I am so happy that in the midst of all the things about myself that I don't like, and believe you me there are many, that God has made me someone who actually really celebrates life and grabs hold of it in it's fullness and laughs........... a lot! And the last week in particular I have being revelling in the wonder of athletes, success, determination, bronze medals, silver medals and of course gold medals and my patriotism has swelled under the incredibleness (is that even a word?) of my beautiful city putting on what is without a doubt the best Olympics. I'm sure people think I'm biased but the word out there from the rest of the world is that they are in agreement. One of the greatest parts of these Olympics is our wonderful people. The crowds are unbelievable, creating an exhilarating atmosphere, benefited mostly by our own Team GB athletes but in true British style we also take on many as our own - especially if they're super successful or just plain old underdog.
My pride for the city I live in has taken on stellar proportions and as a backdrop for these sporting events there is none like it. What incredible pictures are being beamed around the world of London at it's best. My own personal favourite is the beach volley ball being played 'just down the road from the Queen's house' in the middle of Horse Guards Parade. Classic! Ooh I do have to mention Hampton Court too, as part of the cycling events. Stunning. Shout out to my neighbour and good friend Tom who's company has been staging the road race, time trials and much more. Bless him, he has hardly slept and for someone who loves sport so much, he's hardly been able to savour any of it.
Obviously I could go on and on as I am beside myself with excitement with regards to it all. We've just come through Super Saturday, What a day and what a night! My sister was there eek! I can't wait to hear about the atmosphere from her. It is often said that we are very good at the sitting down sports, and our rowing and cycling medals prove that, so to achieve 3 in one session in the track and field is beyond our wildest dreams. So here we are, after the first week, third in the medal tables, only trailing behind two enormous countries, with enormous populations and I love the fact that medal to population ratio would mean we were right there at the top of the table. Go Team GB!
As much as I love sport, closest to my heart has always been the theatrical and so I can't not talk about the opening ceremony. The whole day I'd been in a state of anticipation and I was not let down. As soon as I saw the 'green and pleasant land' scene the tears began to flow and they almost didn't stop. I was crying, laughing, crying, laughing, and so it went on. An emotional wreck by the end. I've watched it 3 times already, downloaded the music and will talk about it to whoever will listen - so here is my summary of the night, I'll try to be quick!
Enamoured by the typical British countryside, it took my breath away - the animals made me ooh and aah and I totally recognised the maypole, the cricket match, the stone cottages, the Thomas Hardyesque costumes. The reminder that we are islands although Alan didn't get the blue cloth over the heads of spectators being water, not even when we could hear the world famous shipping forecast coming through the music. Oh the music, the music..... don't digress Alyson. Gasped at the number countdown, knew number 10 would be Downing Street, again these were all so familiar to me. The films in between the sections were always going to be great, Danny Boyle is a film director after all and he didn't disappoint. The boy who started the singing wow - not a hint of nerves - fantastic. The link between the countries: Ireland, Scotland and Wales then back to England - you can't beat children's voices and certainly not those of the signing choir singing the National Anthem. I've jumped again and I mustn't because without a doubt my favourite part of the whole evening was the move from the 'green and pleasant land' to the dark satanic mills of the industrial revolution. Kenneth Branagh as Brunel was triumphant, the attention to detail in costumes was extraordinary, the drummers were somehow 'hot' as they moved to the beat of their drum, cringe I know but hey it had to be said. Loved the snippets of our history moving around the 'M25' special mentions to the suffragettes, including descendants of Emily Pankhurst, Windrush and the Chelsea pensioners and of course the silence in memory of those who died in the wars. The culmination of this part of the 'show' with the forging of the Olympic rings was spectacular.
And then we had James Bond and his new Bond girl - the Queen- showing that she really is a good sport. There was that classic moment when you could see in Daniel Craig's face - I'm actually acting with the Queen and her corgis! What great humour we Brits have. And how much we love our National Health Service, feted in the next segment "second star to the right and straight on till morning". The wonderful link between Peter Pan's creator J M Barrie and his support for the world famous children's hospital Great Ormond Street, real doctors and nurses, real patients, children doing black fips (Kai speak), the colours of the pyjamas, all of the Mary Poppins chasing away the nightmares of children's fiction. Delicious, all of it. I'm not a great fan of Mr Bean, but a huge one of Chariots of Fire and for this night I thought he was hilarious. This is Kai's favourite part and he loves to watch it again and again.
Probably the segment celebrating the invention of the World Wide Web along with our second to none music industry was my least favourite but still I could be heard shouting out the songs as I recognised them along with the snippets of films and TV programmes. This is for everyone and it really was. Cue the athletes with party like atmosphere. Tea and toilet break. The cheer for our team was just the forerunner for all the cheers that have since been heard throughout the Olympics, and Chris Hoy, holding our Union flag with just one hand, was a good choice. The memory wall was a special touch with a friend of mine's parents featuring as Danny Boyle had asked people who were attending to send in photos. Words can hardly express the glorious Akram Khan's piece danced alongside the exquisite voice of Emeli Sande singing Abide With Me as a memorial to those lost in the London bombings. American friends please try to see this as it was missed out totally in your hugely edited, for the sake of commercials, coverage.
Yey for David Beckham, Bradley Wiggins (first ever British winner of Tour de France), and at the time our greatest Olympian Steve Redgrave. For Doreen Lawrence carrying the Olympic flag and for Muhammad Ali's part in that too. I'm exhausted. But want to just mention the fact that I thought it genius to allow the new generation of athletes to light the torch. And what a torch. Individual copper cauldrons for each country rising up spectacularly to form one flame. It was a monumental success ending with the obligatory fireworks and a singsong with a real live Beatle. All in all a great start to a great olympics.
