Olympics Opening – After the Dust Settled

Once everyone had had a chance to detach from the immediacy of the Olympics 2012 opening ceremony as it unfolded live, and were able to give it their more objective and analytical appraisal, what has come out has been interesting and is worth spending a few minutes at least flicking through part or all of what has been written on the topic over the past weekend and today.

I have selected a few that I believe will be of interest to at least some (perhaps most) of this 'blog's regular readers in particular, especially the first three (from Iain Martin, Douglas Murray and James Higham) in the following list...

• Iain Martin (Telegraph) – a game of two halves, Danny Boyle and then it went 'creepy';
• Douglas Murray (Spectator) – disliking the event does not make someone 'a Nazi';
• James Higham (Orphans of Liberty) – a sudden huge swing of public opinion; and a reminder that if you have millions to spend of course it will be spectacular;
• Jason Groves (Mail) – Labour Party's glee at what seemed like a huge advert for their position;
• Paul Kelso / Patrick Hennessy (Telegraph) – Ministers' suggestions regarding the opening ceremony;
• Benjamin Harris-Quinney (Commentator) – a comparison with Beijing 2008 and what our opening ceremony really means; and (for completeness...)
• Yahoo! Sports – viewing statistics

Read and learn, even if you don't always agree with what has been written!

The Medway Mile 2012

It is not very well known that I have run, walked or otherwise 'put myself about' (as the saying goes) in events going back to the 'seventies.

This includes several sponsored events for the Merton Talking Newspaper (in which my canine friend, Pip, would accompany me and have her own set of sponsors!) among other such activities including for nearby Sutton Talking News (from which I have only sound recordings, no photos).

Seeing two of the Queen's corgis in the James Bond helicopter sequence at the Olympics opening ceremony last night reminded me of her...

In the photo at right Pip is showing the way to go to (blind) Audrey Button's (sighted) daughter, who in turn is guiding two others (looks like partially-sighted George on the right), in one such event, on Wimbledon Common.

Anyway, last night was also a useful reminder of the Medway Mile run on the same day, an event that is now in its sixth year. At this link is a photo by Joe Armitage that shows councillor Mike O'Brien at the left.

Councillor Chris Irvine has written a few lines and posted a video, with the promise of more to follow.

Now, I was one of the participants in the very first of these events, back on the same day (27 July) in 2007, and I walked part the way, ran the rest, with Mike and also the then Director of Adult Services at Medway Council, Ann Windiate. We made a nice threesome! I perceive some symmetry here...

I certainly recall that occasion very well! It is just a shame that health issues in recent years have meant that I can no longer safely participate in such activities, otherwise I'd have been there yesterday. I thought of being just an observer, but it wouldn't have felt right and I'd have been sad not to be a participant.

Anyway, I gather it went well (as they have every year); and just as proof of my own credentials, below is my t-shirt from that first-ever Medway Mile, and another from a (much earlier – 1978) Sunday Times 'fun run' in London. That one started well enough for me, by the way, but I met up with a couple of dogs (and their owner) at the back of the pack, and stayed with them – so on that occasion I was one of the last to complete the run.

In case you were wondering about that: typically I'm about two-thirds of the way back, mainly to avoid the claustrophobic crowding of the leading chunk of the runners and from those coming up from behind. So, to finish this: here is that photo of two of my t-shirts...

Goodbye Romana 1

Yet another Doctor Who companion actress has now left us, this time Mary Tamm who played the original Romana before Lalla Ward (no relation!) took over the part after a regeneration.

We had already lost Elisabeth Sladen and Caroline John, and now a third has gone.

Mary was just a few months younger than I am, and had been battling the dreaded cancer for a year and a half.

It is such a sad thing that this ghastly affliction is still able to take so many people away from us before one would have thought was their natural time to depart this world.

Okay, Mary's Romana wasn't one of my favourite Who companions, but that doesn't make this loss easy to bear, though I accept it could have been more painful if one of my favourites were to be taken in this way.

Anyway, there it is, so goodbye to Romanadvoratrelundar (and not forgetting all her other parts in various productions). It is a mark of some significance that so many remember her so well, and obituaries and tributes are already popping up in various places in significant numbers.

Narrated Waybuloo Hits Australia

Oh dear! The narrated (by Dave Lamb) version of Waybuloo may well have been banished from these shores, but it is still alive and well elsewhere. It has now arrived in Australia, immediately prompting these two tweets, first from Stephen Hope of Sydney...

"@abcmarkscott The BBC have destroyed the temper of Waybuloo by adding a 'Funniest Home Videos' style VO over it. Can ABC air it without VO?"

"VO" stands for Voice-Over. A minute later, Mat Farrington of Canberra had this to say on the matter...

"@abc2 @ABC4Kids_Aus Cringeworthy narrated Waybuloo episodes need to go. Awful! Bring back original format."

I have no idea what might have possessed the antipodean broadcasters to make them think that they could fare any better with this travesty than the BBC itself did – they were compelled to revert to the original format after just one new-style episode was broadcast – but they will probably now get bombarded.with similar protests to those we had here all those months ago.

There is an old saying about there being two ways to learn a lesson: the easy way and the hard way. The easy way in this instance would have been to have learned from the BBC's experience (easily seen, as there has been no ten-minute Waybuloo slot in any of Auntie's schedules since that initial attempt) rather than having to go through it all themselves.

I have tweeted a response, indicating what worked here and suggesting that they might like to consider mounting a similar kind of campaign where they are. We shall see what transpires!

Neil Innes – Those That Didn't Make It Here

Although they are great, I did not include the following in this series (but provide links for those who feel they are okay with them) for these reasons...

• City of the Angels – excluded because of (brief) imagery of unclothed females;
• Humanoid Boogie – I'm not sure if those mannequin torsos are really appropriate for my 'blog; but perhaps I'm simply erring on the side of caution;
• Amoeba Boogie – videos featuring children in leotards aren't really approved of these days, rightly or wrongly;
• Front Loader – because of the petite (young-looking but actually but 23-year-old) lady undressing in the launderette. This was controversial at the time, and the story was covered in the national media.

There are lots of others I could include, but I am saving those for another day....