Tim Worstall

14 responses so far ↓

• 1 Shinsei67 // Jul 28, 2012 at 8:36 am

  A wonderful opening ceremony. Though one does wonder what we’d be thinking if Paris had won the bid and we had watched a five minute “paean to the French health service”.

• 2 Tuco // Jul 28, 2012 at 8:46 am

  Looked for all the world to be a cross between Crackerjack and the Two Ronnies Christmas Special.

• 3 Edward Lud // Jul 28, 2012 at 8:49 am

  I was snorting whisky, so my senses were dulled, but it seemed like a musical to me, and rather naff and vulgar. On the other hand, what was Boyle to do?

  Me, I’d have dipped Harperson in whale blubber and used her a human torch to light the flame, preceded by Boyle’s sheep, but in my show they’d have been on the receiving end of Welsh attentions. In another corner of the stadium I’d have put a bunch of Geordie Fat Slags flashing at the audience, and elsewhere a group of tattooed thugs from Barking getting lagered up and vomiting into the long jump pit. Finally, the thing would have been surrounded by the silent majority in a ring around the stadium. As the thugs go for them, they stand still only for hoards dayglo vested coppers to swoop and arrest the SM in a thrilling denouement.

• 4 Johnson // Jul 28, 2012 at 12:04 pm

  Dizzee Rascal and Mr Bean too! YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

• 5 Alan Geal // Jul 28, 2012 at 12:47 pm

  From what I understand from the papers we have both a Queen and a method of health care in this country…
  But we have no maritime history and never had an Empire (excepting the H.M.P.C. Windrush)…

• 6 Surreptitious Evil // Jul 28, 2012 at 12:51 pm

  I’ve not done the modern version of history but the Windrush? Wasn’t that the last British flagged slaver?

• 7 Clovis Sangrail // Jul 28, 2012 at 12:52 pm

  I would take issue with the word “method” or “system” or indeed any other word implying organisational competence.

  Actually, given current treatment of the elderly perhaps “health care” is a little dodgy too.

• 8 Martin Davies // Jul 28, 2012 at 1:09 pm

  A couple of people have pointed out to me that it defined Britishness. Had up to then been pretty sure Britishness was already defined.

• 9 SimonF // Jul 28, 2012 at 1:16 pm

  We also got treated to that other lefty favourite: Peasant life idyllic, industrial revolution nasty.

• 10 Johnnydub // Jul 28, 2012 at 1:39 pm

  Also… focus on the suffragettes, but no mention of the 150 years the Royal Navy spent on the oceans of the world enforcing a ban on slavery…

• 11 David Hall // Jul 28, 2012 at 1:57 pm

  It was an epic and generally very impressive spectacle. Probably not worth the dosh, probably incredibly biased, but an impressive spectacle nonetheless.

  It did rather fizzle out a bit after the bit that Danny Boyle directed though. The procession of Olympic Worthies (was it me or were most not athletes?), the awful Arctic Monkeys, the odd winged bikes, the tired-looking Macca having a singalong around the Olympic camp fire and the weird choice of music for the ending pyrotechnics… no I think they should have made the rest of it more like a musical too.

  Around the net people have been asking things like “I wonder if Johnny Foreigner got all of the references” but personally I don’t care. We paid for it, after all.

• 12 Matthew L // Jul 28, 2012 at 4:47 pm

  My favourite joke so far – “I’ve seen better Bond girls”

• 13 Doug Young // Jul 28, 2012 at 10:33 pm

  It struck me as as pure Music Hall – not sure if it even needed a compere. Brilliant and hilarious… and gave the Olympics a tast of reality.

• 14 SadButMadLad // Jul 28, 2012 at 10:51 pm

  It had some good bits. But they were only bits in the whole programme. Considering this was to a worldwide audience a lot of it would have gone over their heads. GOSH? NHS? That is what Aiden Burley was talking about, plus stuff like the black actors in top hats.

  Mr Bean is known worldwide (because he doesn’t speak so no translation costs) but is he really suitable for the Olympics?

  To me, I thought I was watching a concert, not an opening ceremony. Too much pop music.

  The Queen’s speach was good – short and to the point.

  Overall – not impressed. Not naff, nor embarassing like Atlanta, just OK.

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