Olympic Opening Ceremony 2012: Isles of Wonder

This programme contains scenes of repetitive flashing images.

The countdown started seven years ago. We're seconds away from

the sounding of the great Olympic Bell

and the start of the London Games of 2012.

MUSIC: "Baba O'Reilly" by The Who (Instrumental)

MUSIC: "Surf Solar"

WATER TRICKLES, BIRDSONG

WINGS BEAT

PULSING BEAT

CHILDREN GIGGLE

DUCKS QUACK

-Ho, ho!

-Look out, Rat!

-Oh!

MUSIC PAUSES, BIRDSONG

PULSING BEAT RESUMES

LAUGHTER AND CHEERING

TRAIN HORN BLARES

GEESE HONK

'David Hemery wins for Britain!'

'And it's Wilkie!'

'Double gold medal for Britain!'

# Swing, swing together

# With your bodies between your knees. #

GENTLE BIRDSONG

PULSING BEAT CONTINUES

PIG GRUNTS

BIG BEN CHIMES

CLOCK TICK-TOCKS

BONG! MUSIC: The South Bank Show theme

MUSIC: "God Save The Queen" by The Sex Pistols

# God save the Queen... #

EASTENDERS' DOOF-DOOFS

# We're in a dream

# Under the moon... #

MUSIC: "London Calling" by The Clash

'Mind the gap.'

MUSIC: "Pomp And Circumstance" by Sir Edward Elgar

MUSIC: "Smile" by Lily Allen

MUSIC: "Map Of The Problematique" by Muse

AUDIENCE CHEERS

-AUDIENCE:

-Ten!

Nine!

Eight!

Seven!

Six!

Five!

Four!

Three!

Two!

One!

CHEERING

-ANNOUNCER:

-Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to London

and to the Games of the 30th Olympiad.

To open our ceremony, Olympic cyclist, member of Team GB

and Britain's first winner of the Tour de France, Bradley Wiggins.

CHEERING

HAZEL: Sacre bleu, it's Wiggo!

Congratulations, Bradley. The yellow jersey winner,

the first man from these isles to do so.

The Tour de France winner.

And in the best British tradition, Bradley, keep calm and carry on.

BELL TOLLS

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Flying into the mid-stratosphere, balloons carrying the Olympic rings.

# And did those feet in ancient time

# Walk upon England's mountains green?

# And was the holy Lamb of God

# On England's pleasant pastures seen?

# And did the countenance divine

# Shine forth upon our clouded hills?

# And was Jerusalem builded here

# Among those dark, satanic mills? #

# But come ye back when summer's in the meadow

# Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow

# 'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow

# Oh, Danny boy

# Oh, Danny boy, I love you so. #

# Oh, Flower of Scotland

# When will we see

# Your like again?

# That fought and died for

# Your wee bit hill and glen

# And stood against him

# Proud Edward's army

# And sent him homeward

# Tae think again. #

# Guide me, oh, thou great redeemer

# Pilgrim through this barren land

# I am weak, but thou art mighty

# Hold me with thy powerful hands

# Bread of heaven

# Bread of heaven

# Feed me till I want no more

# Feed me till I want no more. #

# Bring me my bow of burning gold

# Bring me my arrows of desire

# Bring me my spear

# Oh, clouds unfold

# Bring me my chariot of fire

# I will not cease from mental fight

# Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand

# Till we have built Jerusalem

# In England's green and pleasant land. #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Be not afeard.

Be not afeard.

The isle is full of noises.

Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.

Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments

Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices.

That, if I then had waked after long sleep,

Will make me sleep again:

and then, in dreaming,

The clouds methought would open and show riches

Ready to drop upon me; that,

when I waked,

I cried to dream again.

APPLAUSE

The great British engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel,

portrayed by Kenneth Branagh, the words from Shakespeare's Tempest.

DRUM ROLL

His words heralding the chaos

and the noise of the Industrial Revolution.

The brutal uprooting of rural Britain.

-MEN:

-Oi!

-MEN:

-Oi!

-MEN:

-Ah!

A volunteer cast of 2,500 conveying the thrill and the destruction

and the fear of the Industrial Revolution

when Britain became the workshop of the world.

Dame Evelyn Glennie leading 1,000 volunteer drummers.

Dame Evelyn Glennie, the first professional musician

to pioneer a career as a solo percussionist.

Profoundly deaf, of course, since birth.

She feels the music and it vibrates through her feet, she says.

And here in the stadium, 80,000 people can feel the pounding energy

pulsating through this stadium right now from these 1,000 drummers.

Rising dramatically from the ground, the smoking stacks

and the chimneys, which, of course, produced a lot of wealth,

but disfigured many towns and cities and transformed society.

-TREVOR:

-It's definitely my kind of history lesson, Huw.

It's such a sound,

it's so powerful to look at the Industrial Revolution this way.

But if you're at home watching on TV

and you've got a remote control, just turn it up a little bit

and you'll get a sense of what we're feeling here, in the stadium.

This section is called Pandemonium.

It's a word invented by the English poet John Milton in the 1600s

as the name for the capital of Hell in his epic poem Paradise Lost

and how it could just as easily be applied to

the time of these dark, satanic mills of the Industrial Revolution

that William Blake wrote about in the 1800s.

The suffragettes...

who fought for women to have the right to vote

and some of their descendants, as we've already seen,

are in the stadium tonight.

And in all of this fury and all of this tumult,

there will be a sudden pause

to remember the fallen of two world wars and all other conflicts.

A moment of remembrance for all people in all countries.

CHEERING

And in stark contrast,

a splash of vivid colour from the age of The Beatles,

representing the social and cultural change in the '60s,

a theme we'll return to later on.

The Windrush, that's the ship that brought

the first West Indian immigrants to Britain

after the Second World War.

The grand sight of the Chelsea Pensioners,

another reminder of the debt owed to members of the Armed Services.

Brunel surveys the scene

and takes in the ever-growing signs of wealth and industry.

The Pearly Kings and Queens of London -

the "other" Royal Family, as they're known.

