Letters to the Editor

MANY people would often tell me that the only thing the British were good at, was pomp and ceremony. In some ways they were right and just two weeks ago it appeared that all those who had questioned Britain´s ability to organise an Olympic Games would also be proved correct. But to pomp and ceremony we can now add Olympics and sport! The London Olympics, with just 4 days left to go, will go down as one of the most successful ever. Not only has Britain secured a bucket full of medals, the stadiums are packed and everything so far has gone without a hitch. This is a marvellous achievement, especially when you take into account all the delays and blunders which dogged the new Wembley stadium project. London now has some first rate sporting facilities which are the envy of the world, which were built on time and on budget. The earlier security worries have been resolved easily and effectively by using the armed forces. Then there are the athletes who have performed admirably and showed that Britain is a first rate sporting power. Then there are the crowds who have filled all the Olympic venues. All in all a fantastic Olympics. At a time when the British economy is deep in recession with little light at the end of the tunnel the Olympics has certainly given Britain a real lift. Above all it has proved all the doubters seriously wrong. Britain shines when the world was watching and I am over the moon!