The trouble is, even if we remember the facts about events we are always perilously in danger of forgetting the accompanying feelings...
As G K Chesterton astutely observed:
'The world will perish not from lack of wonders, but for want of wonder.'Which brings another quote to mind from P L Travers' Mary Poppins...
"You'll forget because you can't help it," [said the bird] "There never was a human being that remembered after the age of one – at the very latest –- except, of course, Her." And he jerked his head over his shoulder at Mary Poppins...
Mind you, I'm pretty sure that PLT would have been far from amused by the sight of an army of Mary Poppinses.
She was always quite adamant that she was strictly one of a kind.
10 comments:
Much of it was memorable, though I'm still trying to forget Paul McCartney's appearance.
I think the Queen was the star of the show.
Could have done with it being an hour shorter - or starting an hour earlier.
Paul McC: Hmmm, probably past his normal cocoa-and-bedtime... The ceremony OUGHT to have ended with the flame.
The Queen was great but does seem to find it hard to keep smiling these days – mind you sitting through that procession of 204 countries must have been a bit wearying.
It was glorious! US TV anchors were not bright enough to understand it! mg
You're such a great Anglophile, Mike, I knew you'd get it if anyone did!
The Queen's bit with Bond was delightful, but I did wonder why she was so grim-faced later. One never knows what's going on behind the scenes, she may have had things on her mind...
The way the smokestacks took over the pleasant pastures made a deep impression on me.
Many Poppinses floating down from the skies was a joy...
Let's do it again!
May I say something, from out of UK... I like it, but, there were some things difficult to understand if you are not british.
I miss more references to the great british literature.
But I think that everybody enjoy the show, and yes, the ceremony ougth to have ended with the flame, as always... (Perhaps was my impression but too much make for P.Mc???)
Unforgettable is a good word to use in that some of it was unforgettably good and some was unforgettably horrendous. Amazingly I have woken from my blogging slumber to give my sometimes less that charitable views. But 007 & HMQ was an absolute delight. If they had gone from that straight to the Young Olympians and the Cauldron of Fire it would have been aces.
As the old dear mentioned immediately when she phoned to say she had won at bridge again and tell me which day she was going into hospital for a new knee, "I just can't stand that Paul McCartney trying to be chummy with everyone!"
Beth – Do it again? Are you trying to pauperise us?! :)
Eudora – I agree about the lack of literature references; Shakespeare got a brief look in (with Prospero curiously transformed into Isambard Kingdom Brunel) but no sign of Mr Dickens and many others.
Good Dog – Funnily enough I have (almost) forgotten the weak/bad bits (like the unsuccessful mash-up of Brit cinema and pop music) but PMcC lingers too long – as he did on the night! Now I must go and read YOUR review!! PS: Let's get together (sometime before the year's end!!) It's been too long!
Apart from all my grouching, I think the biggest bugbear was the need for VT in what is essentially a theatrical piece. Even with the Rowan Atkinson/Bean piece it required the camera close on Sir Simon Rattle's face for his reaction shot, so the audience in the stadium must having been looking down at the ground, up at the screens, back down at the ground, back up....
And when it comes to highlighting British culture, why predominantly pop music?
Must get together soon, you're absolutely right on that score. It's been far to long.
That's true! But not having a ticket for the stadium I wasn't going to waste time giving a damn about what those lucky sods could or couldn't see! But, yes, you are right and I much enjoyed your decimation of the event!
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