Opening ceremony 2012

Well that was certainly different ! I didn't realise I would have to wait 64 years to see my second opening ceremony. I was lucky enough to have a seat at the opening of the Games in 1948 and it was a much more restrained affair. We were still recovering from the effects of the war. Rationing was worse than during the war. We could not import many necessities owing to the shortage of shipping and I think it was pretty brave of us to decide to hold the Games. In bad times we Brits always rise to the occasion.

I suppose if you were there last night you would have enjoyed seeing the thing as a whole. Seeing it on TV one got a rather kaleidoscopic view of what was going on. Perhaps my eyes and brain are a bit too old to follow all the various things that were happening. However, the newspapers are ecstatic so it must have been o.k. I hope the Queen had a nap before being kept up so late. I'm afraid I dozed off at one point. It was lovely to see all those happy faces as the athletes went round the arena and I am so glad my hero, Bradley Wiggins, got to ring the bell.