Post-Olympic blues

Alas, it’s one week now since the Olympics graced our screens for the last time (or at least, in London for the foreseeable future.) It was a day that saw Britain win a few more medals to round off a fantastic haul in London, and culminated in a fantastic party featuring the likes of George Michael and Kate Moss.

And I, like many other people it seems, just can’t get one act out of my head. Yes, this last week I’ve been reliving my inner-Baby Spice (I was always the Baby one) and singing ‘Spice up your life’ at any given opportunity.

It doesn’t help that the girls have been teasing the media, with suggestions from Mel C that she’d “do it all again” and “never say never”. Oh Spice Girls, won’t you reform once more?

Thank the lord for the new Spice Girls musical, Viva forever!, which looks set to hit the West End later this year.

In the meantime, you can dig out the leopard print and that oh-so-short union jack dress and reminsce over last Sunday night’s fantastic performance from arguably the world’s best ever girl band here.

And don’t forget, the Paralympics are just around the corner. Tickets are selling quickly, so keep on checking the website for availability. No doubt Britain will lay down the foundations for another great games. You can find out more about the Paralympics here.

Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia

A perfect end to a perfect Games

It seemed fitting that to mark the end of what has been 16 fantastic days of sporting achievement, patriotism and happiness in London and across Great Britain, the Olympics would go out with a bang. And what an almighty bang it was!

Over 24 million people in Great Britain watched the closing finale to what has been a fantastic games in London, with all the athletes, thousands of fans, Royals from across the world, hundreds of performers and even a handful of volunteers all descending on the Olympic Stadium to celebrate the end of London 2012.

The plans for the ceremony were kept under wraps from most of the media beforehand, but with the theme focusing on the British music industry, it was safe to say we were going to be treated to some of Britain’s most famous artists.

From Ray Davies of the Kinks to Jessie J, the crowd were in for a real treat as stars from across the decades joined together for arguably the biggest party London has and will ever see. Madness, Pet Shop Boys, Taio Cruz, Tinie Tempah and a miming One Direction also performed at the ceremony, which mixed spectacular dance and light elements with fantastic music to create a cheesy, disco atmosphere.

Stand out performances came from a reformed, one-night-only Spice Girls who arrived in style on top of their own black cabs. I admit that I am struggling to get the lyrics to Spice up your Life out of my head!

George Michael, who has just recovered from a near-fatal health scare, performed two songs at the ceremony, later followed by The Who and Take That. My heart went out to Gary Barlow, who performed at the Olympics despite his recent personal problems.

Besides dancing, the spectators were treated to a fabulous display of Britain’s best fashion designers, modelled by stars such as Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. There were sing-along’s from Eric Idle, surprise appearances from Del Boy and Rodney and Timothy Spall (playing a rather convincing Winston Churchill) and a fantastic ballet display from new Strictly Come Dancing judge Darcey Bussell.

The traditional handover to Brazil also gave us a taste of what’s to come in four years time, as dancers and performers from Rio demonstrated the party atmosphere that Brazil is known for in a colourful, samba-enthused sketch.

But even Brazil looked in awe at the fantastic spectacle of London’s closing ceremony. With the cauldron burning for a final time, the fireworks lit up over London in a spectacular display that symbolised everything these Games have been; exciting, spectacular and full of surprises. With a tearful tribute going out to all the athletes, volunteers and the public, Lord Coe was not the only one who was wishing the whole two weeks of sporting legacy could happen again.

London will miss the Olympics, but the legacy has been laid and in true British fashion, the closing ceremony certainly showed the world that we Brits know how to throw a good send off party!

Compare the closing ceremony with my review of the opening ceremony.

Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia

My Games Maker experience

For the past few weeks, the jourknow has been contributing to what can only be described as the greatest Sporting event in the world. The Olympic Games in London have thrilled the nation since they began, with Team GB arguably putting in the best performance we’re unlikely to see at an Olympic Games again. We’ve embraced the drama, the excitement and at times, the frustration of all the Olympics brings to the host nation, and what a ride it has been since the Opening Ceremony marked the beginning of the sporting action.

But for all the fans and spectators playing their part in the Olympics, there was one group of people who went the extra mile to ensuring the Games ran smoothly, efficiently and more importantly, memorably. The thousands of Games Makers, made up of volunteers of all ages, have in some cases been more talked about then the athletes themselves. Their determination, skill and smiley faces have welcomed millions of spectators into all the sporting venues, and have been the foundations for the success of London 2012.

I was one of the many Games Makers who helped shape these Games, and what a memorable experience it was. Up at the crack of dawn for eight shifts in total, I hopped on the train to Earls Court to assist the security team at the venue, which was home to the Volleyball. My role was simple but important; ensure spectators are ready for security by following strict security controls put in place by LOCOG, thus enabling the security procedures to run coherently.

It might sound simple, but it’s a daunting task when you’re serving 300 spectators per security lane per hour. With spectators arriving from all four corners of the globe, the language barrier was often a problem, but despite a few grumpy spectators, (the American’s and Korean’s were the grumpiest), it went off without a hitch. I was delighted at how fantastic the atmosphere was. The crowds were really cheerful, despite the odd shower or queue. I was overcome with emotion when thanked by many of the home crowd, and it was certainly refreshing to see so many people come together and get on. In fact, you could have almost forgotten about the animosity between countries, because here, everyone was happy.

And it wasn’t just the crowd that I enjoyed working with, the security team were great too. The other volunteers I worked with were fantastic, all really friendly and kind. I made so many friends from my time at Earls Court and felt sad to be leaving my team after my last shift. It was great to work with people that shared the same passion as you - to make the Games memorable for everyone - but who had all come from different paths of life.

The army were fantastic to work with too. Saving the day at the last minute from the dreadful G4S drama, the army ensured that security was tight from start to finish. I respect these guys so much, living in squalid conditions, waking up at the crack of dawn with many working through what was their holiday time, yet still managing to smile and guard the venues. They were funny, and the laughs kept on coming. The nicest guys I’ve ever worked with and I really hope the reputation of the Armed Forces in this country improves because of their role in the Olympics.

My Games Maker experience ended before it had barely begun. Every session I worked at was special. The smiley spectators, the friendly staff, the warm (but generally bland) meals, the volleyball games we managed to sneak in to, the great gifts we were given as a token of thanks; all of it contributed to a fantastic few weeks of magic and excitement. For me, it’s an experience I won’t forget, and I can’t wait to relive it with my grandchildren some day.