The Closing Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics

[EIIR]

Aaah, my favourite song of all time - Baba O'Reilly.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Best bit of the night.

are we still expecting Paul McCartney...?

Paul closed the opening ceremony. The Who are the final act.

 

[Lee-Z]

Paul closed the opening ceremony. The Who are the final act.

ok, not complaining Roger Daltrey's voice held up a bit better

 

[susan alicia]

there will be lots of fun in the olympic village

 

[Elly C]

Lovely touch having shots of the volunteer game makers. A brilliant performance from The Who

 

[Lee-Z]

See, told you, guitars are good

 

[susan alicia]

Elizabeth Windsor ‏@Queen_UK
People are wondering where Paul McCartney is. One has three words: Tower of London

 

[EIIR]

Roger Daltrey still has it in a way that Sir Paul McCartney just doesn't really.

 

[Artemisia]

I'm so sad this ends...
Still, it was great while it lasted!

 

[Lumutqueen]

Okay. It was a party for the athletes, it was not a closing ceremony for me. The best bit was The Who and the several athlete/gamemakers montages.

The athletes are the stars, they are the Olympics and I will miss watching it.

Roll on the Paralympic Games in 16 days!!!!

 

[Lee-Z]

I'm so sad this ends...
Still, it was great while it lasted!

yep, great sports, great venues, great opening and closing ceremonies and plenty of royal visitors as well, what more do we want

 

[kathia_sophia]

but isnt Harry 'Harry'? wasnt he baptized Harry? never heard people calling him Henry before, sorry, im might be ignorant here, but i just wanna know;_;

 

[Elly C]

Whoever is responsible for the lighting of the stadium deserves recognition. It!s still looking fantastic now the party is over

 

[Lee-Z]

but isnt Harry 'Harry'? wasnt he baptized Harry? never heard people calling him Henry before, sorry, im might be ignorant here, but i just wanna know;_;

baptized henry charles albert david..

 

[Daria_S]

but isnt Harry 'Harry'? wasnt he baptized Harry? never heard people calling him Henry before, sorry, im might be ignorant here, but i just wanna know;_;

He was named Henry Charles Albert David, but was to be known as 'Harry'.

 

[cdngirl]

Where were the Rolling Stones?

 

[Warren]

If it leaves us feeling elated, or just happy and wanting more, they've done their job.
A great two weeks, off to a slow start for both GB and Australia, but ending on a high note in a well-deserved triumph for Great Britain, bookended by an impressive Opening Ceremony and a fantastic, fun, whimsical and fabulously musical Closing Ceremony. Loved it.

 

[Artemisia]

If it leaves us feeling elated, or just happy and wanting more, they've done their job.
A great two weeks, off to a slow start for both GB and Australia, but ending on a high note in a well-deserved triumph for Great Britain, bookended by an impressive Opening Ceremony and a fantastic, fun, whimsical and fabulously musical Closing Ceremony. Loved it.

- Elated? Check.
- Happy? Check.
- Wanting more? Check.
Yep, I'd say it went really well.

Signing after every word you wrote, Warren; absolutely fantastic games!
Rio is going to have a hard time to try and outdo this. London 2012 was an absolute and unconditional triumph.

 

[kathia_sophia]

did the close family, also called 'Harry' instead of 'Henry?

 

[EIIR]

I'm already depressed that it's over. I remember so well the day it was announced in 2005 that London would get the Games. I'm very proud of the Games we've put on; we certainly proved a few people wrong (Mitt Romney, I'm looking at you).

London's the first city to host the Olympics 3 times, and I have no doubt they'll be back in London, hopefully within my lifetime.

 

[Artemisia]

did the close family, also called 'Harry' instead of 'Henry?

Yes, they do. I've heard Prince Charles and William refer to him as Harry - not Henry.
On official occasions, however, it is more than appropriate to use his actual given name.
And representing the Queen during the Olympic Closing ceremony is as official as it can get.

I'm already depressed that it's over. I remember so well the day it was announced in 2005 that London would get the Games. I'm very proud of the Games we've put on; we certainly proved a few people wrong (Mitt Romney, I'm looking at you).

London's the first city to host the Olympics 3 times, and I have no doubt they'll be back in London, hopefully within my lifetime.

I remember the day as well; I was in France and naturally shared Paris' sadness at losing their bid. Still, I had no doubts London 2012 would dazzle.

Before the Opening Ceremony, a lot of people had reservations - especially British people; it seemed as though British newspapers enjoyed criticising every aspect of the games that hadn't even started yet. But I think from the first several minutes of the Opening Ceremony onwards it was obvious everything is going to be great.

