Did you catch the opening ceremony of the London Olympics? Eight hundred NHS workers, including at least 600 nurses, volunteered for the sequence that paid tribute to the NHS (see video below). Midwife Jane Logan was one of them and spoke of how proud she was to be involved in an “extraordinary event”. She paid tribute to director Danny Boyle who she said had been a ”consistent source of outstanding support, encouragement and laughter to the NHS volunteers”.
A senior nurse at the University College Hospital in London defended the cost of the event, saying it was an investment in a healthy future. And the 300 beds which featured in the ceremony are to be donated to hospitals in Tunisia.
Late at night, London’s Tube was crowded with nurses in old-style uniforms making their way home. Check out all the photos of nurses taken by Londoners, including this one:
The sequence in rehearsal.
Image credit: twitter.com/PaulTylerSams/ and YouTube
I gave it 8/10.
Very good, but not a total 10/10.
Some aspects were largely unfamiliar to the non English.
The long and ‘sad’ segment involving the singing of Abide With Me was totally out of character with the joyous celebration of the occasion.
Obviously, many worthy entertainers rejected the offer of participating ( was money a factor??) …
No WHO … No DAVID BOWIE … No ROLLING STONES … etc. etc.
Gee, they couldn’t even get the copyright permission to use Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang in the CHILD-CATCHER routine!
… and where was Harry Potter??? ( this is England we’re talking about !! )
But JK Rowling did appear in the ceremony so it’s a bit of a mystery as to why Harry didn’t – maybe copyright.
I loved it that they featured the NHS – ironic given it is being decimated under the Tories.
but no notable Harry Potter theme ( why do a song of Abide With Me – and that terrible accompanying dance ?? )
Initially I thought that this sequence was out of touch with the reality of the dismantling of the NHS. But on reflection, I think that Danny Boyle as been very clever. He has highlighted the very dark place that healthcare is in. I felt very proud to see nurses included in the ceremony and the fact that they really were nurses rather than dancers made it all the more special. And to the conservative government, ignore this warning at your peril!
Actually, it couldn’t have been a copyright issue as Voldemort from the HP series did appear in the ceremony.