Olympic News 6

I started this series of posts to counter the fairly cynical and negative press that the games were getting last week. What happened? They became unnecessary.

With the exception of a few curmudgeons who 'don't like sport' and will therefore ignore the whole event even though it is about much more than sport, we seem to have got it. We are excited. We are looking forward to it. It may well have been that complete idiot Romney who sparked it off. If he thinks we can't do it it makes us more determined to do so. I think he may be someone who I have long wanted to meet - a person who is wrong about everything. I intend to do the opposite of what he would do in almost every situation in future. WWMD wristbands anyone? He couldn't become president? Could he?

We don't want things to go wrong now because we know that other nations, less sophisticated than us in national self-confidence, do not have the ability to chuckle if the wrong flag is raised. My personal sophistication is to be able to come from England, Great Britain, The British Isles and the United Kingdom and not miss a beat in being patriotic; it's just that I don't know who for half the time and sometimes accidentally cheer Scots or Welsh when they are not being Team GB (by the way the football kit sucks, big time).

I am interested in who will light the cauldron tonight. Daniel Radcliffe seems to have done the most interesting things with cauldrons in our islands' recent history but I doubt it will be him. What would be great would be if we harnessed another great British value - forgiveness - and gave the honour to a German or Argentinian. Or compassion, and offered the role to the leader of the Paris 2012 team. I doubt that also.

I will probably post some thoughts on the Olympics in a  different style to that planned. Which pleases me.

In 2005 we were on holiday in Cornwall and having a guided tour of St Austell Brewery at the precise time the success of the London 2012 bid was announced. The Brewery manager, with a huge smile on his face, ran round the place telling everyone. He seemed to have a deep understanding that this would be good for beer sales.

Given that the idea of Heineken as the official beer of London 2012 is as stupid as the idea of gorgonzola as the official cheese of Somerset, seven years on I have bought some bottles of St Austell Tribute with which to celebrate the opening ceremony. Your health St Austell chappies. Your manager's gut instinct was right. Sales are up by two bottles.

Enjoy the ceremony. Remember to laugh at the bits where we don't take ourselves too seriously.