...to think that London did a lovely job of the opening ceromany?

[wheresthepopcorn]

I heart London. Well done!

Weren't the LCD lights fab? Great idea...

I'm not big on patriotism generally and can't stand sport but I thought we did a bloody good job.

I wasn't sure about the NHS/GOSH thing though - it was very clever, but I thought it could be considered bad taste and those huge puppets looming out of nowhere were terrifying!

I loved the whole thing until Paul McCartney came on.

I loved the young people lighting the flame.

I thought it was amazing, for me the way those chimneys doing up to represent the industrial revolution was amazing.

Shame they forgot to put a Tory at the end destroying all said industry

I turned over when PM came on!

I really need to go back and watch the first half hour as I missed all the industrial revolution stuff putting DD to bed, and that was the bit I was really interested in.

I loved the music/internet bit .

I thought it was really good. Much better than I'd expected. Good surprises too.

I was a bit embarrassed when it all started up with some bloke singing on a hillock in Hobbiton... but it did get better, and I really enjoyed it and felt very pro team GB!

though I am very sure that Danny Boyle takes drugs

Yeah, it was great until Macca came on and his backing track failed. He should stick to playing the piano/guitar these days, bless him.

All that 'all the women' 'all the men' just reminded me what a loss John Lennon is - he would have been witty (everyone in the cheap seats make a noise/everyone in the posh seats rattle your jewellery) which would have fitted beautifully in such a funny performance. Which is very British and a great counter to the Beijing opening ceremony - a sense of humour is one of our defining characteristics (not that other nationalities can't tell jokes, but humour's an everyday part of life in this country in a way it isn't everywhere).

I liked the tribute to the suffragettes and the NHS - take that, Cameron! - and having Shami from Liberty as one of the flag bearers with Doreen Lawrence. We have a long and proud tradition of fighting for civil rights in this country and the sort of people who go on about patriotism never mention that side of it.

Superb opening ceremony. Am not in U.K.

I loved it. then Macca 'thumbs aloft' appeared. Singing Hey Jude.

I did like it and I appreciated it that Danny Boyle didn't even try and copy Beijing but did something that was very British. There were a couple of very funny moments in it, it was inspired getting the Queen involved in a James Bond sketch.

Also, Hey Jude was a brilliant way to end the night.

It was awesome. Really clever, i loved it.

I thought it was amazing, especially on such a low budget too.

And because I can't be bothered to plough through the misery on other threads, yes my 11yo stayed up to watch it,
no I don't think it could be better spent,
No I dont think the sheep were upset
yes it makes me proud,
yes PMcC should have been put out to pasture years ago

I thought it was amazing. Until Paul McCartney appeared.

It was so original, it wasn't a carbon copy of previous ceremonies - who could improve on the spectacle of Beijing?

It turned its back on the crap that is usually served up to us as 'entertainment'. It treated the audience as thinking beings something which is missing in so much of our television.

I loved the fact that he celebrated the NHS - two fingers up at the Americans who think it is communism and involves 'death panels'.

It was also moving - and I had a good cry.

I was massively, massively cynical. I had hated all the Jubilee crap.

I also loved the Olympic flag bearers. That's the kind of thing that will get lost in the translation as most people won't have a clue who Doreen Lawrence is outside the UK but that's not the point.

The fact that she and Shami Chakrabati (among others) were asked to be flag bearers is great symbolism for some of the things we should be proud of in this country.

It was all very inclusive on a grand scale (obviously there are many people who feel they can't join in as they'd like, I'm one of them) but the ceremony can only be symbolic and can only involve so many people and I felt it represented MY Britain far better than the Jubilee celebrations.

I like the Queen more when she is with Daniel Craig for sone reason

I loved it was very surprised at the format but thought Danny Boyle did a great job.

I loved Mr Bean too - great tough to show a bit of humour.