The 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony

I watched the opening ceremony with my heart a bit in my mouth, as I thought we would make a mess of it.

How wrong I was!

I was so proud to be British, and my Australian son-in-law phoned me and said how impressed he was with it.

And we went on to do so well, we really were Great then.

I was not at the opening ceremony - but was involved as a specialist volunteer Games Maker with gymnastics.

My role was mainly in the athletes and coaches lounge, which also gave me access to the actual arena. Can remember cuddling and crying with an ex-President of British Gymnastics, when the boys got their wonderful team bronze medal. Could not believe it - something that had only been in our dreams for decades, and now actually happened.

Still have my Games Maker uniform.

I watched the other day and was amazed at the complexity, something that was impossible to grasp when I watched it live in 2012. Parts that I’d not even noticed or understood explained in great detail by the organisers and Danny Boyle, I was blown away for the second time.
If you haven’t seen it do watch it’s fascinating.

I've looked forward to the Olympics each time they were held and was so disappointed when this years in Japan was cancelled. It's the only athletics I enjoy watching when it comes round.

I remember Danny Boyle's appearance in the 2012 Olympics.

My GD's late partner and his dad did the flooring in the main area as that's what his dad specialises in and also owns his business.

It was a wonderful Olympic Games, and even the weather was very kind to us the whole time. Opening Ceremony was amazing - I still think the best ever.

I was looking forward to Tokyo this month, but will have to wait another year. Hard on some athletes, as they spend so much time gearing up to a particular olympic year.

Was not too keen on the idea of showing repeats from 2012, but am actually enjoying them.

I always enjoy the Olympics, and we were lucky enough to be able to get tickets for the first day of Athletics in 2012 and spend four days down in London just soaking up the atmosphere, which was amazing.

There was a lot of doom mongering beforehand from people convinced we’d make a mess of it. Then we got a taste of things to come with that brilliant opening ceremony....

I came across this 2012 cartoon the other day. It amused me then and still does.

I was at the "dry run" wnen we were asked to keep the secret.

As far as I know everyone did.

Somehow, 8 years on, I don't think that would happen now.

I'm loving watching the highlights of those Olympics.
Even when I know they won a gold meddle I'm still cheering them on as if it's live. So proud. ????

We were so lucky to get tickets for the Opening Ceremony, we just applied through the ballot scheme. It was so amazing to be there, a tremendous atmosphere and the organised transport there and back was so well organised, thanks to Boris!! It was an honour to be there, we felt so proud of our country and we will remember it forever. Good to see again on TV and a what a reminder of how our wonderful NHS was then, and is still now. Sadly we seem to forget the great things about Britain

Think the organisation and transport arrangements were more to do with Seb Coe and his team than Johnson. I know that lots of roads round East London had separate lanesonly allowed to be used for the dignitaries cars. That did cause some bad feeling.

It was a tremendous event, and wonderful feeling around. In the years leading up to it I can very much remember the doom merchants forecasting so much disaster. Nick Ferrari, for one - they were proven so very wrong. The atmosphere all around East London had to be experienced to be fully appreciated. My duties started over a week before the opening ceremony (welcoming the different gymnastic teams, at their pre-comp. training near O2. The first couple of days, I felt a little embarrassed travelling there (bus and tube) in my GamesMaker uniform (it was very bright), however, we were treated brilliantly by the rest of the public and made to feel special.

Gymnastic was held at 02, and any time that I have gone there for amything, it brings back so many wonderful memories.

I can’t believe anyone thinks Boris organised the Olympics. He couldn’t organise a proverbial in a brewery. It was Ken Livingstones team who won the bid. I worked with someone who danced in the opening ceremony and she was often rushing off to rehearsals. I tried to spot her on the tv but didn’t- I think she was dressed up as a nurse. We watched Super Saturday on holiday in the Isle of Skye.

Yes, the bid was made under Ken - by the time it was awarded, it was Boris Johnson who London Mayor and who received the flag in 2008 in China. My memory of that ceremony is one of embarrassment as he even managed to make that a bit farcical, being the clown he is.

Government Ministers were actually booed by the Olympic crowds when they went to present medals.

I watched the replay of it a couple of nights ago and realised how the country has changed since then. So much optimism and people working together. Now everything seems to be division and hatred. Hard to believe a country could change so much in 8 years.

What a shame the Boris Hating Fun Suckers had to make an appearance on a such a positive thread, sadly you will never begin to understand what memorable night we experienced.

the 2012 Olympics was Britain's finest hour in my lifetime. There was so much cynicism about the opening ceremony - all the media were convinced it was going to be a fiasco - but it was a total triumph, although a bonkers one and I still wonder if people abroad understood anything of it apart from the appearance of Mr Bean. The entire nation was so engaged in the Games, so enthusiastic, supportive and united in a way that seems unimaginable now.

tnasparkle you don’t have to love Boris to have fun believe it or not. I did enjoy the opening ceremony and the Olympics very much thank you - didn’t make me a sycophantic Johnson lover since everyone knows he didn’t organise it and would never have bid for it. He did turn up and wave a flag and shake hands with foreign dignitaries- that was his job. The Queen, David Beckenham, James Bond and many others took part too.

It was a fascinating spectacle. I admit to being slightly concerned beforehand but no, it was amazing