What with magnificent Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Team GB's excellent results, general very positive and friendly atmosphere, and great organisations, the Games were definitely as successful as they could possibly be.

 

[Meraude]

This closing ceremony was actually all I've seen of this years Olympic Games, but I think it was fun to watch and I liked how the olympic flame was opened up and the phoenix hanging over it before it was extinguished, I felt it had a symbolic meaning, as the flame will rise again the same way the phoenix rises from the ashes.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Where were the Rolling Stones?

Mick Jagger denied they were performing and the rumours going around we're false.

Harry is a nickname that has stuck, his given name is Henry so that's what I'm going to use.

 

[Meraude]

Harry is a nickname that has stuck, his given name is Henry so that's what I'm going to use.

It was his parents who decided that their youngest son should be known as Harry and not Henry, it was announced already when they informed the public about his names.

 

[Isabella]

I enjoyed the Closing Ceremony very much (and I've only seen it on a small screen on my computer so far. I can't wait to watch it on my TV). I don't usually pay much attention to closing ceremonies, but I love British music so much, and this was quite well put together.

 

[kathia_sophia]

ohh i see, thank you!
at least its not something the media did, like Felipe Froilan (son of Infanta Elena) that his family calls him Felipe and the media Froilan.
i guess ill call Henry 'Harry' since its what he's known for, even within his own family^^

 

[Warren]

Guys, could we draw the line under Harry's name please, or discuss it elsewhere. This is an Olympics thread, the Games have just ended on a high, and Harry-Henry (one is formal, one is used day to day, end of story) is an unnecessary distraction.

thanks
Warren

 

[MichelleQ2]

well done London!

There is nothing more proud than your own city hosting the world and doing it magnificently. I was a teenager when the olympics were in LA and we loved it. There is such a spirit and civic pride that wells up inside you. But as an adult, I can say these are by far my favorite olympics ... it helps that I love the city of London and I spend as much time there as I can. I basked in the familiar sites of the city turned into fabulous venues. It has been a happy and glorious fortnight.

London has had an amazing 16 months showing the world how to put on a show ...from the Royal Wedding to the Diamond Jubilee culminating in the Olympics.

Well Done London!

 

[Daria_S]

And I believe they still have the Para-Olympics in sixteen days , so the festivities are far from over.

Anyhow, I found these on my twitter. I don't think they've been posted yet:

From 'The Daily Mail':
King of the Closing Ceremony: Prince Harry is joined by Kate as he takes centre stage as the top Royal | Mail Online

From 'Press Association':
Press Association Images

From someone's Tumblr:
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8nzbk0PcP1rqvmwdo1_500.jpg

 

[Artemisia]

The REAL stars of the greatest show on Earth: Athletes parade into the Olympic stadium carrying flags of every nation to make huge Union Jack

They may have just finished days of grueling competition, but the Olympic athletes showed no signs of running out of steam as they took centre stage in the closing ceremony. Thousands of the stars of London 2012 from all the nations poured into the Olympic stadium as the Games reached a dramatic climax. And after all the pressures of vying for gold, they could at last let their hair down and have some fun.

Feeling sad about the end of the Games? Eric Idle leads 80,000 crowd in rendition of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

The audience at the Olympics closing ceremony were treated to a taste of Britain's comedy heritage tonight when Monty Python star Eric Idle appeared onstage. The actor led the 80,000-strong crowd through a singalong rendition of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, while a bizarre troupe of dancers performed around him. They included jigging Morris Dancers, a choir of rugby players and skating nuns and when the song finished, a human cannonball was launched across the stadium.

David Cameron and Boris Johnson just can't help dad dancing as they watch the Spice Girls perform

Many comedy sketches in the closing ceremony were meant to get a giggle from the crowd, but one of the funniest moments was completely unrehearsed - with Boris Johnson and David Cameron leaving viewers on stitches with their 'dad dancing' to the Spice Girls. The crowd erupted as the Spice Girls drove into the stadium in black cabs to make their first performance together since 2008 when their world tour was cut short.

Spice Up Your Life! Spice Girls wow with an energetic routine at the Olympics closing ceremony after arriving on black cabs

Their performance at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony has been one of the most talked about gigs of the year. And the Spice Girls certainly didn't disappoint as they took to the stage in front of an estimated one billion sport and music lovers worldwide. Storming on to the stage on top of five traditional black cabs which reflected their individual personalities, the fabulous five emerged to a rapturous applause as they performed their first smash hit single, Wannabe.