To think the Opening Ceremony was truely appalling and here's why

[kate2mum]

Danny Boyle - a cool dad in jeans who thinks of the world through the prism of music of his youth. He sees everything through music.
Had Viv Westwood been in charge, for example, the history of the UK would have been seen through fashion.
But, no, a billion people have to listen to the personal playlist of a Nick Hornbyish (oh, they are friends!) music trainspotter.

Shame if you don't see the world through that sort of music - but I guess you had to be there, and DBoyle probably was.

Tribute to NHS!!! Sorry, but I didn't know everyone who works for the NHS were all angels and volunteered for free instead of working for one of the biggest employers in the country. And just remembered this event is about SPORT and the way it can transform, so why oh why demonstrate 100's of "sick" children - to demonstrate how "caring" the NHS is.

Then children's literature done by the man who bought us Trainspotting - initially I thought the scene was still about the NHS turning into a nightmare, but NO, the best way to illustrate childrens' literature is to show how truely scary it is! Yes, reading can be terrifying and books are a fearful place. Not a place of safety, or unlifting, not inspiring, not poetic, just a nightmare (where were all the positive characters???).

Only people Danny Boyle's age would thing Mary Poppins was appropriate..

My children fell asleep; they could have cut most of it, had David Beckham ride in on a motorbike, light the flame, and then have some fireworks.

Lighting designer was good though.

I hate sport and really didn't want to watch last night but husband put it on and I thought I'd watch the first 5 minutes! I thought it was fantastic and it made me proud to be British. I think Danny Boyle did a wonderful job and for the person who posted saying they know him, please tell him congratulations, and well done, it was fab.

Daniel Craig bit wasn't green screened - DH knows someone who is friends of one of the cameramen.

The industrial revolution wasn't just about the revolution - although that is a fairly important bit of our history - it was about the establishment of wealth, and therefore the investments that were made in the country and its infrastructure - hence the reference to Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

I would have loved Terry Pratchett being there.

It's kind of sad in a way, because you think how excited the people who did get included must have been ... it would have been good if he'd been there.

It is the London Olympics but if not part of GB why did we see Scottish DCs singing on Edinburgh Castle, N Irish DCs singing on the Giant's Causeway etc

I'm not sure celebrating the 'establishment of wealth' should be a source of pride, really.

Ooh, yay, here is the reason 80% of our current richlist are really, really rich, cos they screwed over the rest of us. Brilliant.

I am very angry indeed because here in Leyton I had to keep my cats and dogs and rats and cochon di'indes and goldfish indoors because the fireworks scared the hell out of them. Selfish olympic committee. Selfish.

Ex-pat here, we watched from Switzerland. I have to say, I have been pretty ambivalent about the Olympics, I thought it was absolutely incredible.

And yes, the NHS should be celebrated, because no matter how it sometimes works, you have to cherish it. And what you are celebrating is the fact that you all pay for it, equally, and that there is no prejudice to anyone that uses it in time of need.

And you don't know what that worry feels like, until it is taken away....

If you were one of the surviving victims of the Cinema shooting, wondering how the heck you are going to pay for something, that happened randomly on a nice trip out to see a good movie, you'd be celebrating it.

If, like me, you were sitting waiting for a child's massive medical bill, even though you cough up 500 a month in insurance, just incase it wasn't included in the small print, you'd be cherishing it.

If, like us you had to try and save £10,000 in a "just in case" account, so if you are taken ill in another county, yes county, you can at least get transported back to your local hospital.

I am sick of people slagging off the NHS in light of the fight for a similar scheme in the US. Yes it doesn't always work, but I've been in the Swiss hospital system, and apart from waiting time, I really fail to see what more I get for my basic health insurance here.

It made me so proud of my country, I actually wanted to come home.

YANBU OP, I totally agree with you and your comments about Danny Boyle. It would only have been understood by a certain demographic, and I don't think it had the mass appeal of other less quirky opening ceremonies. It somehow lacked innocence (as well as dance choreography).

I know my Dutch friends were bemused by it, and my MIL was totally perplexed, her comment that it was "people waving their arms in the air in the dark" is quite accurate I think. Parts were good, but I suspect they were the parts where someone other than Danny Boyle had chief input.

what's a cochon thingummy? Massive fireworks display was always on the agenda, I'm afraid.

Yes, it was great. So glad we are getting some really positive posts.

was joking . no animals. was just experimenting with putting on the joyless cap to see what it felt like.
not sure think cochon d'inde was a french tricolore book animal like a guinea pig or a hamster.

Yes ekinda the rest of us should sit in the dark and quiet so as to allow your pets to remain outside

Ha - thank god!

The Industrial Revolution marked a change in the UK that changed the lives of most people - it WAS the single biggest change' the move from agriculture and small cottage industry to mass production, waged slavery, massive wealth and massive poverty, cities - crowded, dirty, filled with all human life - communications improved, life changed for most people dramatically

Where were the sheep?

stella made special ear muffs for the sheep

stella sheep muffs

YABVVVVVU OP

It was fantastic and a great celebration of British culture.

God forbid you or any of your family should become seriously ill or injured but if you do then the great NHS will patch you up and you won't get a bill in the post either.

We're they in men suits?

But equally, gordy, you could date mass production much earlier, waged slavery much much earlier, massive wealth and poverty earlier (and, indeed, are we celebrating this for a reason?), and cities. Communications have improved and declined at several points in human history. Life for some people changed; for others it remained pretty similar, and many people (obviously) weren't aware that life was 'changing' because they were busy dying, and thus not terribly aware of what was about to happen.

I am aware you can argue it as a dramatic change. I'm simply not convinced it was 'the biggest' and, if it was, that this is anything to be proud of when we could celebrate some really positive British stuff, like, say, decoding DNA or Terry Pratchett.

I dunno.

YANBU. It was shocking. Can't believe anyone liked it. Cringemaking.

stella muffs sheep

I salute Danny Baker I mean Danny Boyle. He's got the nation(s) talking in stimulated animation even more than Tracey Emin's dirty bed.

Sheep muffles macca

Can't believe that so many people are whinging - a nation of whingers - perhaps DB should have focused on them...what a miserable show that would have been.

What is wrong with celebrating British history and culture?