And out of this seething tableau of people,

the scale of this breathtaking, frenetic industry, organised chaos

and in the midst of the heat and the effort

and the smell - the actual smell of cordite in this stadium -

they are producing something very special.

Forging a moment and an image that will live with us for ever.

And yes, against the backdrop of industrial turmoil,

a cloud of sparks and steam - the Olympic rings are forged.

CHEERING

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Dazzling beauty - the five interlocking rings,

representing the union of five continents

and the meeting of the world's athletes at the Olympic Games.

Surely one of the most dynamic opening sequences

we have ever seen at an Olympic Games.

CHEERING

CHEERING

MUSIC: "The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba" by George Handel

Welcome to the Throne Room. It was designed by John Nash.

You'll notice again, the favourite colours of gold, white and green,

done in the Rococo style, which Queen Victoria, of course,

-sold to the Corporation...

-Come here.

..of Brighton and moved a lot of the fittings...here.

Evening, sir.

Evening.

Mr Bond, Your Majesty.

CLOCK CHIMES

HE CLEARS HIS THROAT

Good evening, Mr Bond.

Good evening, Your Majesty.

CORGIS WHIMPER

The film, Happy And Glorious -

specially made for the ceremony by the BBC.

It does suggest a Royal arrival unlike any we've ever seen.

DRUM ROLL

MUSIC: James Bond Theme

Mesdames et messieurs, veuillez vous lever pour sa Majeste la Reine

et le Duc d'Edimbourg, accompagne par

le President du Comite International Olympique, Jacques Rogge.

Ladies and gentlemen,

please stand for Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness,

the Duke of Edinburgh,

accompanied by the President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge.

Her Majesty the Queen in this Diamond Jubilee year,

proving that she certainly has a sense of humour.

And preparing to open these Games,

as her father, King George VI, did back in 1948,

and her great-grandfather, Edward VII, in 1908.

CHEERING

Mesdames et messieurs, le drapeau du Royaume-Uni

est hisse par des representants de la Royal Navy,

de l'Armee de Terre Britannique et de la Royal Air Force.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Union Flag is raised by representatives

from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force.

CHEERING

There will be 12 servicemen and women representing all members

of the Armed Forces,

who are now making such an important contribution,

of course, to these Olympic Games, with 18,000 troops deployed so far.

Servicemen and women led by Squadron Leader Lambert

of RAF Brize Norton.

The flag carried by Gunner Bateman

of King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery,

Flight Lieutenant Cadman, RAF Cranwell,

Marine Edwards, Commando Logistic Regiment,

Sergeant Hiscock of RM Poole,

Corporal Paddiford,

Sergeant Raval of RAF Halton,

Corporal Robbins of the Royal Logistics Corp,

Lieutenant Weller, Royal Navy Abbeywood.

The flag will be raised by Corporal Adam, RAF Leuchars...

Mesdames et messieurs, veuillez vous lever

pour l'hymne national du Royaume-Uni,

chante par les enfants sourds et entendants de Kaos.

Ladies and gentlemen,

please stand for the National Anthem of the United Kingdom,

performed by the Kaos Signing Choir for Deaf and Hearing Children.

# God save our gracious Queen

# Long live our noble Queen

# God save the Queen

# Send her victorious

# Happy and glorious

# Long to reign over us

# God save the Queen

# Thy choicest gifts in store

# On her be pleased to pour

# Long may she reign

# May she defend our laws

# And ever give us cause

# To sing with heart and voice

# God save the Queen! #

CHEERING

The National Anthem,

sung by the Kaos Signing Choir for Deaf and Hearing Children,

the only integrated deaf and hearing children's choir in the UK.

MUSIC BOX PLAYS: "Rock-A-Bye Baby"

MUSIC: "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield

This part of the ceremony

honours two of Britain's greatest achievements -

a rich body of children's literature

and the National Health Service.

Veuillez accueillir Mike Oldfield,

accompagne de personnel de National Health Service

et de nos invites d'honneur

les patients et le personnel de Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Please welcome Mike Oldfield

and the staff of the United Kingdom National Health Service,

and our very special guests this evening,

the patients and staff of Great Ormond Street Hospital.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Big cheer for, not just Mike Oldfield, of course,

but for the staff and some patients of the Health Service,

founded just after the Second World War,

regarded with great affection by so many British people.

And Mike Oldfield,

whose first album, Tubular Bells, sold more than 17 million copies.

The name of this section,

Second To The Right And Straight On Till The Morning,

they were the directions Peter gave Wendy to Neverland

in JM Barrie's children's novel Peter Pan.

And of course, JM Barrie bequeathed all the royalties from that book

to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

That's the fascinating part about joining up

all of the dots in this amazing left-field ceremony by Danny Boyle.

CHEERING

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Quietly into the land of dreams,

and into the glories and magic of children's literature.

"Of all delectable islands, Neverland is the snuggest.

"It's not large and sprawly, you know,

"with boring distances between one adventure and the next,

"it's nicely crammed.

"When you play at it by day, with the table and chairs,

"it's not a bit frightening.

"But in the two minutes before you go to sleep, it is real."

JK Rowling, arguably the most successful writer in British history,

having sold 400 million books worldwide,

but has also spent a lot of time and her own money promoting

children's literature and reading schemes.

Oh, here comes Voldemort... from the Harry Potter stories.

And that's one baddie you don't want to introduce your kids to too early.

This is another - the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Surely one of the scariest baddies

many of us remember from our childhoods.

I really like the use of children in the show so far.

Obviously going to a hospital can be quite scary for kids,

but it's quite a dark side to the ceremony.

But the lights round the hospital beds...

it's like a big contradiction, you know.

My cousin's in this scene somewhere.

Most of the dancers are actually health workers -

doctors, nurses - within the NHS.

They've done very well to choreograph it with people

who don't have natural rhythm, I'm sure.

Here comes Mary Poppins to save the day.

As Dick Van Dyke once sang, no wonder that it's Mary that we love.

The audience are definitely part of this ceremony.

