A last hooray
Sept 11, 2012 17:23:00 GMT
Post by patricklondon on Sept 11, 2012 17:23:00 GMT
Olympic Park may have closed to the public, the last competitors are on their way home, but we seem to be reluctant to put all the excitement behind us and start hunkering down for the autumn and winter.
Saturday's Last Night of the Proms included a surprise appearance by our rowing medallists for the last reprise of Rule Britannia ("rules the waves" - geddit?), and yesterday there was a special celebration parade through central London for all of our Olympians and Paralympians (or as many as could or wanted to take part). I managed to find a good viewing spot in Fleet Street.
Crowds were starting to line the streets well before the parade was due to leave the Guildhall (en route to speeches, a concert and ceremonial flypast outside Buckingham Palace), with flags, whistles, clackers and foam rubber hands much in evidence, and office workers leaning out of their windows.
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The odd lunchtime jogger or cyclist was greeted with some ironic cheers, while the crowd entertained itself with Mexican waves. There was a brief groan as a short shower passed over, some excitement as one group of stewards waved people on one side forward to the middle of the road, only to be followed by laughter as another group of policeman waved them all back again. But finally, the motorcycle outriders came through. When did people start touching hands with them as they passed? It seems to be de rigueur now.
Finally, a large fabric puppet of the team's lion logo appeared with a band and drummers following:
At last floats appeared, flanked by people bearing giant replicas of the stamps that have been issued for gold medallists, Olympians and Paralympians together, grouped by their sports, and plenty of medals on display:
One of the stars was being encouraged to do his signature move (which has become enough of a craze for the BBC Symphony Chorus to do it en masse when called up for their final bow at the Last Night of the Proms!):
Once again, the volunteers were not left out, nor were the drummers from the opening and closing ceremonies (I think one of my neighbours is in there somewhere):
Saturday's Last Night of the Proms included a surprise appearance by our rowing medallists for the last reprise of Rule Britannia ("rules the waves" - geddit?), and yesterday there was a special celebration parade through central London for all of our Olympians and Paralympians (or as many as could or wanted to take part). I managed to find a good viewing spot in Fleet Street.
Crowds were starting to line the streets well before the parade was due to leave the Guildhall (en route to speeches, a concert and ceremonial flypast outside Buckingham Palace), with flags, whistles, clackers and foam rubber hands much in evidence, and office workers leaning out of their windows.
The odd lunchtime jogger or cyclist was greeted with some ironic cheers, while the crowd entertained itself with Mexican waves. There was a brief groan as a short shower passed over, some excitement as one group of stewards waved people on one side forward to the middle of the road, only to be followed by laughter as another group of policeman waved them all back again. But finally, the motorcycle outriders came through. When did people start touching hands with them as they passed? It seems to be de rigueur now.
Finally, a large fabric puppet of the team's lion logo appeared with a band and drummers following:
At last floats appeared, flanked by people bearing giant replicas of the stamps that have been issued for gold medallists, Olympians and Paralympians together, grouped by their sports, and plenty of medals on display:
One of the stars was being encouraged to do his signature move (which has become enough of a craze for the BBC Symphony Chorus to do it en masse when called up for their final bow at the Last Night of the Proms!):
Once again, the volunteers were not left out, nor were the drummers from the opening and closing ceremonies (I think one of my neighbours is in there somewhere):
