It featured tributes to the British countryside and the Industrial Revolution (complete with smokestacks emerging from the ground), showcased the "Chariots of Fire" soundtrack as well as pop music staples from the Beatles to Amy Winehouse, and even comedy bits featuring Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson), actor Daniel Craig and even Queen Elizabeth II herself.

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Mr Pickles described the area as a monument to the industrial revolution and "a testament to British ingenuity and ambition".

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With an uplifting, "people power" theme combining references to British history and pop culture, the rambunctious ceremony covered subjects as diverse as the Industrial Revolution, the National Health Service, popular children's book characters including Peter Pan and Mary Poppins, and pop stars past and present.

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