The audience pixels are brilliant.

If we look at the light movement behind the performers,

the audience are having a whale of a time,

waving their pixels in their hands and taking part -

throughout the whole ceremony so far.

It's been great...vision...

the lighting around the audience.

I wish I had one in my hand, actually.

And you'll see what Trevor was calling the pixels there -

everyone in the stadium has got a handset.

It's controlled by a computer,

they're all connected by four miles of cabling

and it took 40 days to install.

As we go on, they're going to produce more and more magical effects.

CHEERING

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The crowd here loved that tribute to the NHS,

and to the stars, both jovial and sinister, of children's literature.

The 600 members of NHS staff and of course 300 children,

quite rightly, soaking up the applause.

And it's worth saying that there are 7,500 volunteers in this cast,

and they've all spent about 150 hours each in rehearsal.

..ce soir en honneur de la cinematographie britannique

il dirigera le London Symphony Orchestra

qui interprete Les Chariots De Feu.

Ladies and gentleman, please welcome Sir Simon Rattle.

Tonight, as a tribute to the British film industry,

he is conducting the London Symphony Orchestra

in a performance of Chariots Of Fire.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

MUSIC: "Chariots Of Fire" by Vangelis

WILD CHEERING

TRUMPETING

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Sir Simon Rattle with the London Symphony Orchestra,

with a little...help, if I can call it that, from Rowan Atkinson.

Yeah, Mr Bean has been shown in just about every territory in the world.

And to quote the original Latin theme tune,

"Vale homo qui est faba." Farewell to the man who is a bean.

CHEERING

If anyone is having any difficulty translating Danny Boyle's vision

of British history, they'll have no problem understanding

that little segment with Mr Bean.

ENGINE REVS

-RADIO:

-This is the British Broadcasting Corporation.

MUSIC: The Archers theme

-MICHAEL FISH ON TV:

-Today, apparently a woman rang the BBC

and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way.

Well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't.

THUNDER RUMBLES

MUSIC: Pot Black theme

It's a typical Saturday night for millions in Britain.

A soundtrack that spans four decades

and it is, in effect, the story

of the digital age - the digital messaging that connects

people to each other.

A catalyst for change, of course, right across the world.

MUSIC: "Push The Button" by the Sugababes

# Before I get the wrong idea and go

# You're gonna miss the freak that I control... #

MASS OF CAMERA CLICKS

MUSIC: "Enola Gay" by OMD

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

There you go, Anthony. Fish pie.

-Put hairs on your chest.

-What's in that?

-Gorgeous tin of sardines.

MUSIC: "Food, Glorious Food" by Lionel Bart

I'm tired and hungry.

-I want some more.

-What?!

Absolutely. Hooray!

Everybody, gadgets down, now!

-I told you to put that down, now.

-It is so unfair.

For what we are about to receive, let us be truly thankful.

You are going nowhere dressed like that, young lady.

-This is a proper skirt.

-It is too short.

Wear it when I'm dead. Go and put on a proper skirt.

LAUGHTER

MUSIC: "When I Was A Youngster" by Rizzle Kicks

# I wanted to fly around the world making a new life

# I never thought today I'd be where I am now

# Yo, wanted to be a fireman Then I lost the desire, man

# The second I got old enough to buy myself a cider can

# Yeah, I was a smart little kid... #

I think we expected music to feature heavily tonight in the show.

Danny Boyle's affiliation to great British music and British music,

one of our greatest exports.

I expect four decades of music in a montage now.

Try and name all of the songs, the artists, the films and programmes

you're about to hear in those next few minutes. It's no mean feat.

MUSIC: "Going Underground" by The Jam

# Some people might say my life is in a rut

# But I'm quite happy with what I got

# People might say that I should strive for more

# But I'm so happy I can't see the point

# Something's happening here today

# A show of strength with your Boys' Brigade

# And I'm so happy and you're so kind

# You want more money Of course, I don't mind

# To buy nuclear textbooks for atomic crimes

# And the public gets what the public wants

# But I want nothing this society's got

-# I'm going underground

-Going underground

# Well, the brass bands play and feet start to pound

-# Going underground

-Going underground

# Well, the brass bands play and feet start to pound

-# Going underground

-Going underground

# Well, let the boys all sing and let the boys all shout

-# Going underground

-Going underground

# Well, let the boys all sing and let the boys all shout

# For tomorrow. #

MUSIC: "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton

She's gorgeous.

She is absolutely gorgeous!

MUSIC: "My Generation" by The Who

# People try to put us down

# Talking 'bout my generation

# Just because we get around

# Talking 'bout my generation

# My generation

# My generation, baby... #

MUSIC: "Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones

# I can't get no satisfaction

# Cos I tried and I tried

# And I tried and I tried

# I can't get no

# No, no, no. #

MUSIC: "My Boy Lollipop" by Millie

# You make my heart go giddy-up

# Oh, my boy Lollipop. #

MUSIC: "All Day And All Of The Night" by The Kinks

# Girl, I want to be with you

# All of the time All day and all of the night

MUSIC: "She Loves You" by The Beatles

# She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah

# With a love like that

# You know you should

# Be glad

# Yeah, yeah, yeah

# Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. #

Not the first time you will hear from a Beatle on the show tonight.

-Are you pretty?

-Not bad.

MUSIC: "Tiger Feet" by Mud

# That's right, that's right That's right, that's right

# I really love your tiger light. #

How are you doing so far, Hazel, with naming every song?

Well, I had the advantage of having seen this a couple of times,

so I'm cheating a bit. I didn't get them the first time.

I think it's easier to work out what's missing.

