Olympinonsense

[Beef Oven]

- Are you quite sure? Isn't Hoxton east?

very sure - got the birth records. london was tiny in those days, middx went right into the centre of london. hoxton is EC.

.

[mangerton]

What a fascinating discussion! I'm sorry to see that lateralt1 is upset about the nationality thing. As no-one has yet posted the offensive verse of the National Anthem, here it is:

Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the King.

The fact that we don't sing it any more doesn't mean it wasn't written, and it is part of our NA. I wouldn't sing it. Not if you paid me.

Lat, there is much you have posted on these boards that I wholeheartedly agree with, but I fear we must differ here. This National Anthem thing has long been a thorn in the flesh of the Celtic nations of the UK. GSTQ can either be the English NA or the UK NA. It cannot reasonably be both, but it has been for as long as I can remember. Similarly, the Union Jack is perceived by the average English person as the "English" flag. It isn't and it never was, and it causes great offence to the other nations when it is presented as such.

I'll not be watching tonight's opening show, or indeed any of the games. I look forward with interest to others' honest opinions as to whether tonight's show is really worth the £27 million it is said to have cost.

1000 nurses for a year? A few new schools? A hospital? Lat's job? Perhaps my job in a year or so? We're in the middle of the worst financial crisis I can remember, and we're wasting money on this nonsense.

I am appalled at this waste of public money. I am appalled even more that this "bread and circuses", rammed down our throats by the three main political parties, has been so readily accepted by the populace, many of whom should know better.

[Bryn]

very sure - got the birth records. london was tiny in those days, middx went right into the centre of london. hoxton is EC.

.

London's administrative geography does indeed have a strange history. Penge, for instance, used to fall within the Parish of Battersea.

[Beef Oven]

London's administrative geography does indeed have a strange history. Penge, for instance, used to fall within the Parish of Battersea.

Strange to us now, but it was what it was back then.

[Beef Oven]

What a fascinating discussion! I'm sorry to see that lateralt1 is upset about the nationality thing. As no-one has yet posted the offensive verse of the National Anthem, here it is:

Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the King.

The fact that we don't sing it any more doesn't mean it wasn't written, and it is part of our NA. I wouldn't sing it. Not if you paid me.

Lat, there is much you have posted on these boards that I wholeheartedly agree with, but I fear we must differ here. This National Anthem thing has long been a thorn in the flesh of the Celtic nations of the UK. GSTQ can either be the English NA or the UK NA. It cannot reasonably be both, but it has been for as long as I can remember. Similarly, the Union Jack is perceived by the average English person as the "English" flag. It isn't and it never was, and it causes great offence to the other nations when it is presented as such.

is [it] really worth the £27 million it is said to have cost. [?]

1000 nurses for a year? A few new schools? A hospital?

A hospital for £27m

[Nick Armstrong]

Listening to vox pop interviews on the TV news I'm starting to think there can only be two adjectives left in the English language - "amazing", and "massive".

... and the adjectival phrase "blown away"...

[Nick Armstrong]

What a fascinating discussion!

It is! Hilarious, frequently, too!

[Northender]

Listening to vox pop interviews on the TV news I'm starting to think there can only be two adjectives left in the English language - "amazing", and "massive".

Don't forget 'electric' (usually attached to 'atmosphere')

[Lateralthinking1]

very sure - got the birth records. london was tiny in those days, middx went right into the centre of london. hoxton is EC..

Blimey, interesting. My apologies for doubting it.

[LeMartinPecheur]

You missed out the last verse ...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...en-lyrics.html

Well, they say you should learn something new every day...

...I'd certainly never thought that the dear Queen is, or ever was, a prince...

[teamsaint]

somebody in our house turned the telly...so I have seen a bit of the opening ceremony.

Tell me again why they are always trying to remind us that we are really all just peasants who got lucky......for a while......

(check out what events they put on when the queen came to Salisbury).

Edit....also, will the history lesson include our colonial past, and a re run of some of our recent invasions of foreign countries?

[Nick Armstrong]

Has to be said, this opening thing is a triumph I think. And James Bond and Her Maj - hilarious

[antongould]

With Simon Rattle and the world's best Wallander what's there not to like!!!

[Nick Armstrong]

With Simon Rattle and the world's best Wallander what's there not to like!!!

Rattle/LSO with Mr Bean at the keyboard. Genius!

Modern equivalent of Previn/LSO with Morecambe & Wise, I think!

[Serial_Apologist]

the world's best Wallander

Is there more than one???

I've decided not to bother with watching this extravaganza. 3 hours is just too much; on the other hand, not much is to be gleaned by the occasional look-in. I'd feel in all to many ways like an impotent gawping at an orgy!