I liked your comment even before I realised it was you ;)

This was a live blog, so I was just reporting what Alex Balfour said. Personally, I’m undecided on the Olympics.

I worked for NBC during Barcelona’92 Games so saw how much anticipation and pleasure the Games can bring and witnessed the transformative effect they can have on a city. Like London 2012, those Games came at a time when the host country (Spain) was struggling to come out of recession, and thousands of jobs were created, which was great for then.

The longer term benefit was unclear - Barcelona experienced a massive communal hangover in the months after the games - a lot of people lost their jobs literally overnight, and there was a great deal of clearing up to do (physically and metaphorically).

There was a great deal of re-development. Not all of it good. In fact, I preferred the Barcelona pre-games, with it’s dinky chiringuitos (bars) on the (then gravelly) beach and no horrible Mar i Magnum (shop-bar complex) in the harbour.

But as for the London Games, I know my daughter and nephews and nieces will *so* love the excitement, as will all the other kids in town, I have to be pro (because it would be bloody depressing otherwise!)