Can't please all of the people, I suppose.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

MUSIC: "Trampled Underfoot" by Led Zeppelin

MUSIC: "A Message To You, Rudy" by The Specials

# Better think of your future. #

# MUSIC: "Starman" by David Bowie

# Waiting in the sky

# He's told us not to blow it cos he knows it's all worthwhile

# He told me Let the children lose it

# Let the children use it Let all the children boogie. #

MUSIC: "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen

# Is this just fantasy?

# Caught in a landslide

# No escape from reality

# So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?

# So you think you can love me and leave me to die?

# Oh, baby

# Can't do this to me, baby

# Just got to get out

# Just got to get right out of here. #

MUSIC: "Pretty Vacant" by Sex Pistols

# Oh, we're so pretty

# Oh, so pretty

# We're vacant!

# Oh, we're so pretty

# Oh, so pretty

# Vacant!

# Don't ask us to attend Cos we're not all there

# I don't pretend Cos I don't care

# I don't believe illusions Cos too much is real

# So stop your cheap comment

# Cos we know what we feel

# Oh, we're so pretty

# Oh, so pretty

# We're vacant!

# Oh, we're so pretty

# Oh, so pretty

# And now

# And we don't care! #

The mid-1970s punk era represented by the Sex Pistols there.

There is a mosh pit. I don't see too much moshing going on there!

But there is one here.

Danny Boyle worked very closely with the boys from the Underworld

on the musical soundtrack on the show tonight.

MUSIC: "Blue Monday" by New Order

Now we have some New Order.

# And told me who you are. #

MUSIC: "Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood

# When you want to go to it

# Relax, don't do it

# When you want to come. #

MUSIC: "Back To Life" by Soul II Soul

# However do you want me? However do you need me?

# However do you want me? However do you need me?

# However do you want me? However do you need me?

# However do you want me? #

MUSIC: "Step On" by Happy Mondays

The whole stadium looks like a graphic equaliser now.

MUSIC: "Sweet Dreams" by The Eurythmics

# Who am I to disagree?

# I travel the world and the seven seas

# Everybody's looking for something

# Something, something, something something, something, something... #

So, they're taking us on a trip from the '60s and, apparently,

right up to the present day.

So, they're going from ska and we'll end up at rave, I believe.

MUSIC: "Firestarter" by The Prodigy

# I'm a firestarter Twisted firestarter

# You're the firestarter Twisted firestarter

# I'm a firestarter Twisted firestarter. #

MUSIC: "Born Slippy" by Underworld

# Shouting lager, lager, lager, lager

# Shouting lager, lager, lager, lager

# Shouting lager, lager lager, lager... #

And the soundtrack to the film that Danny Boyle is famously known for -

Trainspotting.

# I'm for ever blowing bubbles

# Pretty bubbles in the air

# They fly so high Nearly reach the sky

# And like my dreams they fade and die

# Fortune's always hiding

# I've looked everywhere

# I'm for ever blowing bubbles

# Pretty bubbles in the air... #

Famous West Ham song. And, surprisingly,

most of the people in the stadium were singing it.

'..he was still with the Partridge Family, I Think I Love You.'

MUSIC: "Song 2" by Blur

# Wo-hoo!

# Wo-hoo!

# Cos I need you. #

We mentioned Trainspotting earlier.

This is Danny Boyle's eight-time Oscar-winning feel-good movie,

Slumdog Millionaire, UK-style. It's got the romance, it's got the music

and it's got a whole lot to say about life

in a particular part of the world. Ours.

# I wake up just to go back to sleep

# I act real shallow but I'm in too deep

# And all I care about is sex and violence

# A heavy bass line is my kind of silence

# Everybody says that I've got to get a grip

# But I let sanity give me the slip

# Some people think I'm bonkers but I just think I'm free

# Man, I'm just living my life There's nothing crazy 'bout me

# Some people pay for thrills but I get mine for free

# Man, I'm just living my life There's nothing crazy 'bout me

# Bonkers

# I wake up, every day is a daydream

# Everything in my life ain't what it seems

# I wake up just to go back to sleep

# I act real shallow but I'm in too deep

# And all I care about is sex and violence

# A heavy bass line is my kind of silence

# Everybody says that I've got to get a grip... #

Local boy, Dizzee Rascal, from Bow,

a stone's throw from here.

Arguably, the biggest moment of his performing life.

# Why don't you come on over, Valerie?

# Valerie. #

MUSIC: "Uprising" by Muse

# They will not force us

# And they will stop degrading us

# They will not control us

# We will be victorious. #

MUSIC: "Pass Out" by Tinie Tempah

# Yeah, we bring the stars out

# We bring the women and the cars and the cards out

# Let's have a toast, a celebration Get a glass out

# And we can do this until we pass out. #

# Some people think I'm bonkers but I just think I'm free

# Man, I'm just living my life There's nothing crazy 'bout me

# Some people pay for thrills but I get mine for free

# Man, I'm just living my life There's nothing crazy 'bout me. #

Musically, it's important to note that grime music,

that Dizzee Rascal represents, was born in East London,

and I suppose that's why he's had such a big part

in the musical montage tonight.

And here's the culmination of this sequence.

1,400 volunteer cast paying tribute to this man, really,

because he's the one who changed the way we all communicate today.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the British scientist

who invented the World Wide Web

and created the first website in the world, in 1990.

This Is For Everyone -

his famous gift to the world and Danny Boyle was determined

to give Tim Berners-Lee a very prominent place tonight.

MUSIC FADES

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

It really is like the soundtrack to many of our lives.

Mesdames et messieurs, Sir Tim Berners-Lee

inventeur du World Wide Web.

Ladies and gentlemen,

the inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

MUSIC: "I Heard Wonders" by David Holmes

THEY CHEER

# Here she comes again

# Not satisfied with the state I'm in

# She's a breath of life tearing me inside

# My arms are open but my soul is tired

# Morning comes but still at night

# I see your face when I close my eyes

# In my dreams coming back to me

# I see you walking in my sleep

# I see your teardrops in the streets

# I hear you saying you'll wait

# I feel you lying next to me

# I hear you whisper, come and see

# Here she comes again

# Standing by my side Breathing on my skin

# She's a breath of life I've nothing left to hide

# My arms are open but my soul is tired

# Morning comes but still at night

# I see your face when I close my eyes

# In my dreams, coming back to me

# I see you walking in my sleep

# I see your teardrops in the streets

# I hear you saying you'll wait I feel you lying next to me

# I hear you whispering come and see... #

The torch relay.

