To wonder if most of the Commonwealth will understand the opening ceremony

[Bearbehind]

It's very, well.....Scottish?

How many people will recognise a Tunnocks tea cake or understand the cone on the head of the statue?

Not sure everyone will even be able to understand what Karen Dunbar is saying.

Agreed the suggestion Scotland got nothing out of the colonies and Scotsmen played no or little part is fanciful.

Loads of countries didn't understand what was going on during the opening Olympic ceremony.

A journalist friend of mine covered it and he said he spent most of his time explaining to journos from other countries the significance of kids bouncing on beds and Kenneth Branagh walking around in a big hat...

Numanoid *ChelsyHandy I think that's a sweeping remark. Maybe to you, that is "Scottishness" these days, but I don't think the majority of Scots are uncouth"

True, I actually had in our mind our elected representatives, who mainly adopt this "style", either in the Parliament itself, or when speaking in public.

Its actually impossible to tell which part of Scotland Alex Salmond or Nicola Sturgeon originated from - both have adopted such a generic and unique way of speaking that I don't think you could call it an accent at all.

It seems to be part of the current obsession in Scotland with projecting a certain image, and pretending that the Scots have a lot in common with the Spanish Basques is part of that - thankfully the opening ceremony didn't go that far.

Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Irish and Scots were also used as slaves on the sugar plantations if the Caribbean and Virginia.

My ancestors include them, along with African and slave owners. It's a very cliched and simplistic view, but a fashionable one, to constantly hark on about the horrors of the Empire as though nobody but the person speaking can occupy moral high ground.

It's one of the many reasons I live outside London .

I have forgiven the Italians for the Roman Empire, and don't feel the need to whiffle smugly about it every time I fancy a pizza. Perhaps we could acknowledge that the British Empire was not

I'm bringing up my mixed race kids to look forwards, not backwards.

Was not...overall admirable and then move on

I don't see the point in harping on about the evils of empires, it's in the past and nothing to do with people of my generation. I just get annoyed with our preference for children's charities rather than charities helping the whole community, although I'm sceptical about aid as a concept as it can undermine local farmers and local initiatives and can be funnelled into nice little "projects" that can become white elephants.

I was only pointing out that Scotland in many ways was at the forefront of slavery and did very well in those days from it. It led to a lot of wonderful large houses being built in Scotland. There is a good programme on youtube about the Sugar trade (I am very anti sugar) called Addicted to Pleasure - Sugar which is worth watching - made I think by BBC Scotland. I certainly agree there is no point in harping back too much or we'll all find something unsavoury in our ancestors I'm sure and a lot of good too.

SuBo - shit
Rod Stewart - shit
Equally, Paul McCartney at Olympics or Jubilee or wherever they wheeled him out to a couple of years ago - shit.

Just because they were good in their heyday doesn't mean their voices are up to the job now. Like watching karaoke in a nursing home.
Annie Lennox, anyone?

Thought the Scottish outfits looked remarkably good en masse, England's outfits - shit. Papua New Guinea's - very festive.
Got remarkably bored about an hour and a half in, and finally the death knell was signalled when I had to watch what appeared to be the members of a few WI's womble about 'dancing'.
Mostly irritated by the athletes 'filming' on their phones during the minutes silence. Disrespectful fuckers, put them away for 60 seconds you douchebags.

The Queen looked happy, though. -And perhaps I would be too if it wasn't so bloody hot-

I don't see the point in harping on about the evils of empires, it's in the past and nothing to do with people of my generation

I completely agree. I especially don't see the point as one poster did here just to have a go at England. I'm equally bored of hearing about the Highland Clearances.

I suspect if the clearances hadn't happened the highlands would have migrated to the cities naturally looking for work in the same way they did in most of Europe. I love Harris and Ardnamurchan but couldn't make a living there so am happy to just go there on holidays.