John's Labour blog

My own personal blog. UNISON NEC member for Housing Associations & Charities, HA Convenor, London Regional Council Officer & Chair of its Labour Link Committee. Newham Cllr for West Ham Ward, Vice Chair of Local Authority Pension Fund Forum, Pension trustee, Housing & Safety Practitioner. Centre left and proud member of Labour movement family. Strictly no trolls please. Promoted by Luke Place on behalf of J.Gray, Newham Labour Group, St Luke’s Community Centre, E16 1HS.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

The best part of the London Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony: Homage to our NHS

I really enjoyed the opening ceremony last night. I thought it was just simply brilliant. The bit about the birth and importance of the National Health Service (NHS) was a particular favourite.

It seems that not everyone shares this view. Nick Lowes from "Hope Not Hate" reports that

"...Conservative MP Aiden Burley (Cannock) described the opening ceremony as "the most leftie opening ceremony I have ever seen". He went on: "Thank God the athletes have arrived! Now we can move on from leftie multicultural crap."

This from the man who enjoyed a stag do in France with friends dressed up in Nazi uniforms".

Nuf said?

Hat tip photo to UK Uncut (which of course did not appear during the acual ceremony)

5 comments:

Anonymous said...: You don't say if you or your fellow Councillors got free tickets to the Opening Ceremony.; 29 July 2012 at 13:33
Anonymous said...: I am not sure why anyone would celebrate the Industrial Revolution. It destroyed a simpler and sustainable way of living.; 29 July 2012 at 13:34
John Gray said...: Hi anon

No I didn't - check out previous post http://grayee.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/the-third-london-olympics-2012-greatest.html

I'm not sure that it was "celebrating" the Industrial Revolution rather it was explaining our history?

Not that I "buy" the Golden Age nonsense about life before it. For the mass of the population it was "poor, nasty, brutish and short".; 29 July 2012 at 15:03
Anonymous said...: Hi John,

I don't suppose that anon sees the irony of expressing his/her admiration for a "simpler more sustainable way of life" via a computer which would not exist if not for the industrial revolution. Nothing simple about grinding poverty.

Like you I thought the ceremony was superb: the working class, IKB, et all ( suffragettes - suspect he wouldn't have gotten away with Trade Unionists marching on stage banners flying - that would have given the right wing whingers something to whinge
about ). British music, film, creativity. And humour from Mr Bean to the entrance of the Queen (which even a republican like myself could enjoy.)Great stuff and makes me glad I live here.
And while the industrial revolution was at times a murderous process our forbears struggle to democratise it has given us our modern world.
Have to part company on this one anon. I'd rather be typing this response than living the life of a pre-industrial peasant.
Regards,
Dave Draycott; 29 July 2012 at 21:14
John Gray said...: A well made point Dave.

The trouble with the Green Trots is that they think they will be living in Palaces while the rest of us will be serving them from our hovels.; 29 July 2012 at 23:40