70 days, 8,000 miles.

And here's a clue as to what's happening tonight.

The very familiar figure of David Beckham on the Thames.

Joined by Jade Bailey, a young footballer

tipped to become one of the sporting stars of the future.

This answers one of the great mysteries about this ceremony.

How would the flame make its way from City Hall

to the Olympic Stadium in East London?

Yes, David played a major part in the bid

to bring these Games to London,

or, as he called it back at the IOC vote seven years ago,

"his manor". It certainly is tonight.

# I feel you breathing on my cheek

# I see you dreaming in deep... #

Very few people as well qualified to perform this task.

As Hazel said, not just one of the world's most famous sportsmen,

but the former England football captain and Eastender,

born in Leytonstone, just a few miles from the stadium in Stratford.

He also played his part at the handover ceremony in Beijing

aboard the big red bus.

And he's on his way now.

..un moment de reflexion en respect de notre mur de la memoire

pour les amis et les familles de ceux present dans le stade

qui n'ont pu pas etre ici ce soir.

Ladies and gentlemen, please pause to respect our memorial wall,

for friends and family of those in the stadium

that cannot be here tonight. Thank you.

BELL CHIMES

APPLAUSE

Yes, the excitement of that moment in Singapore seven years ago when London

won the Games was tempered with great sorrow the very next day,

with events on the 7th of July that year.

A moving wall of memories remembering those who are no longer here

to share in this wonderful event.

And this is a calming and reflective pause

after the exuberance of the last hour and a quarter.

HEARTBEAT PULSES

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

# Abide with me

# Fast falls the eventide

# The darkness deepens

# Lord, with me abide

# When other helpers fail

# And comforts flee

# Help of the helpless

# Oh, abide with me

# Swift to its close

# Ebbs out life's little day

# Earth's joys grow dim

# Its glories pass away

# Change and decay

# In all around I see

# Oh, Thou who changest not

# Abide with me

# I need Thy presence

# Every passing hour

# What but Thy grace

# Can foil the tempter's power?

# Who like Thyself

# My guide and stay can be?

# Through cloud and sunshine

# Lord, abide with me

# I fear no foe

# With Thee at hand to bless

# Ills have no weight

# And tears no bitterness

# Where is death's sting?

# Where, grave, thy victory?

# I triumph still

# If Thou abide with me

# Hold Thou Thy cross

# Before my closing eyes

# Shine through the gloom

# And point me to the skies

# Heaven's morning breaks

# And Earth's vain shadows flee

# In life, in death

# O, Lord

# Abide with me. #

Wonderful rendition there

of Abide With Me by Scotland's Emeli Sande

and choreographer Akram Khan.

A song, a hymn that's been sung at every FA Cup final

since 1927 and every Rugby League Challenge Cup final since 1929.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Mesdames et messieurs,

nous acceuillons les athletes des Jeux olympiques 2012.

Ladies and gentlemen,

please welcome the athletes of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

A resounding cheer,

because this brings us to the prime purpose

of this grand Opening Ceremony, to welcome the athletes,

of course, representing more than 10,000 competitors in London 2012.

Yep, 204 nations - more than the UN -

will compete in 302 events in 26 sports.

And the place where it all began - Greece.

This sporting extravaganza came to be in 776 BC.

It's only fitting and only right

that they get to march first in that case.

106 members of the Greek team. And there,

we have one of the first sightings of what we call a petal.

A copper petal.

I'm not going to spoil the surprise,

because we'll see lots of these in this parade,

and they will play a very important part later on in this ceremony.

410 members of the Australian team.

They had 632, by the way, back in Sydney in 2000,

and Australia can boast, at least, one of only six countries

to have hosted the Olympics more than once.

Bresil!

Brazil!

The giant presence of Brazil,

the most influential country, probably, in South America,

an economic giant, and the world's biggest democracy.

Rodrigo Pessoa

is the flag bearer.

Brunei Darussalam.

The flag bearer is Maziah Mahusin, runs in the 400 metres.

And this is such a significant moment.

They're including women in their Olympic team for the very first time,

and along with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, it's a major first,

and the IOC has achieved one of its long and central aims

of the Olympic ideal.

Bulgaria!

Carrying their flag, the AMAZING Iordan Iovtchev,

four-time Olympic medallist, he's already held the record

as the first male gymnast to go to five Games,

and now he's back for a sixth at the tender age of 39.

He is lord of the rings.

Still with glowing hearts from their most successful Olympic

performance in history in Vancouver, they staged the Winter Games there,

came out with 14 medals of the golden variety,

setting the record for most golds won at a single Winter Games.

People's Republic of China.

Here we have the Chinese,

getting a huge cheer

in the Olympic Stadium.

Of course, staged a magnificent Games

and a magnificent Opening Ceremony, back in 2008.

Yes, the Bird's Nest, the Water Cube, the Games in Beijing,

and of Hope and Phelps and Hoy and Steph Rice.

What will we remember of London and London's Games

four years hence? The flag bearer, well, they were teasing us about it,

but look, you can't miss him!

At seven feet tall, Yi Jianlian,

he's a professional basketball player in the NBA,

and this continues the Chinese tradition of having

a basketball player bear the flag at every Games since 1984.

I wonder what they made of our ceremony,

our opening ceremony, compared to Beijing?

Well, time will tell, Trevor, but look out for

the Chinese in so many sports.

In diving, they won seven out of eight titles.

Badminton, they've got superstars there.

Super Dan Lin defending his title.

Nine out of 14 golds in gymnastics last time.

And watch out for Liu Xiang.

Do you remember that rather theatrical pulling out

of the 110 metres hurdles? Well, he's back

to try and do himself and his country proud this time.

As we see the Colombians coming in, there's one man waiting,

there he is, the biggest sports star on the planet.

It's Usain, and he's going to have a very special part to play

in a few moments' time. Making his way.

15 volcanic islands, they make up the Cook Islands,

a population of just 18,000,

they first appeared at the Olympics back in 1988.

