OK so the Olympic Games shouldn’t be in Beijing. But it really has been quite a show.
And this might be a horribly old fashioned view, completely lacking the cynicism of the times but I’m loving the exploits of the British team (not Team GB. Please everyone stop saying Team GB).
The misery of, well, of pretty much everything that we read, see and hear has been lifted by news of Chris Hoy, of Becca Adlington, of all of them really.
Everyone seems to be talking about it, mostly in disbelief, but all the conversations are bathed in smiles. That’s good. Sport can’t change the course of a nation but I think it has proved that most of us don’t have it nearly as bad as the media would have us believe. A few gold medals and we’re all smiles, patriotism and bonhomie.
A shame that the minute the team get back we’ll be subjected to more negativity about 2012. We’re lumbered with it now so let’s get on with it and throw open our arms and welcome the world. That’s all we can do.
And our athletes have proved that whatever else it might be the Olympic Games can still be an enthralling festival of humanity.

