all the migrant families attracted to China’s capital. Because they are from out of town, they are not readily accepted into Chinese communities, and are often left in terrible conditions. Barclays have donated £400k to a new multi facility sports site, their first in China. So the whole team, plus Terry Venables, the Brazilian Giovanni from Hull, the Barclays Premier League Trophy and a load of media made the treck out the City to this very poor community.

We had a fantastic morning, and got loads of interviews done to raise the profile of the project. Check the gallery out - the pictures speak for themselves. From there, we headed back into Beijing, and across to the Nike Store, with the BPL and BAT trophies, for an in-store event and photo session. The place was mobbed, and it was great to experience a proper Chinese shopping centre. Very, very westernised, they love the American and UK brands, and went bonkers for our trophies. Next stop was the infamous Beijing silk market for a spot of shopping. The fake gear in here is world famous, and I picked up four quality watches for £45, after a serious bit of bantering. The shop sellers shout, scream and even start crying – all tactics to make you pay that bit extra. Luckily I had a colleague Cindy, from Text100, on hand to barter for me. Great deal.

We’ve had a crazy week, full of work every day, and I’d no time to sightsee at all in Beijing. Leaving the Silk market, to get back across town to my hotel, we were able to drive by Tiananmen Square and the Bird’s Nest Stadium, so I got a few quick snaps en route. The Bird’s Nest looked incredible, but the smog in Beijing is a real problem, as you can see from the photos. Before the Olympics, the Government shut down all the factories for three months, and dropped water down from planes to clear the City, and the smog cleared up completely. But it’s back now, in force, making Beijing incredibly humid. After a quick shower and change it was back to the Worker’s Stadium for the BAT final between Hull City and Spurs. West Ham played in the runner’s up final beforehand, beating Beijing Gu’an. Straight after the final match, I jumped in a transfer back to the hotel, and on to the airport, to bring to an end a quite unbelievable week. I’ve loved every minute, and particularly enjoyed working with Wayne, Candice and the team from our sister PR agency Text100. It’s been an incredible experience. As always, pictures can say a thousand words, so check out my tour gallery here.