A self-governing dependency of New Zealand since 1965 -

if they do strike gold,

God Defend New Zealand will therefore be played.

The flags making their way up this replica of Glastonbury Tor,

and once again, we are intrigued and teased

by the sight of those copper petals.

We might have been in Paris tonight.

Came down to a choice between London and Paris to host these Games,

and the rest is history.

But we welcome this BIG French team,

and that's a big man, that's Teddy Riner.

Five-time world champion in judo,

he's a men's heavyweight division -

Teddy by name, cuddly he's not. Although maybe to some, perhaps.

Representing 82 million Germans.

Europe's most industrialised and populous country.

Natascha Keller, hockey player, the flag bearer.

Independent Olympic Athletes.

Well, we have a stateless refugee from South Sudan

and three athletes from the Dutch Antilles

competing as independent athletes under the Olympic flag.

There is a precedent for this -

Yugoslavia competed under the Olympic flag in 1992 in Barcelona,

as indeed did athletes from East Timor.

The Queen looking on with great interest,

as we have the Indian team arriving in the stadium.

The Archbishop of Canterbury too, Dr Rowan Williams,

just a few months away from retirement.

The Indians arriving - of course, the world's biggest democracy,

1.2 billion people,

and the flag bearer is the wrestler Sushil Kumar.

One of the most populous nations on Earth,

and badminton is one of the national sports there.

Two of their athletes won men's and women's singles titles in '92

in Barcelona when the sport was first introduced into the Olympics.

A huge cheer for the Irish, led by flag bearer Katie Taylor,

four-time world boxing champion.

Yes, good evening to all of our friends in Ireland,

and we're wishing you and your 66 men and women well here in London.

Katie Taylor a strong favourite in the lightweight division in boxing,

as boxing makes its debut for women here.

As ever, Irish sports fans will be as welcome here as they are anywhere

and everywhere else in the world.

The Israeli team.

2012 marking

the 40th anniversary

of the death of 11 members of the Israeli team,

following the terrorist attack at the Munich Olympics.

The Italians.

Very popular entrants, as usual,

and a very long and rich Olympic tradition going back to 1896.

Jamaica.

Here we go...

Here he is. The biggest and most

charismatic sports star in the world!

Usain St Leo Bolt,

of Sherwood Content, Trelawny.

Listen to the applause for the three-time gold medallist,

the man who set three world records with his team-mates

last time around in Beijing.

196 members of the New Zealand team.

Nick Willis, who won silver

in the men's 1500 metres in Beijing is the flag bearer.

Well, Palestine has been

a recognised member of the International Olympic Committee

since 1995,

although there is no independent state of Palestine.

Fresh from their exploits hosting a major sporting event -

the European Football Championships -

alongside Ukraine.

Well, this is a significant moment for Qatar.

The shooter Bahya al-Hamad

carries the flag in what she says is a truly historic moment

as the Qatar team includes women for the very first time.

Romania.

Bumper presence from Russia -

436 competitors.

And, of course, they are looking ahead

to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, as well.

They are. And right at the front of the delegation Maria Sharapova,

as the President looks on.

The tennis star completed a career grand slam by winning the French Open

a few weeks ago.

19 members of the Saudi team.

The experts say that Saudi Arabia

is in fact a bit of an enigma.

The world's biggest oil producer and exporter and, so far,

well, resisting the kind of winds of change of the Arab Spring.

And Sarah Attar will become the first Saudi Arabian woman

to compete in the Olympic Games.

The teenager born and raised in California

and has dual nationality due to her father.

The Saudis have selected women for the first time.

There is also a female judoka

who will compete in these Games. An historic moment.

35 team members from Senegal.

Serbia.

There is Novak Djokovic. Last year's Wimbledon champion, of course.

He won three out of four grand slam titles last year.

Knocked out by Roger Federer in an epic semi-final at Wimbledon.

Now seeded number two in the singles event.

Fourth Olympics for the Republic of Serbia - yet to win a medal.

Could he be the man?

He looks like a lot of fun, Novak Djokovic, doesn't he?

He's a charming man.

He must be very popular with the team, for sure.

Already a superb summer of sport for South Africa, with Ernie Els

winning the Open last weekend.

And a significant statement made as Caster Semenya carries the flag -

former 800 metres world champion,

at the centre of a pretty disgraceful

11-month investigation into her gender,

played out in soap-opera fashion to the public.

Now she has real chances of adding an Olympic gold to that world title.

And, of course, Oscar Pistorius,

the first double amputee to take part in the Olympic Games.

290 members

of the Spanish Olympic team here in London.

Pau Gasol is the basketball silver medallist, 2008.

And replacing, I think, Rafael Nadal

who was originally chosen to be the flag bearer.

He was, yes. Knee injury,

unfortunately, so everybody hoping that

the men's football team can go on to win,

but - shock, horror - their under-23 team lost to Japan

1-0 at Hampden last night.

They had a man sent of, so perhaps their luck will change

when the Olympic flame is lit.

By the way, the Olympic motto - "faster, higher, stronger" -

mas rapido, mas alto, mas fuerte. Sounds great in Spanish, doesn't it?

The United Arab Emirates.

Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum -

a member of the Dubai royal family - is the flag bearer.

He's a trap shooter.

And he is indeed a member of the Dubai royal family,

so Great Britain and Zara Phillips

not the only team with royal connections, as we welcome

the United States of America.

The most successful nation ever

in swimming, athletics, basketball, tennis, boxing and diving.

530 of them in London.

The First Lady, Michelle Obama, welcoming them.

She's been leading the delegation here,

speaking yesterday about how humbled she felt.

And also reminiscing about the way that she'd been inspired

by the Olympics back in the 1970s, when she was growing up.

Ralph Lauren uniforms they're wearing tonight.

And in this big, big team,

some Olympic giants like Michael Phelps,

returning for his fourth Games, with his 14 gold medals already.

And he's only going to try for seven this time.

Ryan Lochte, his team-mate, could be nailed on for a few of those.

