Monthly Archives: August 2012
Farewell Neil Armstrong
Most of us of a certain age can probably remember where we were in July 1969, that day (or night) Neil Armstrong walked the moon- it was that kind of defining moment in history that prompted that profound phrase, rather popular at the time of stoned heads: “Today’s the first day of the rest of your life.” I was sixteen, at a summer camp outside Madrid, learning to sail with a group of Spanish and foreign kids. They included a girl from Paris, three years older than me, who showed …
My Olympic favourites
My favourite London Olympic moments (updated and final list) Opening ceremony-all of it. More tickets being made available to ordinary public. Boris dangling from a wire Jessica Ennis clinching her gold in the heptathlon Beach volley ball in Whitehall Mo Farah having the strength and love to embrace daughter and wife after running 10,000 metres and winning the gold, and then doing it again with another race, and another gold. Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s smile, win or lose Joanna Rowsell celebrating her gold without her wig Courteous attitude of an Olympic ‘volunteer’ …
The music GB gives the world
There can be few constants in Britain’s contemporary history, than the high regard that its musicians are held by the rest of the world. So it was fitting that the closing ceremony of the hugely popular London Olympics should feature musicians and songs that have crossed boundaries and appealed to the varying rock and pop tastes of the post-war generation. Less radical in its political and social narrative than Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony, this was an evening that resonated with the universality of a nation’s achievement in having music, like …
This Brazil falls well short of La Roja
I twittered at the beginning of the London Olympics that the quality of national football squads should not be judged by the performance of the teams attending . I had in mind Spain as I suspected the non-informed might have been under the misapprehension they were about to see a repeat gala by the team that won the Euro 2012. As it turned out the Spain that came to the London Olympics had mostly different players, a different manager, a dysfunctional team, and yes- as Jorge Valdano had accurately predicted-did …
The human factor of the London Olympics
If the London Olympics have generated so much love it is because they have reminded us how sportsmen and women can transcend politics, culture, and race, to give us a sense of nobility and the common good. If Bolt has emerged as the most popular athlete it is because of his refreshingly relaxed attitude to his own unrivalled talent, and his ability to connect with a universal audience. He will always be remembered for his good humour both prior and after his events, in contrast to the self-absorbed, obsessive looks …
Neymar and the 2012 Olympics
Olympic games are not generally remembered for their football, and when they are, it is usually for the performance of a player rather than a team. Way back in 1924, Uruguay’s Gold medal in the Paris Olympics –before FIFA’s World Cup competition had been created- marked the beginning of a new era of South America dominance. La Celeste as the Uruguayan team led by Jose Leandro Andrade –the first black player to earn respect at an international level- became a legend in its time, going on to winning the Olympic …
My olympic top ten
My favourite Olympic moments so far…as the games enter second week Opening ceremony-all of it. More tickets being made available to ordinary public. Boris dangling from a wire Jessica Ennis clinching her gold in the heptathlon Beach volley ball in Whitehall Mo Farah having the strength and love to embrace daughter and wife after running 10,000 metres and winning the gold. Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s smile, win or lose Joanna Rowsell celebrating her gold without her wig Courteous attitude of an Olympic ‘volunteer’ at crowded Liverpool station Union Jack and Argentine flags …
