Great innovation and immense spectacle.

I was not sure that I would watch all the Olympic opening ceremony, but I did. It is not that I objected, but rather had not felt the fever. I do not have any tickets for the games, but have lays been ready to watch on TV.

I am a bit of a softy and always feel a lump in my throat at the end of "Cool Runnings" - the story of the first Jamaican bobsled team. If you have seen the film you I'll know the part I mean.

Anyway, back to the opening ceremony. I can't recall bothering to watch previous ceremonies, but as it is our home games and know a few people who have been involved I decided to have a look. I am glad I did. It was quite a spectacle.

I could appreciate the staging and being British I "got" the story, but it was the innovation that held me - right up to the end. The seat-side lighting and it's use to present images, video and an interesting background was a first and one I am sure will be repeated in the future. It clearly added a new level of audience participation. It would appear it cost the best part of £10m, but all told was money well spent.

Alongside the lighting Danny Boyle was brave in his choice of music, avoiding the safe option of using old dependables like the Rolling Stones. Instead there was a lot of current music and pulled upon local London talent. Dizzy Rascal, Rizzlekicks, Arctic Monkeys, plus Emily Sande. The use of a deaf children's choir to sing the national album was inspired.

Next we saw the Queen as a Bond girl. It appears she was a willing and happy participant in creating the illusion that she was arriving by helicopter an parachuting in to the stadium. It showed that she had a sense of humour and ready to make gentle fun of herself. I won't go on, but want to mention just two more.

The first was the torch itself. How impressive was the story around that. It started with the copper petals that accompanied each team, through their appearance as an impressice flat floral arrangement that lit in sequence and finalise rose up to meet in the centre as a concentrated cauldron that blazed with pride and original design.

The last, and to me the most innovative, was the use of seven up and coming sportsman and women to light the torch. There had been endless speculation about who (individual) would be the final orch bearer but to have seven past Olympians nominate seven prospective Olympians and to pass the flame to them along with the responsibility to light the cauldron just seems so appropriate. I wonder why no-one thought of it before, but I bet it will be used again.

In the end Britain did two things it is good at, put on a spectacle and innovate! It was a time to be proud.