He has a possibility of winning six this time.

And look out for Missy "The Missile" Franklin.

She's only 17. She's qualified for seven swimming events as well,

and she could be the new star of this US swim team -

indeed the US team generally.

How are you doing?

Well, the exuberant entry of the Americans, more than 500 of them,

tells us that we really are in the final stages,

now, of this athletes' parade.

And there's Kirsty Coventry, an Olympic legend,

a seven-strong team, she's won seven of Zimbabwe's eight medals

in their history - two of them gold.

She's a swimmer. She dislocated her knee,

so being here is a very real achievement for her.

And the noise builds.

You can guess why.

Grand Bretagne.

Great Britain.

MUSIC: "Heroes" by David Bowie

Sir Chris Hoy.

They've been waiting patiently,

but that's the reward, isn't it? Thunderous applause.

And how appropriate. David Bowie's Heroes

blasts out around this Olympic Stadium.

It's a 541-strong team. Only about half of them marching tonight.

The others saving their energies for events early in the Games.

There's Tim Brabants. He's back to defend his Olympic title.

What a moment for David and Carol Hoy.

Chris - Britain's most successful cycling athlete in history.

The Flying Scotsman.

The first ever cyclist to carry the flag at the opening ceremony.

And who can forget his triple gold from Beijing?

The Queen looks on proudly, I'm sure.

Seven billion little bits of paper - biodegradable paper -

to represent every single human being on the planet.

I'm up with the crowd taking a picture...

-TREVOR LAUGHS

-..filming this. It's so historic.

The moment we've been waiting for for seven years.

Tom Daley here at the age of 18 for his second Olympic Games.

He was only 14 when he took part

and made the final in the 10-metre platform in Beijing.

And what a picture, what a scene and what a moment for these athletes.

# ..We can be heroes just for one day... #

And Sir Keith Mills, what a moment for him and the rest of the team

who plotted and schemed to bring these Games to London

all these years ago.

I'm sure they cannot believe what they're seeing at the moment.

A moment of great emotion for Chris Hoy, clearly,

and for all of his team members - 540 of them.

Tom Daley looks ecstatic.

-I can't quite believe the moment's arrived, Hazel.

-Indeed.

As we watch Pete Waterfield just behind Tom Daley there.

Pete already has a silver medal from the synchro-diving in Athens.

But the sense of joy and celebration...

The Prime Minister applauding enthusiastically.

Members of the Royal Family,

Archbishop of Canterbury too, enjoying.

The Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen

surveying the scene, taking it all in.

Well, everywhere throughout this team... We see Alison Williams

just go past there, six times an Olympian -

has a bronze medal.

Hah! I couldn't agree more.

This team trying to surpass the 19 gold medals,

and 47 in total, that they brought back from the last Games.

Round they go, taking in the energy and the atmosphere,

the enthusiasm, the welcome.

It's as warm and it's as lively as you can imagine.

Don't forget, this is the first time that Great Britain has entered teams

in ALL 26 summer Olympic sports, from beach volleyball to handball,

to basketball and football.

And you're going to be seeing an awful lot of

these young men and women over the next 16 days or so.

And obviously you're going to be able to see them all on the BBC,

on so many different channels.

And I hope to be following a sport

that I never thought I'd enjoy or like.

That's the whole joy of the Olympic Games.

Well, these are the athletes lucky enough to be parading.

Spare a thought for the swimmers - Becky Adlington, Kerri-Anne Payne,

Hannah Miley, Gemma Spofforth, Fran Halsall, Ellen Gandy, Liam Tancock.

They all took the decision collectively, as a team,

to save their energies because they're in the pool,

many of them, at ten o'clock tomorrow morning.

And I'm sure that they're staying up

to see the lighting of the flame before that.

CONTINUOUS CHEERING

That is a magnificent sight, isn't it, really?

The stadium looks wonderful at night. And you can see why

Danny Boyle really wanted to start a little later -

to get the full effect of the lighting and these pixels.

And as we watch these pictures,

spare a thought for our rowers as well -

Kath Grainger, Anna Watkins...

..Greg Searle, Zac Purchase, Mark Hunter, amongst a huge rowing team

that are watching this at Eton Dorney

ahead of their events that start tomorrow.

And down in Weymouth our sailors, including Ben Ainslie,

are also, I'm sure, enjoying this and are having their own party.

You may be wondering, now, what's going to happen next?

Because we have Team GB with us,

we have all 204 nations here.

My word, we're enjoying the atmosphere.

What's going to happen next?

Well, we'll have a representation of the doves of peace and then...

we'll be moving towards the climax of the ceremony itself.

We'll have the Queen declaring the Games open

and we'll have the flame itself, the cauldron being lit.

And as the home team makes its way up onto

what was a medal at the start of this opening ceremony,

we're preparing for the moment that we're here for.

But not before we've heard from these guys.

They look good on the dance floor.

Arctic Monkeys - back to the music.

