“Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises” Shakespeare’s The Tempest

Wow! The Closing Ceremony for London 2012 was incredible. I am so glad I managed to stay up until the bitter end, despite being a little fatigued today! I am hard pressed to identify my favourite bit, but there were several real highlights. Early on, I loved the juxtaposition of the Union Jack stage with the word ‘Freedom’ ricocheting around the stadium. It reminded me that, although our past and present are by no means perfect, Great Britain really does offer a free way of life which I am very grateful for and we should be proud of. The pixel screens at the spectator seats really were inspired Danny Boyle and throughout the programme they dazzled me. I also really enjoyed the 3D jigsaw of John Lennon’s face, projection of Freddie Mercury, Annie Lennox, the London Taxis, Eric Idle and Take That. Some of the artists were less stunning and I never really see a need for Russell Brand, but those are minor gripes in a show that overall was my slight preference to the Opening Ceremony (which I also thought was amazing, but a bit disjointed after the forging of the rings) – I felt it flowed better. A special mention has to go to the Royal Ballet and Darcey Bussell. I have always loved watching ballet, but last night they were magical. It was also a perfect choice in terms of physicality and athleticism. The performance to modern music, the phoenix imagery, the beautiful movements and the fabulous costumes were a perfect part of the finale.