Dear Danny Boyle...

(Image link to The Bolton News)

What can one say?

Other than 'thank you.'

That was truly spectacular. You managed to combine everything that the UK stands for: top-class period drama, music, technology, and Glastonbury Tor!

Kaos sign language choir, the Windrush, the Suffragettes and a rousing round of Elgar... didn't think our jaws could drop much lower. As @ChrisBryantMP tweeted:

I love that Britain is multi-everything. And proud that every country in the world knows it. Only sorry some Tories don't see it that way. 

I would have loved to see the look on Cameron's face during the NHS section (watch here). I think the commentator said that many of them were actual NHS staff - I was hoping they'd wait for him in a dark room backstage. "Dear Mr. Cameron, come and meet the performers..."

Loved the way they combined the NHS with the literature section through J. M. Barrie, who wrote Peter Pan and donated all proceeds and rights from that to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.

Another wonderful highlight was Daniel Craig (as 007) and the Queen! I bet he waited all his life to deliver a line like that. Can't think of any other circumstance than a Diamond Jubilee Olympics where that would have been possible. Absolutely wonderful (watch here).

The other point at which I was jumping in my seat was when they unveiled Tim Berners-Lee. The reason this man is so incredible is not just the fact that he invented the World Wide Web but, far greater than that, he refused to patent it, instead entrusting it to a group of companies (W3C). The ethos of this group is that: 'The World Wide Web Consortium decided that its standards should be based on royalty-free technology, so that they could easily be adopted by anyone.'

If Berners-Lee had decided to patent the technology, this would mean that every time you accessed the Internet, or any company that provided access for you, would be liable to pay royalties. By not doing that, we have a global Internet where knowledge and ideas are communicated much more freely.

That truly is an incredible thing. The fact that Danny Boyle recognised this, and paid tribute, brings a tear to the eye.

This is the third time that the UK has hosted the games. Back in the country where the modern Olympics was founded by Dr William Penny Brookes in 1850.

The UK has hosted the games three time - 1908, 1948 and 2012. The first time, 22 countries took part. The second, 59. This time around - 204!

It certainly is a lesson in geography watching them all go past. My favourite facts learned are:

• Paraguay is the only country in the world where the national flag is different on each side.
• Bhutan was the last country in the world to get television, legalising it in 1999.
• Brazil is the largest (population wise) democracy in the world.
• There is an independent Olympic flag under which athletes can still participate even if their country does not, or if their nationality is in dispute.

Also, it's the first time that every country has included female participants.

That last one was fantastic to hear. It means that the Olympics really has done a lot to encourage the equality of women. 

The other immense occurrence was the lighting of the cauldron. Right the way through, the country was speculating who it would be: David Beckham, the Queen - someone even tweeted: "Please let Joanna Lumley light it with a cigarette." 

When Muhammad Ali appeared, we all wanted to make him an honorary Brit for the night. I would have been happy with Shami Chakrabarti, it was fantastic to see her carrying the flag.

The nation was expecting one person to step forward. Instead, we got seven. All young, talented athletes nominated by former British medallists. Incredible symbolism. We were all there speculating over celebrities, and instead we got the stars of tomorrow (watch here).

Danny Boyle, sir, you are a legend.

Look at me waffling. I'm so British. Couldn't care less about it until it happens, now I'm completely obsessed. Slightly upset to be heading off to a place with no TV next week.

Loved this:

London 2012: A 12-part guide to the UK

In the movies, one might notice British characters have a tendency to talk in one of three stock accents - "English gentleman" (eg Hugh Grant), "Scottish/Irish hero" (eg Mel Gibson) or "Cockney chimney sweep" (eg Dick Van Dyke). But in reality, the UK has a rich mosaic of many different accents...

A three-tier class system is synonymous with the UK to outsiders, at least among those who boosted Downton Abbey's international audiences...Yet [Peter] York believes the UK is no more class-bound than, say, the US - simply better at signifying how the system works...     

The English are British and lots of people think the British are English but that annoys the Scottish and Welsh because although some think they're British and some think they aren't and some think they are but don't want to be, they all agree that they definitely are not English...

For many Britons, initiating conversation with strangers on public transport ranks as a breach of etiquette not far below commission of High Treason...

To listen to a conversation between Britons about their careers, say, or educational histories, an observer from a more forthright culture might be forgiven for assuming the participants were morbidly depressed. Chances are they'd be wrong. Self-deprecation is an inescapable part of British discourse. The only socially acceptable way to talk about one's achievements is to diminish them...

It's always fascinating reading about your country in third person.

Proud to be British?

Well, yes, I suppose so. I mean, we have our faults, but on the whole we're not a bad bushel of apples.

Has this unbridled display of nationalism been prompted by the Olympic games?

....GAH! Yes, goddammit. Yes. Alright? Leave me alone. I have a flag to wave.

Well done everybody. It was a lovely ceremony.

Mitt Romney - naff orf.