just watched it on iplayer, wow, it was pants! bring on 2012, I need a good laugh
It was kak really.
All of the above answers are pretty accurate…
The comparison, of “knock something up quick, budget Britain” versus the enslaved millions of ready to work workers of China… we were never going to look very good… A bus, Beckham kicks a ball once, a bunch of “too cool to care” dancers, Jimmy I’m struggling with me arthritis here, Page, and Leona Lewis…
HARDLY a representation of all that’s good in Britain, and to suggest that what they did amount to “an invitation” just shows how out of touch we are…
I’ve just watched it on iPlayer and I thought Jimmy and Leona were great. The hairs on the back of my neck went up when Jimmy started that riff - and Leona’s voice was superb.
I also got a bit sentimental when I saw the red double decker - but then maybe that’s just me. 
If everyone put as much effort into improving what goes on in our country that they put into slagging it off, things might just get a little better.
it is interesting to read this from Beijing, some locals said british 8 minutes were like a bunch of football rascals, a bit offensive i know.
here are some pictures i took last night on tiananmen square:D
Attachments
Fantastic pics BBS! 
You can tell that it was the Chinese that invented fireworks! 
Gotta agree with you there Mo
counts for everything really…shando
I would love to be involved in organising the Olympics so that I could put that bit of effort into improving our country - but the problem we have in this country is that in our efforts to be seen to be inclusive we try and have a bit of almost everything in our events, but in an effort to avoid upsetting people we won’t use anything that hints of our history. So that’s why we won’t have anything celebrating Britishness (whatever that might be anyway) or patriotic for fear of appearing like a BNP party politacal broadcast*, and won’t use the Red Arrows or the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight as it would appear too confrontational.
Also the people who serve on the hundreds of committees and sub-committes that end up arranging these events are mainly from our politically correct elite - and are so far removed from what people in the street think that it’s unreal.
I also believe that this country isn’t as bad as people think, but we appear to have set ourselves on a course of self destruction where we knock peoples success, reward bad behaviour, and put bad peoples human rights above the rights of normal people to have a normal quiet life without interference.
Rant Over
- It really really annoys me that our flag has been hijacked by this bunch of complete and utter ************* ******* - hang on, that’s another rant - step away from the computer now
well said.
I think our cultural output has been fantastic over the last 40 odd years. After seeing the closing bit I thought it was a stroke of genius to get Jimmy Page and Leona doing ‘Whole Lotta Love’ - truly bought a lump to my throat.
I guess this kind of cultural pride reached a high point in the mid to late 90’s during the ‘Cool Britannia’ period. However authentic you think that ‘Cool Britannia’ sentiment was, the country did seem more at ease with itself on the whole and took pride in it’s rich heritage and recent cultural history - brilliant world class music and bands, great designers in fashion, art and architecture etc.
Since then I guess the whole world has been on a bit of a collective downer after september 11, the ensuing fear and loathing that took over liberal democracies after the attacks and then the subsequent wars followed by the sub-prime mortgage inspired credit crunch!
I agree that we should be more enthusiastic and celebrate many of the excellent things that we have going for us. Also I think that a country that can laugh at itself is a healthy country (a bit like when you know that a person is well balanced if they can take the **** out of themselves and not take themselves too seriously). It’s only countrys with a strong totalitarian streak (like China, and Russia) where flag waving and collective enthusiasm is ‘enforced’.
Personally I reckon that Britain has always been at it’s strongest, and most charming when it has had the confidence to laugh at itself. Saying that, I agree with everyone above in saying that we should celebrate the good things we have (in order to preserve them), cheer up a bit, and get off of this downer! We should all collectively (as a nation) go down the pub, get around the old joanna, have a sing song, and CHEER UP! :D:D:D;)
A very nice post Sid - thank-you.
As Boris said “Ping-pongs coming home!”
Cheers Ducati Pete!
Nail on the head Sid:)