London 2012 Olympics: Cool Britannia on show as UK waves goodbye to Games

THE 2012 London Olympics came to a spectacular close last night in a musical extravaganza to mark the end of the country’s most successful Games in more than a century.

The Spice Girls, Madness, Queen, Take That, The Who and Annie Lennox took to the stage in a symphony of British music.

Evoking images of the past from Winston Churchill and Edward Elgar, through the psychedelic 60s to the highs and lows of the Games, the closing ceremony culminated with a glimpse of the carnival that awaits in Rio in four years’ time.

A galaxy of stars including the Pet Shop Boys, Kaiser Chiefs, George Michael, Tinie Tempah and Jessie J, along with faces such as Kate Moss, Russell Brand, Julian Lloyd Webber, Naomi Campbell and Darcey Bussell built up to the show’s climax. 
Entering the Olympic Stadium, the audience was treated to a vision of working London wrapped in newspaper as they were taken to the heart of the capital’s busy rush-hour.

As well as typically rainy weather forecasts and stocks and shares, the reams of print celebrated British literary greats from the earliest surviving Anglo-Saxon poetry to current poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, with extracts from Shakespeare and Milton along the way.

Unwrapped on a newspaper rubbish truck, Scots singer Emeli Sande delighted the crowds with hit song Read All About It.

Winston Churchill, played by King’s Speech actor Timothy Spall, stood atop Big Ben reciting the same lines from Shakespeare’s The Tempest which helped open the Games 16 days ago: “Be not afeard: the isle is full of noises.”

As the deafening noise grew to a crescendo, Churchill brought the worldwide audience’s focus to the royal box as a fanfare announced the arrival of Prince Harry, The Duchess of Cambridge and International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge.

Later, The Pet Shop Boys, riding on rickshaws, performed West End Girls, followed by X Factor phenomenon One Direction with their hit What Makes You Beautiful. George Michael then came in singing his 1990s anthem Freedom ‘90.

Spotlights then picked out the Kaiser Chiefs playing The Who classic Pinball Wizard after a dark blue light descended on the stadium. Ed Sheeran was joined by original Floyd drummer Nick Mason, The Feeling’s Richard Jones and Genesis founder Mike Rutherford for the Pink Floyd song Wish You Were Here.

As segments of daily British life were shown to the crowds, comedian Russell Brand arrived on a psychedelic tour bus performing Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and The Beatles’ I Am The Walrus. From limousines circling the track, Jessie J, Tinie Tempah and Taio Cruz emerged singing their respective hits Price Tag, Written in the Stars and Dynamite before joining together for the Bee Gees’ disco tune You Should Be Dancing.

After a balletic performance of ten taxis, five came to life illuminated in baby pink, sporty stripes, posh dynamite, the Union Flag and a scary animal print. It was, of course, the much-anticipated reunion of the Spice Girls – reformed for one night only to perform from the roofs of the cabs.

The capital’s mayor Boris Johnson passed the flag to Olympics chief Jacques Rogge, who in turn presented it to Rio mayor Eduardo Paes.

Take That and The Who closed the ceremony.

After speeches by Lord Coe and Mr Rogge, the flame that reached all corners of the UK over 70 days was extinguished – the Games were over.