The Bells Will Be Ringing For The Olympics

It was only last night, listening to night-time radio, that I had confirmed what exactly would be happening on Friday.

At 12 minutes past eight in the Morning, exactly 12 hours before the opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympics begins, all Church Bells will be rung, and Big Ben will chime for three minutes solid.

All citizens are encouraged to ring bells if they have them, and my first feeling on hearing this, I must admit, was to be moved almost to tears.

There is something almost magical about the ringing of bells in such a synchronised way, as it has so often been reserved in the past for such occasions as victory over an enemy.

On Friday, it is perhaps an appropriate rallying call, to remind everyone of what will take place that evening, the opening ceremony to the Games.

My first visual thought was of that moment in the second of the Elizabeth films when Cate Blanchett, on a white horse and in shining silver armour, addresses her troops as the Spanish Armada approaches this island Nation.

On that occasion, the weather played an important role in defeating the invading army, and in a similar respect, the weather has seemed to play an important role over the past several weeks, when we have had one of the wettest periods in living memory.

This historic week, however, the sun has appeared, and it is 30°, with blue skies.

I shall be listening to hear local church bells joining in this national call, and perhaps to Big Ben chiming for the longest time.

And perhaps I may join in myself, by composing something with bells on my Macintosh computer, using Apple Creative Software, something to be played loudly through my super speaker system attached to my computer. They can make quite a racket when needed.

I'm not a musician, but these days such software makes composition a simply visual effort, and I do have a symphony orchestra add on.

So, a three-minute special contribution, perhaps a poem without words appropriate to the occasion. My own contribution, flat on my back, and wishing for once that I could run and jump and leave behind my Multiple Sclerosis.