Wanted Station Warrant Officer to...

[NutLoose]

Attend the next Olympics in London, to shout across the Stadium at Boris Johnston to get his Bloody hands out of his pockets........

What a tramp, more London Mare than London Mayor :mad:

[Archimedes]

I think he's referring to the closing ceremony at the Olympics, where Boris shambled on, and not quite knowing what he was supposed to do with his hands, shoved one into a pocket. He was rescued by the Mayor of Bejing, who shook his hand, giving him something to do with it.

He wasn't the most sharply dressed of the dignitaries, but this is Boris Johnson we're talking about - he could be dressed by the finest on Saville Row and look as though he'd fallen backwards through a hedge on his way out of the changing room.

To be honest, given the option of a scruffy Johnson or an immaculately (and expensively) suited Livingstone, I think I'd rather go for the former...

[Irish Tempest]

Red Arrows flew in the opening/closing ceremony up the mall...

Anyway, was anyone else cringing during that 8 min display in Beijing after what the Chinese had done... Boris did however give a top speech in the London house. I wonder if he has ever been invited as a guest speaker to an Offs Mess/Wardroom dinner....

[MarkD]

was anyone else cringing during that 8 min display in Beijing after what the Chinese had doneHad done or had part-faked?

[unclenelli]

What about the Myra Hindley video, or the exploding double-decker bus (similar to 7/7 the way the roof came apart from the back first), or the 10-y-o girl chosen by a Blue Peter phone-in (meaning she's probably the daughter of a BBC exec)

I thinks Boris with his hands in his pockets is the least anyone should be worried about

[Fareastdriver]

If the British part of the closing ceremony is a foretaste of the 2012 opening ceremomy it will hold my interest for about three minutes.

[Wycombe]

As one who was in the throng outside Buck House yesterday, was great to see RAFAT fly over on cue and get a big cheer from the assembled masses.

Hopefully all the silliness around them being "too British" to appear in 2012 has now been put to rest.

[parabellum]

The important thing, as Boris said, is that "Ping Pong is coming home"!

[dallas]

What about the Myra Hindley video, or the exploding double-decker bus (similar to 7/7 the way the roof came apart from the back first), or the 10-y-o girl chosen by a Blue Peter phone-in (meaning she's probably the daughter of a BBC exec)

I thinks Boris with his hands in his pockets is the least anyone should be worried about
I was thinking the same. It's going to be interesting to see how our multi-cultural nu labour government balance British heritage with avoiding offending anyone and everyone, especially as our past owes much to the empire and its numerous military victories. The Chinese avoided mentioning Mao in their extravaganza, but I suspect we're going to struggle to include anything of substance, and be left with a red phonebox, a double decker bus and, if the Tories* are feeling particularly bolshy, maybe the last minute inclusion of an effigy of a Coldstream Guardsman, as de-militarised as possible - maybe wearing pink? - so as not to scare anyone.

*As they will be in power by then.

[parabellum]

"our multi-cultural nu labour government" Come the day and they will be long gone history, so what they think really doesn't matter.;)

[Fareastdriver]

Don't knock Boris too much. A long chat in ops today about the closing ceremony. All my Chinese collegues thought that the British display was pretty pathetic and even those that had spent some time in the UK said that it gave the impression that it always rained in London.
Boris was a different ball game. I explained that as Mayor he was the boss of London and they were united in that they wanted somebody like that to run China instead of the constant flow of po-faced politicians that they have already.

[Flugplatz]

Let me see.. what could be the most cringe-worthy displays and people for London in 2012?
Bearing in mind the total lack of imagination and pride that our intelligentsia generally manage to show on big occasions..

I personally would like to see actual steam-trains driven into the stadium and some sort of mass choreagraphed Mini-display. Also sections on our language and lit., sea-faring and exploring history, Newton, Darwin, Faraday and DNA, history including Stonehenge, and the St James bible, etc and the Commonwealth.

I expect what we will get will involve Phil Collins, Kate Moss and of course, that acme of global Britishness..Mr Bean :-(:ugh:

Flug

[LXGB]

...or the exploding double-decker bus (similar to 7/7 the way the roof came apart from the back first)

That's what it made me think of as well, unfortunately. :(

[Archimedes]

I'd have thought that the Rolling Stones and Sir Paul McCartney would be wheeled out (possibly literally by 2012) to show how forward looking we are, flug...

A Phil Collins appearance seems unlikely - he's gone deaf (hence the line about the most fortunate man at a Phil Collins gig being Phil Collins).

[airmail]

I suspect that by the time 2012 comes around it will probably be Simon Cowell dictating who is in the show and that will be as a result of endless reality tv & phone ins!

[Geezers of Nazareth]

I expect what we will get will involve Phil Collins, Kate Moss and of course, that acme of global Britishness..Mr Bean :-(:ugh:


.... and Morris Dancers, of course.

[c130jbloke]

And a bunch of hoodies mugging little old ladies - you gotta have "inclusion" there....:\:\

[NutLoose]

Someone suggested on Newsnight having a workman come out of his Portacabin complete with dayglo vest, take a drag on a fag and then flick it into an oil drum to light the flame.....

It was also suggested that we should have dancers dressed up as knives dancing on a giant Rizzla paper by someone I know.....:p

[airborne_artist]

I think Amy Winehouse typifies the British spirit all too well - quite a lot of talent, but wrecks it all through a combination of drink, drugs, and a very poor choice of friends :ugh: