Saturday 28 July 2012

Olympic Opening Ceremony - London 2012. What a start!

 Well, well, well! - And it did turn out well!  It's a lovely thing to feel proud of your own folk at a time when the world is going to hell in a handcart;  and last night was a time to forget the wars, the bad bankers, the recession too,  and look at the vision of film maker Danny  Boyle.   Celebrating Britishness with all our quirkyness was there, a few gasp out loud moments which is always nice and then the lighting of the flame which took my breath away!

I loved the "dark satanic mills" chimneys rising from the "green and pleasant land", with Mr Brunel overseeing the developments, and the olympic rings forged from the steel of those dark satanic mills.  Hate Mr Bean myself, but apparently the world knows and loves him and that 5 minutes with Simon Rattle and the orchestra - just inspired!  The Queen actually starring in a little spoof with Mr Bond - again, inspired!  The Mary Poppins's; the doves on bycycles - and at last, our David (Beckham) at the helm of a fabulous speed boat up the Thames with the flame to be delivered to Sir Steve Redgrave to take inside the stadium to light the cauldron.  And did you see all those people in hard hats clapping him on throught the bowels of the stadium?  The people who built it, thats who they were!

The group of people holding the Olympic flag too - just how did he pursuade them to do that?  So lovely to see Doreen Lawrence - who has fought for justice following the death of her son for so long;  Mohamid Ali (who could only touch) - and the others too.  What a group.

Then the cauldron.  A scene stealer and no mistake.  Every team led by the flag bearer and a child holding a copper cup.  TV announcers sworn to silence so that we didn't know what those cups were for until the penny dropped right at the end....and then, the lighting of the flame not by a famous Olympian of the past, but by those of the future!  This was better than Barcelona and it's  flaming arrow which has been my favourite up until now.  A masterpeice of design and a real "WOW!" moment. 

It is always a joy to see all those nations entering the arena with smiles on their faces, and sometimes bewilderment - in the case of tiny countries, more people in the stadium than the population of their country!  The costumes, the smiles, the cameras, the joy they feel.  Some famous already, some with their fame to come.  Saluting you all from my sofa!


Mr Mac agrees and said last night in Glasgow parlance "I wasn't looking forward to this at all - but it was Pure dead brilliant!"  And do you know what?  He was absolutely right! 
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2 comments:

  1. Suni31 July 2012 at 20:57

    Hi Mrs Mac, I watched the opening ceremony too and spent much of the first part baffled and not really knowing what was going on. I'm glad there was commentary. Almost wet myself laughing with Mr Bean and the orchestra. We argued for ages as to whether it really was the Queen that starred with Mr. Bond or if it was a double. I was stunned to hear later that, yes, it really was her! Wow. Glad Sir Tim Berners-Lee was on there so people could see the inventor of the WWW. The cauldron was stunning too, it looked exactly like an allium in reverse. There was so much going on it was all quite overwhelming. I'm glad that it was very different to previous ceremonies in terms of extravagant, brash and show-off displays.

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  2. Mrs Mac.31 July 2012 at 21:42

    Loved it all - except Macca at the end. I wanted Paverotti to retire years before he started dying his eyebrows, and I felt the same about McCartney. Sure he was proud, but his voice has gone...... leave it to someone else, bless him!

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