Firing up the cauldron
Wednesday, July 25th, 2012 02:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caddymanWith all this palaver and mystery over precisely who is going to light the flame in the Olympic Cauldron on Friday, I hereby make my speculative guess.
There have been hints that it may not be an Olympian at all, though I understand that the bookies’ favourite is Sir Steve Redgrave – gold medallist at five consecutive Olympics. Bookies don’t get rich from being wrong very often, but then, it’s the number of bets placed, I believe, that determines a favourite, so I’m not sure what their attempts to cover their collective arses tells us.
There are a number of potential Olympians who could do the job; I saw Dr Sir Roger Bannister touted as a possibility. I have to admit I thought he’d died; he must be getting on a bit. In fact I just paused to look him up on Wikipedia and he is a spry–looking 83 year old, so why not?
All that aside, there have been hints, as I say, that it may not be an Olympian. We know they are going for spectacle in the opening ceremony and I suspect that it being London and all, the organisers will want to give it a British slant; the arena floor is reputedly being made to look like British countryside for the occasion, so a bit of flag-waving is sure to be included.
The two iconic media items linked with Britain are Harry Potter and James Bond 007. You could make a case, I guess, for Dr Who, but I think the two former have a more global presence than our favourite Time Lord.
So, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, in a wizard-themed event where they light the cauldron with their wands, perhaps?
Perhaps.
But. We know that Paul McCartney is playing at the opening ceremony and we know that he is going on late, possibly even last, which is when the flame will, presumably, be lit. Now as I say, they are looking for spectacle and the old bugger can still put on a show. My prediction, for what it’s worth is this:
Macca plays a short set of two or three numbers and as the finale goes into Live and Let Die. Traditionally when he plays this, there are thunderflashes on stage times to go off when the drummer hits the beat on ‘die’. That’s when I’d have the thunderflashes go off around the stadium and have James Bond himself, Daniel Craig in character light the cauldron.
Of course, it’s probably something completely different. I like my version, though. It would be spectacular.
There have been hints that it may not be an Olympian at all, though I understand that the bookies’ favourite is Sir Steve Redgrave – gold medallist at five consecutive Olympics. Bookies don’t get rich from being wrong very often, but then, it’s the number of bets placed, I believe, that determines a favourite, so I’m not sure what their attempts to cover their collective arses tells us.
There are a number of potential Olympians who could do the job; I saw Dr Sir Roger Bannister touted as a possibility. I have to admit I thought he’d died; he must be getting on a bit. In fact I just paused to look him up on Wikipedia and he is a spry–looking 83 year old, so why not?
All that aside, there have been hints, as I say, that it may not be an Olympian. We know they are going for spectacle in the opening ceremony and I suspect that it being London and all, the organisers will want to give it a British slant; the arena floor is reputedly being made to look like British countryside for the occasion, so a bit of flag-waving is sure to be included.
The two iconic media items linked with Britain are Harry Potter and James Bond 007. You could make a case, I guess, for Dr Who, but I think the two former have a more global presence than our favourite Time Lord.
So, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, in a wizard-themed event where they light the cauldron with their wands, perhaps?
Perhaps.
But. We know that Paul McCartney is playing at the opening ceremony and we know that he is going on late, possibly even last, which is when the flame will, presumably, be lit. Now as I say, they are looking for spectacle and the old bugger can still put on a show. My prediction, for what it’s worth is this:
Macca plays a short set of two or three numbers and as the finale goes into Live and Let Die. Traditionally when he plays this, there are thunderflashes on stage times to go off when the drummer hits the beat on ‘die’. That’s when I’d have the thunderflashes go off around the stadium and have James Bond himself, Daniel Craig in character light the cauldron.
Of course, it’s probably something completely different. I like my version, though. It would be spectacular.
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(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-25 01:15 pm (UTC)On the rest.... well. ;)
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Date: 2012-07-25 01:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-25 01:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-25 02:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-25 01:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-25 01:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-25 01:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-25 02:11 pm (UTC)Oddly enough, Elle speculated it may be on top of the RED MONSTROSITY. There appears to be something on top that is not the restaurant...
I like my idea for the lighting ceremony (I wouldm wouldn't I?), but it would be really cool if Sir Roger B did it as the world's first sub 4 minute miler!
(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-25 02:23 pm (UTC)As to who should light it, well as long as it's not Beckham (sorry David but you're not an Olympian!) - I'd like Steve Redgrave or Daley T, but Sir Roger B would be good too. They all deserve the honour really.
Does Elle have to work during the ceremony or will she be able to watch it?
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Date: 2012-07-25 02:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2012-07-25 02:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-25 02:54 pm (UTC)