On Monday evening I and 59,000 others were given the opportunity to see a full dress rehearsal of the Opening Ceremony in the Olympic Stadium. Ceremony director Danny Boyle had respectfully asked the crowd not to post pictures or details of the Opening Ceremony. I will honour the request but what I will say is if you are lucky to have tickets you are in for a treat and is a must see for your Friday night viewing.
Despite much being said about the G4S fiasco and the role of the military, I have to say, on arrival at the security checks it made a change to go to sporting event and be greeted by the charm and professionalism of our armed services rather than the poor interpersonal skills by a private security company.
They are clearly over skilled for their role at London 2012 but are ideal for the job in hand. Whatever your views on the Afghanistan and Iraq conflict, one thing that these missions have done is equip the armed forces with the skills of providing a sense of security whilst being able to be provide charm and tact at the same time.
I was concerned that the presence of the Army would militarise the games but I was greeted with a smile and not an AK-47 rifle. For many who visit the games over he next few weeks, it will be the first time that they will have come into contact with our forces. I can probably guarantee that when they get their customary body pat, like me, they will be filled with pride.
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