It might have cost more than three times its initial budget, but most Britons agree that £9 billion was money well spent, despite working out at £142 per head for every man, woman and child in the UK.
It was also our greatest Games. Team GB won 65 medals including 29 golds. This was the highest since 1908, when coincidentally the Games were also held in London.
Isles of Wonder
Masterminded by director Danny Boyle, the three hour opening ceremony 'Isles of Wonder' was a madcap celebration of Britain. Journeying from a green and pleasant land, through the dark satanic mills of the Industrial Revolution to a celebration of the National Health Service and our rich musical heritage, it manage to both celebrate and comment on the state of the nation today.
A new postcode
The 2012 Games took place at venues across Britain but arguably had the most impact in East London along the Lea Valley, an area long identified for 'regeneration'. A brand new postcode E20 has been created and five new neighbourhoods are planned on the site of the Olympic Park. A third of these are planned as 'affordable' housing. Time will tell how many of these new houses become investments rather than homes.
