The Kintyre Forum

I know there is a thread started on the Sports bit about the ceremony but thought I'd widen it. I LOVED the opening cermony! For one night, the cynic in me disappeared. Here was I expecting Cheryl Cole, tired comedians, One Direction, references to 1966 and a representation of dumbed-down Britain and what I got was a spectacular fusion of Blake, Shakespeare, Barrie, history, the coolest-ever Beckham, a monarch who showed at last some amazing humour, a hilarious Mr Bean, the NHS at its best (what with it being privatised right under our noses), lots of children, Mary Poppins, Bradley Wiggins, the Clash, Oldfield's bells, Sir Simon in trainers, Bowie, the Jam, the inventor of the worldwide web (yeah, you heard right, Americans!), poignant tributes to the war dead and the victims of 7/7 (a very moving Abide With Me that finally cracked me), future Olympians lighting the cauldron and then a flaming good singalong at the end with Macca (where they let him finish!). It was spectacular!!!!!!!!!!! I don't believe in the Honours system but that Danny Boyle should be handed a knighthood tomorrow.

BYE

I totally disagree. He wasn't there for his singing - he was there because at 70, he's arguably the most famous musician on the planet, one of our greatest songwriters, a brilliant humanitarian, a BEATLE, an inspiration to many and a British LEGEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Govangirl wrote:I totally disagree. He wasn't there for his singing - he was there because at 70, he's arguably the most famous musician on the planet, one of our greatest songwriters, a brilliant humanitarian, a BEATLE, an inspiration to many and a British LEGEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You like him, don't you?

Actually, I do like him but that's all. I'm not a big fan, I wouldn't buy his new stuff, I don't very often listen to his old and I wouldn't go to his concerts. I just recognise the genius in the man, his contribution to modern culture and why he would be chosen to top the Olympic ceremony.

BYE

LANDROVER ROGER wrote:I think that I had better agree Govangirl.I don`t want to wake up with a horse`s head in my bed! No backbone.That`s my trouble.

I DO agree with GG, Roger, she sums up Mr McCartney very aptly and we share the same stance towards him.

BYE

Spineless to a man!

I have some replacement spines..... 35 installed

I see that this thread has developed into a discussion about P McCartney. As this was a national event, and was not a celebration of Mr McCartney, I think the discussion is probably off-topic, so I won't mention him again as I don't wish to offend anybody. However, I'll continue now and probably offend a few folk.

About 45 minutes into the event I remarked with the catch-phrase from "Chewin the Fat" that they had "just taken this too far", as (to me) it began to get boring.

The bit at the beginning with the contributions from the four home countries including the Edinburgh school pupils singing "Flower of Scotland" was cringeworthy. It would have been an unforgettable experience for the children involved, and no criticism of them is intended, but the song really does our country no favours. I nearly threw the remote control through the TV screen on Saturday afternoon during the report on the previous night's events when the reporter described this truly dreadful song as being "Scotland's National Anthem". I have already expressed my opinions on this song on the forum, so anyone who has been around here for a while will know about my (highly subjective and personal) opinion of it. I appreciate that this song is liked by many Scottish people, but I am not one of them. Surely we must be able to do something more appropriate than this for a Scottish national anthem. (Think I'll need tae get the manuscript book oot)

Like you Emdee I got bored very quickly and when I realised that the theme wasn't British but English I turned it off. I should maybe have given it more than 5 minutes but it was just too annoying.

It is actually London's Olympic games. What did you want massed pipebands,free whisky and shortbread and people with blue painted faces tossing their cabers. Other than Macca I thought it was superb.

gizmo wrote:What did you want massed pipebands,free whisky and shortbread and people with blue painted faces tossing their cabers.

I don't like any of those things Gizmo but I am wondering with all those empty seats maybe more than me thought it wasn't worth patronizing.

Isa, I know what you mean but there were no empty seats at the opening ceremony. I agree with Gizmo, they are indeed the London Games and I thought personally it was great Scotland was not painted with a typical shortbread tin face - and Danny Boyle was the man to do that.