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On 17 July 1955 a smiling Ronald Reagan, still a humble
jobbing actor, presented the television coverage of the
opening of the original Disneyland at Anaheim in
California. A day still known by Disneyland employees
as Black Sunday. 6000 guests had been invited to a
private ticket-only preview event before it opened to the
public the next day. Unfortunately 22,000 extra people
arrived with counterfeit tickets. A heat wave made the
day unbearably hot, a plumbers’ strike meant that few
of the water fountains were working, a gas leak closed
Fantasyland, ladies shoes sunk and then stuck as the
newly-laid asphalt melted and a poorly fitted window on
the Mark Twain steamboat fell on the head of an elderly
State Senator. Invited celebrities including Frank Sinatra
were said to be furious but the oblivious future President
smiled the whole way through.
The London Eye was formally opened by Prime Minister
Tony Blair on 31 December 1999 but didn’t open to the
public until March 2000 because of a technical glitch.
It was hailed as London’s Eiffel Tower. Of course
London’s newest Eiffel Tower is The ArcelorMittal
Orbit in the Olympic park, which was sort of opened
earlier this year although with the Olympic Park on
security lockdown it won’t actually be open to the public
until the start of the Games.
Richard Morrison in
The Times
called it " an enormous
wire-mesh fence that has got hopelessly snagged round
the bell of a giant French horn". The Guardian called it
“the mother of all helter-skelters”, the bloggers call it
Boris’s Folly and my absolute personal favourite: Ken
Livingstone calls it The Johnson. I think it is probably
going to look quite good during the Games. It might
even become quite popular. We will see.
The Queen of Opening Ceremonies
Which brings me full circle to the London 2012 Games
to be opened by the Queen of opening ceremonies,
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. During her long reign
the Queen has opened 15 bridges, launched 23 ships, and
opened Parliament every year except 1959 and 1963
when she was expecting Princes Andrew and Edward
respectively. The number of other official openings,
unveilings, inaugurations, dedications and in the case
of the Thames Barrier official first closings, can only be
guessed at. It must count in the thousands. We wish her
and the Opening Ceremony of the XXX Olympiad well.
It’ll be a little more complex than the gymnastics display
by ladies from the London Polytechnic in front of King
Edward VII (in the rain) at the White City Stadium in 1908.
And a bit more high-tech than the release of 2500 pigeons
witnessed by her father at the old Wembley Stadium in
1948. I only hope that Prince Philip enjoys it. And you too,
if you’re not lucky enough to have tickets for the event
itself, then at home on the telly.
Diligently and with a buffet.
Her Majesty looks up at Cutty Sark
back in April this year when she
opened the new exhibition, cafe and
beautifully rebuilt/restored ship.