With a bit of Spice and a lot of masala, the Games draw to a close

In the song and dance and bye-bye symphony parade of Britain's iconic musicians from The Who to George Michael, dazzle of its rampway supermodels like Kate Moss, and showstopping spectacle of former band Spice Girls, artistic director Kim Gavin had neatly hidden any cues that could turn the closing ceremony of the London Olympic games teary or wistful. But, best that these moments of parting are unplanned. And London's came at an oddly sporting ritual of the Olympics: the extinguishing of the flame. As the announcer declared that the flame would now blow out, the stadium reverberated with an impromptu, long "Awwwwwww".

They'd laugh at themselves if they saw the replays, at such a show of teenage sentimentality. But London's Olympic Stadium did turn briefly blue.

For a fortnight now, as they got on with the business of hosting the Olympic Games, uncompromising in efficiency, Londoners haven't been cribbing. But the morning after, yawning from non-stop late nights of watching Team GB and Usain Bolt pick one gold after another, and finally a closing ceremony which, though dragging in parts for visitors, seemed to entertain them lots, London was strangely quiet.

GB medallists put together a 'Don't Stop Me Now' out-of-tune dedication to Queen, and everyone was having a laugh, but the host city dwellers were gearing up for some withdrawal symptoms and planning parties to get over the big sporting party coming to an end. Cabbies wondered aloud if throwing tantrums about lanes had been worth it since they had grown used to the new roads.

The night itself ended with one song merging into the next at the stadium, with the Union Jack painted in newsprint bearing the names of Shakespeare, Keats, Dickens and Tolkein, and at other times, in London's streets. London remembered Freddie Mercury and John Lennon, with a jigsaw making the late Beatles legend's face drawing the most cheers. Nick Mason was a happy sight on the drums when Ed Sheeran broke into 'Wish You were Here'.

... contd.

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