Topic: The Olympics

[Flighty]

Make that 14!  :)

[Spireite]

Go GO Gadget Mo....It looks as though Royal Mail need to buy some more gold paint!!!!  ;D

[gp.girl]

And the footballers lose on penalties  :'(

At least it wasn't Germany again

[lillian]

Had a most enjoyable day parked in front of the TV and planning another one today. Synchronised swimming, diving, artistic gymnastics, track cycling and athletics.  ;D

[ACE]

Synchronised swimming,

I don't really know how this is classed as a sport, I know you must be fit to do it but sport it ain't. Bring back poodle clipping, that used to be an olympic sport

http://war1057.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/11-strange-olympics-events-photoslist/

[Jeannine]

Excuse me but going back a couple of pages I haver taken offence to the suggestion that  the pessimists post on the Olympic soon thread... I started that thread and my comment was full of very excited positive happiness for the Olympics, and I didn;t turn negative although I did post on it several times. 

So my comment goes here and it is negative, I did not like the opening ceromonies, just simply did not like this one.

XX Jeannine

[shirlton]

We didn't intend to watch it at all but have been hooked by it. Even cheering them on(but don't tell anyone)

[cornykev]

What an evening of Patriotic fun and jubilation, medals and more medals, oh what a night better than late December back in 63, even the knockers are watching now as they seen well informed on the goings on, I think Ace would have been waving his flag if Cowes have been chosen for the sailing, sour grapes I think.   :-* ;)

[Kea]

I went on Wednesday. My husband is a big table tennis fan but I'm not. I thought I'd be a bit bored I went for the experience. We saw the men's quarter finals so saw all the eventual medal winners in action. I'm now hooked I was glued to the rest of the tt games.
We also went to the,handball in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day in the olympic park......it is amazing it's impossible to comprehend how big it is and the planting is just fantastic. The olympic stadium is surrounded by a sea of golden flowers but dotted with blue and maroon. It takes your breath away. Annoyed though that some people walked into it to have their photos taken squashing it down.
Other areas also have interesting planting.
I loved the opening ceremony except for the woman who couldn't sing at all mumbling,and flat Abide with Me. Why not Kathryn Jenkins or Russell Watson?

[ACE]

I think Ace would have been waving his flag if Cowes have been chosen for the sailing,

No it would not do to have it in Cowes, if they shut the roads and it stopped Piggy Watson on his swill  round, it could get a bit smelly in town.

[Paulines7]

I sat and watched the opening ceremony again at the weekend with my 7 and 10 year old grandchildren.  I fast forwarded through the procession of the athletes as it was a bit boring for them and went on to the cycling doves.  They loved it all and were fascinated by the industrial revolution.

Isn't it strange how some people hated the opening ceremony whilst others really loved it.   A bit like marmite really!   ;D

To me it showed the true history of Great Britain and I didn't think it was too left wing as some reports in the press have said.

As for the games themselves, I have watched more events than at any other time in my life.  I have particularly enjoyed the cycling events, probably because I have become a follower of the Tour de France over the past few years.  

Great Britain has done really well and may the athletes continue to add to their numerous medals.  It is unheard of to be in third place and to be above all the other European countries including Russia.   ;D ;D

[Digeroo]

I should have liked to see more badminton and table tennis.  Just cannot seem to work out when they will be on TV.  Finally saw a great badminton match between a french guy and one from Hong Kong.  But the booing and hissing in the back ground was terrible and the commentator decided we already knew what was going on and so refused to tell us.

Still seen no table tennis.

I would like to see a re-editing of the TV coverage of the opening ceremony for those of us whose brains have slowed down a bit.

[daveyboi]

So my comment goes here and it is negative, I did not like the opening ceromonies, just simply did not like this one.

XX Jeannine

Any particular part or all of it?
I am interested as this is the first "did not like" comment I have heard.

btw I hope this does not go into a big argument on here

[daveyboi]

I should have liked to see more badminton and table tennis.  Just cannot seem to work out when they will be on TV. 

Full schedule is here http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/schedule-results

[Borlotti]

Anyone know when Federer is playing Murray as I need to go out.  Sorry but I just can't get to like Murray.

[lillian]

Anyone know when Federer is playing Murray as I need to go out.  Sorry but I just can't get to like Murray.

14.00hrs

http://www.london2012.com/

Has the whole schedule

[cornykev]

I forgot about Piggy Watson Ace, I suppose you have a point, another Gold in the sailing.   :D

[cornykev]

Another Gold in the Tennis, go on Tim, sorry Andy, bronze and silver in the gymnastics.   8)

[Jeannine]

daveyboi, in answer to your question about why I did not like the opening ceremonies.

May I first say there were bits that were superb but overall I found it rather boring.

The very beginning was drab and colourless, agreed it made sense when it moved further along but to me it was a bad start.I thought the reference to the war was unnecessary,yes it was part of our history but I felt it added nothing to the show and bearing in mind that there were countries competing that fought us at war I think  it would have been better left out. I think this could lay down a dangerous precedent for future Olympic ceremonies

There were tons and tons of children bouncing on beds, entertaining perhaps but I think it got boring pretty quickly despite what was happening around them.

They brought in an orchestra and Mr Bean, surely we could find someone better than him for such an important occasion, funny, well not for me, but I guess I can see why some folks like him, I just think not then and there. I would have thought the orchestra doing last night of the proms would have been much more rousing and significant. I think this was a big feature of Britain that was overlooked as they had an orchestra right there!!

At one point I expected to see allotments on show, definitely depicting the British way of life but then the pigeons and whippets would have had to be there too so I guess you have to draw the line.

Paul Mc..made me very sad, he is getting on now and he didn't do very well,my heart went out to him as I feel he struggled, to the world though I think it looked poor.Perhaps someone else that was younger could have done a better job.

I think the show was rather like the curates egg, good in parts,and the good bits were excellent but overall it was up and down for quality .

Overall it came across to me as a series of small shows, some OK some very good and some poor,  they chucked allsorts in the mix wether entertaining  or not even an attempt or two at humour which fell flat for me  but they did not flow from one thing to another well.

I loved the torch,  very very impressive and I gave it top marks, however they dropped later when I realised it is where it can't be seen by everyone. There are millions of overseas visitors in the UK right now that didn't;t get tickets so for them and of course for the locals too it had to be a let down.

I admired all the hundreds of volunteers and  they all gave their hearts to what they were doing, it was the production that was all wrong for me.

I love the opening ceremonies and have always said wow after watching them, this one lacked the wow factor.

However, it is done now and maybe the closing ceremonies have something with a wow factor .

I guess things like this come down to a personal feeling, I was dissapointed.

XX Jeannine

[ACE]

You must have been looking at it from the wrong angle and taking it apart in to bits would not help you to see the full picture. Yes it was a dismal start, but that was the point of how we have risen above it all. We cannot be in denial about wars, the object of the games is to show we can all get on regardless, the national health bit was showing the world what a great thing we have. Mr Bean was showing we can laugh at ourselves. Even The queen did that. Allotments! why? whippets and pidgeons are a stereotype northener. We are multicultural as the reference to the Windrush depicted. The musicians were terrible, but that could have been down to the sound mixing. The beating our own drum all the way through was a good touch.

Sit back and watch it again, like you would at a good artist's painting and appreciate the message.