Someone's just put up bunting across the main street in our village. In Naval semaphore.

Decrypted (wonderful thing this interweb thingy) it reads "England expects that every man will do his duty". Sexist: but it helped bash the Frogs at Trafalgar.

Yesterday the Mayor of London recited his (well, an Oxford academic's) Olympic poem. In Greek, of course. A parody of Pindar (whose First Olympian Ode wowed them after the Games in 476 BC), it's only the second time the modern Olympics have pulled such a stunt, and it'll be engraved on a bronze plaque at the Olympic Park.

It'll be the only reference to a non-sponsor the Olympic Brand Police have allowed into the Park. (Adidas are the sportswear sponsor. But how can you write a Greek ode about the Olympics without reference to Nike?)

Pretentious? Nous?

You pretentious, yes as always!

well played, Michael

I know somebody who went to the technical rehearsal of the opening ceremony. People who went are being pretty good about #savethesecret but I get the impression that it will not embarrass us. I must confess that I was a bit worried about the sheep ;-)

"Yesterday the Mayor of London recited his (well, an Oxford academic's) Olympic poem. In Greek, of course"

Now I get those Boris jokes on Twenty Twelve.

You're positively patriotic. Next thing you'll be singing God Save the Queen.

"Next thing you'll be singing God Save the Queen."

You don't sing your national anthem? Why not?

There has been an amazing upswell in "God Save the Queen" being played at events over here in America, except we get the words wrong. "America" is not our national anthem (neither is "America the Beautiful") and as far as I'm concerned, if we are "asked" to stand while a band plays this tune, it is "God Save the Queen."

"But how can you write a Greek ode about the Olympics without reference to Nike?"

My mother tells me I was named after Nike. On the other hand, she also tells me I was named after a schizophrenic bitch in Tender is the Night.

You can't win.

"I must confess that I was a bit worried about the sheep".

Good job it's not being held in Yorkshire--that's where the sheep are worried! We got tickets for the Men's football for tomorrow night at Old Trafford to see Team GB v Senegal. Should be interesting.

Ah. It's a Boris pun (the ode's awash with them). Dedicated personally to Nikki.

You do, of course, all realise the modern Olympics were invented here and de Coubertin's stuff in Athens was just a copy 300 years later?

We celebrated the fourth centenary of the Cotswold Olympicks in June of this year at Chipping Campden, much as we've celebrated them more or less every year since 1612. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotswold_Olimpick_Games

This bronze plaque at the Olympic Park. Is that part of Legacy or Sustainability?

I don't expect anyone outside the U.K. to understand.

That Boris, what a wag, eh? Pindaric odes in Greek, no less. Mind you, someone did once describe Pindar as a prize windbag, so no surprise there, then.

Any minute now (in about three minutes' time, as I post) thousands of bells are due to ring across the country for three minutes:
http://festival.london2012.com/events/9000961496

Allegedly. I somehow imagine not much will be that audible around here.

Oops. It's tomorrow!

So glad not to be in the UK now! (Especially Scotland.) I was also highly delighted to miss Wimbledon

chartley, it's Sustainability. It sustains the Romanians who nick 'em.

"This bronze plaque at the Olympic Park. Is that part of Legacy or Sustainability?"

Posterity, apparently.

I'm sure you're aware the Deliverance Team have now handed over to the Live Team, who later hand over to Posterity. Deep googling seems to reveal the Brand Police have stopped the plaque from being installed so far (a victory for Adidas, bah boom), and it won't go up till Posterity takes over.

Siobhann has a comment to make about it, but I lost the will to live halfway through the sentence

On the Cotswold Olympicks:

<i>Events have included the tug of war, gymkhana, shin-kicking, dwile flonking, motor cycle scrambling, judo, piano smashing, and morris dancing.</i>

How many pianos get smashed during each event? Does the team that smashes the most pianos win?

Also does the person who kicks the most shins win?

Is this British quirkiness at its best?

"dwile flonking"

I had to google. It's amazing what you learn on this forum.

Are you sure it is not some form orf rural "Mornington Cresent"

>>Are you sure it is not some form orf rural "Mornington Cresent"<<

Well, yes, but with added wet patches, and only if Mrs Trellis of North Wales is playing.