Boadicea's Chariot

What is the purpose of an Olympic opening ceremony?

One is to introduce the competing athletes to the world and the other major purpose is to introduce the host country to all watching.  It is a prime opportunity to showcase the host nation to the world and express how that nation feels about itself and its values.  I personally do not think it can be viewed as ‘just’ an entertainment.

I think last night presented a dilemma and sent a very mixed message which perhaps reflects the utter confusion of modern England.  I say England because I feel there was little more than a passing nod to the fact that there are four composite nations within the British Isles. The show was London/urban centric, reflected in how much time was apportioned to the various scenes.

The initial nostalgic unrealistic pastoral idyll (Spousal unit complained he didn’t see the sheep shagging!) was very quickly passed over in favour of the industrial scene which I thought the best by far of the show.   Perhaps more ‘Lord of the Rings’ than anything else but at least demonstrated that we had some creditable mechanical engineers left if nothing else!  At least the first two section were tenuously relevant to our past.

Continue reading “‘Abide With Me’”

It’s not in English, I know, I know, but I quite like the singer and the song.

I’ve just found this on DT.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/olympicsvideo/9429976/Patsy-and-Eddy-have-an-absolutely-fabulous-Olympic-torch-relay.html

I know that Americans didn’t generally understand Ab Fab, so what will Romney make of these two carrying the Olympic torch?

Absolutely fabulous – pass the Bolly!

Late last night on my way to bed I routinely check for emails and flick the headlines.

I saw an article, can’t remember which paper, that announced that the asylum seeking had started amongst the ‘athletes’ of the corporatefest.  Amazement was being expressed that this individual had not even waited until after his race! (Apparently the only race that counted was to the benefit office!)

Evidently a middle distance runner (how apt!) from an unnamed East African country had gone from his training camp up North to the police and asked for asylum.  They had called in Border Control who had removed him.  He had not wanted to move into the ‘village’, presumably because of too tight supervision and the anticipation of being herded back onto the bus home?  It was rumoured that another official from the same country intended doing likewise.

Subsequently this morning, all trace of the story has been removed, I cannot find reference to it anywhere.  So there you go folks, another one on the gravy train.  I doubt they had the sense to take him straight to Heathrow! Evidently this is quite usual but they generally have the grace to enter their event first!  I wonder why the story has been censored?

And Janus wonders why we would rather not pay our taxes? Or our plumber’s taxes?

Equally I wonder why this ‘athlete’ actually wants to come to the UKSSR I can’t imagine that anywhere in East Africa has Zil lanes, wall to wall CCTV, child tax spies etc etc.  But then they already have corrupt dictators, nepotism, croneyism and oligarchies there so I expect he will feel quite at home in Merry Olde England.

Perhaps Janus will send him his first month’s cheque!