MUSIC: "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" by Arctic Monkeys

# Stop making the eyes at me I'll stop making the eyes at you

# And what it is that surprises me Is that I don't really want you to

-# And your shoulders are frozen

-Cold as the night

-# Oh, you're an explosion

-You're dynamite

# Your name isn't Rio But I don't like the sand

# Lighting a fuse might result in a bang, with a bang-go!

# I bet that you look good On the dance floor

# I don't know if you're looking for romance or

# I don't know what you're looking for

# I said, "I bet that you look good on the dance floor

# "Dancing to electro-pop Like a robot from 1984

# "From 1984!"

# I wish you'd stop ignoring me Because you're sending me to despair

# Without a sound Yeah, you're calling me

# And I don't think it's very fair

-# That your shoulders are frozen

-Cold as the night

-# You're an explosion

-You're dynamite

# Your name isn't Rio But I don't like the sand

# Lighting a fuse might result in a bang,

# With a bang-go!

# I knew that you looked good on the dance floor

# I don't know what you're looking for romance or

# I don't know what you're looking for

# "I bet that you look good on the dance floor

# "Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984

# "From 1984"

# Oh, there ain't no love

# No Montagues or Capulets

# Just banging tunes in DJ sets

# And the dirty dance floor

# And dreams of naughtiness

# All right!

# Well, I bet that you look good on the dance floor

# I don't know if you're looking for romance or

# I don't know what ya looking for

# I said, "I bet that you look good on the dance floor

# "Dancing to electro-pop

# "Like a robot from 1984

# "From 1984." #

CHEERING

MUSIC: "Come Together" by The Beatles Performed by Arctic Monkeys

# Here come old flat top

# He come groovin' up slowly

# He's got joo joo eyeballs

# He's one holy roller

# He's got hair down to his knee

# Got to be a joker

# He just do what he please

# He wear no shoeshine

# He got toe jam football

# He got monkey finger

# He shoot Coca-Cola

# He say I know you, you know me

# One thing I can tell you is

# You got to be free

# Come together, right now

# Over me

# He roller coaster

# He got early warning

# He got muddy water

# He one Mojo filter

# He say one and one and one is three

# Got to be good-looking

# Cos he's so hard to see

# Come together right now

# Over me

# Come together, yeah

# Come together, yeah

# Come together, yeah

# Come together, yeah

# Come together, yeah

# Come together, yeah

# Come together, yeah. #

APPLAUSE

Mesdames et messieurs, ladies and gentlemen, the Arctic Monkeys.

Mesdames et messieurs,

veuillez accueillir le president

du Comite d'organisation des Jeux olympiques et paralympiques,

Sebastian Coe,

et le president du Comite international olympique,

Jacques Rogge.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome

the Chairman of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games,

Sebastian Coe,

and the President of the International Olympic Committee,

Jacques Rogge.

CHEERING

Your Majesty, Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses,

President Rogge, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

To everyone in this stadium attending our Opening Ceremony,

to every athlete waiting, ready, prepared to take part in these Games,

to everyone in every city and village in the world watching as we begin,

welcome to London.

CHEERING

Welcome. Welcome to the 2012 Olympic Games.

Welcome from every one of us.

I have never been so proud to be British

and to have been a part of the Olympic movement...

CHEERING

..as I am on this day,

at this moment.

The Olympics brings together the people of the world

in harmony and friendship and peace,

to celebrate what is best about mankind.

All my life, I have loved sport.

You have to love sport to compete at it.

There is a truth to sport,

a purity, a drama,

an intensity.

A spirit that makes it irresistible to take part in

and irresistible to watch.

London 2012 seeks to capture all of this.

London 2012 will inspire a generation.

In every Olympic sport, there is all that matters in life.

Humans stretched to the limit of their abilities,

inspired by what they can achieve,

driven by their talent to work harder than they can believe possible.

Living for the moment, but making an indelible mark upon history.

To the athletes gathered here on the eve of this great endeavour,

I say that to you is given something precious and irreplaceable.

To run faster, to jump higher, to be stronger.

To my fellow countrymen, I say thank you.

Thank you for making all this possible.

CHEERING

In the next two weeks, we will show all that has made London

one of the greatest cities in the world.

CHEERING

The only city to have welcomed the Games three times.

CHEERING

Each time we have done it, the world faced turbulence and trouble,

and each time, the Games have been a triumph.

Our history as a thriving commercial centre,

as a place where the people of all nations have, for centuries,

come to meet as a city which never stands still.

This history has prepared us for today.

For us, too, for every Briton, just as the competitors,

this is our time.

CHEERING

And one day, we will tell our children and our grandchildren

that when our time came, we did it right.

CHEERING

Let us determine, all of us, all over the world,

that London 2012 will see the very best of us.

It now gives me great pleasure

to introduce the President of the International Olympic Committee,

Dr Jacques Rogge.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Your Majesty, Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses,

distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

In just a few moments,

the Olympic Games will officially return to London for the third time,

setting an unmatched record for hosting the Games

that spans more than a century.

CHEERING

Thank you. Thank you, London, for welcoming the world

to this diverse, vibrant, cosmopolitan city yet again.

CHEERING

It has taken a lot of hard work by many people

to get us to this point.

I want to thank the entire team at the London Organising Committee,

superbly led by Lord Coe, for their excellent and hard work.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

I also want to thank all the public authorities who have helped ensure

that these Games will leave a lasting positive legacy

long after the Closing Ceremony.

And, of course, we are all grateful

to the thousands of dedicated volunteers

who have been so generous...

CHEERING

CHEERING CONTINUES

..who have been so generous with their time, their energy

and their welcoming smiles.

For the first time in Olympic history,

all the participating teams will have had female athletes,

and this is a major boost for gender equality.

CHEERING

In a sense, the Olympic Games are coming home tonight.

CHEERING

This great sports-loving country

is widely recognised as the birthplace of modern sport.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

It was here that the concept of sportsmanship and fair play

were first codified into clear rules and regulations.

It was here that sport was included as an educational tool

in the school curriculum.

The British app... CHEERING

The British approach to sport

had a profound influence on Pierre de Coubertin, our founder,

as he developed the framework for the modern Olympic movement

at the close of the 19th century.

The values that inspired de Coubertin

will come to life over the next 17 days

as the world's best athletes compete

in a spirit of friendship, respect and fair play.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

I congratulate all of the athletes

who have earned a place at these Games.

CHEERING

And to the athletes,

I offer this thought.

Your talent, your dedication and commitment brought you here,

now you have a chance to become true Olympians.

That honour is determined not by whether you win,

but by how you compete.

CHEERING

Character counts far more than medals.

Reject doping, respect your opponents,

remember that you're all role models.

If you do that, you will inspire a generation.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Ces Jeux sont porteurs de beaucoup d'espoirs.

Espoir d'entente et de paix entre les 204 Comites Nationaux Olympiques.

Espoir de voir les jeunes generations s'inspirer des valeurs du sport.

Espoir que ces Jeux puissent contribuer au developpement durable.

Chers athletes, faites-nous rever.

Dear athletes, make us dream.