By Charlie Carroll

I, like Aurelia, was one of those horrible little cynics. I thought the olympics were going to be a bit of a disaster, and would definitely make london a living hell for the locals. I mean can you imagine, irritating americans asking where the Queen lives, shady pickpockets stealing my shoes while i wait for an overcrowded tube (thank you, Daily Mail, for that little paranoia), nightmare. Then I lucked out and bagged myself a ticket for the opening ceremony; only £20.12 (geddit?). Although i berated myself for not escaping the sweaty clutches for the games, i thought it was worth a look in. Bloody hell was I right. The whole thing was spectacular, a superb mixture of humility, pomposity, arrogance and self-depreciation, all combined with incredible music and phenomenal fireworks. I laughed, I cried, i think i might have even wet myself a little bit.

As it turns out, the Americans have been sweet, London’s handled it brilliantly and Britain actually seems to be excelling at some sports. Even the pickpockets have been pretty jovial.

So here are some pictures that go nowhere near describing the majesty of the day. THEY DO NOT DO IT JUSTICE