The Industrial Revolution, Mary Poppins and the inventor of the World Wide Web…it could only be the London 2012 Opening Ceremony
The London 2012 Olympic Games opened triumphantly with a spectacular show directed by Oscar-winning Danny Boyle. The Ceremony celebrated Britain’s rich and magnificent history, beginning with a breathtaking representation of the Industrial Revolution.
Her Majesty The Queen showcased her acting prowess, working alongside Daniel Craig to create a James Bond-inspired sketch that was an undeniable highlight for many of the estimated one billion viewers worldwide.
The Queen returned to the Olympic Park the day after the event, saying to London Mayor Boris Johnson that she thoroughly enjoyed taking a starring role in Danny Boyle’s ceremony and added that the ‘Pandemonium’ sequence which marked the industrial revolution was ‘wonderful’.
The audience gasped when rings representing both the Olympics and the Industrial Revolution were lit and lifted during the Opening Ceremony.
The Ceremony paid homage to Britain’s outstanding contribution to the music industry in a toe-tapping montage of hits, featuring The Beatles, David Bowie, Dizzee Rascal and many, many more.
In a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious turn of events, the nation’s favourite nanny, Mary Poppins, descended on the Olympic Stadium to banish away the villains from some of Britain’s best loved children’s literature.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the web, was greeted by cheers on Friday as the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games celebrated his work. To honour his work, Berners-Lee’s infamous words ‘This is for everyone’, referring to the worldwide web, were displayed via the pixels in the crowd.
Victims of the 7/7 bombing were remembered in a poignant tribute, which was choreographed to a truly moving rendition of ‘Abide with Me’ sang by Scottish singer, Emeli Sande.
Sir Chris Hoy of the Great Britain Olympic cycling team carried the country’s flag as he leads Great Britain into the stadium accompanied by the David Bowie song ‘Heroes’. Sir Chris is Scotland’s most successful Olympian having won three gold medal at Beijing 2008.
Torchbearer Sir Steve Redgrave stands with the Olympic Flame in front of Young Torchbearers- seven talented athletes nominated by former British Olympic legends to light the Olympic Cauldron.
The Olympic Cauldron burned brightly at the end of Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Designer Thomas Heatherwick’s work was a highlight of the ceremony at the Olympic Stadium, watched by 80,000 spectators.
There was great pressure following Beijing’s extraordinary Opening Ceremony in 2008 but the world over has agreed that London 2012 presented a show that was spectacular, eccentric and- most importantly of all- perfectly British.
Visit our dedicated London 2012 page for more Olympic articles.
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