David: On the 6th July 2005 I celebrated, in good Guinness style, London winning the bid to host the 2012 Olympics, and my brother Rob (who had been at much of the Sydney 2000 Games) phoned Mum from Australia to say he would come over. The following morning, however, London was devastated when four suicide bombers cruelly caused the death of 52 innocent commuters on their way to work.
I was among those seriously injured that morning, and the then Mayor Ken Livingstone made an emotional promise that we and the bereaved would have the privilege of attending the London Games. In the seven years since then nothing more was heard and when Angela and I failed in our attempts to get tickets online, we thought we’d lost the chance. And then I received a letter from the Metropolitan Police on behalf of the new Mayor Boris Johnson saying we had been gifted four tickets and offering us a choice of three events. We knew that the one event the whole family would love would be the Opening Ceremony.
“I lost a leg – but saved £4k!” That was my rather flippant remark I made to colleagues and friends in the days leading up to the Opening Ceremony. But what a marvellous moving afternoon and evening it was for the four of us and everyone inside the Park. The atmosphere was wonderful – everyone so friendly and even queuing patiently. I was really impressed by the organisation, the security, police, soldiers – who were not overbearing but got into the spirit of the event and were appreciated – and one of the biggest and most well-deserved of cheers during the Ceremony went to the hundreds of volunteers, those helping out in the Park and those performing in the show.
Angela: My eyes welled up as soon as we entered the Olympic Park and I looked towards Canary Wharf and the London Docklands, where my office is situated. We had arrived early – well ahead of the 5pm entry time – and it gave us every opportunity to soak up the atmosphere and make the most of this momentous occasion.
Inside the Stadium, the scene of England’s green and pleasant land was absolutely captivating: wherever one was seated in the stadium, one could see people at work on the land and at play with their neighbours, and then there was the beautiful shire horse and the flock of sheep, all so natural, and yet rehearsed to the second.
As the clock neared 20:12 (48 minutes before the start of the ceremony), we could see on screen the Red Arrows approaching; then we heard the roar of engines and, looking up, immediately above our heads, came the aircraft, in perfect formation, leaving a trail of red, white and blue smoke, to the rapturous applause and cheers of the assembled spectators – ourselves included. And that was just the start…
There followed the most spectacular evening; I feel certain I shall never again see such a show in my lifetime. It was mesmerising from start to finish, filled with humour, with references to British life and culture (which, while some international viewers may not have fully comprehended, we loved). I felt very proud to be British, very honoured to be there celebrating this occasion. It could have been so different, of course; and there were several occasions during the night when I was moved to tears, not only by the theatre and spectacle that I was witnessing, but also in the knowledge that there were bereaved families in the audience who were watching with us, but without their loved ones who had perished in the London bombings. Life could have been so different for the Gardners, and we were so fortunate to be there as a family.
Matthew: My favourite bits included when a huge Lord Voldemort appeared, and also Mr Bean playing and misbehaving in the orchestra and then imagining he was running in a race. I also liked the fireworks and the Olympic rings made of fire. I managed to stay awake all through the ceremony, which started way past my and Alice’s bedtime, but I was very tired on the way home: Mum had to give me a piggy-back. It is a night I shall always remember!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alice (who says “We were there!” every time she sees the Olympic Stadium on the television):
I liked the fireworks.
And in the end the love you take
Is equal to the love you make.
Lennon/McCartney, The End
The Gardner family
London 2012: Opening Ceremony reflections
'Team Gardner'