Invictus Games

A magical evening. We were invited to the Invictus Games opening ceremony by Jaguar Land Rover, and I went with my daughter, who worked at the Olympic Park during the 2012 Olympics. Our evening began with a champagne reception at the top of the ArcelorMittal Orbit, that amazing corkscrewing metal structure next to the Olympic Stadium.

Described as Britain's tallest sculpture, it is 376 feet high, the same height as six Angels of the North stacked on top of one another. It is made of 2,000 tons of steel, the same weight as 265 double-decker buses. The views across London from the top are fabulous, you can see for 20 miles in every direction.

Then we went down to the arena where the opening ceremony took place, in the presence of Princes William and Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, and the Prime Minister. It was very moving to see the games competitors, injured servicemen and women from so many nations, parading their flags. The ceremony had a dramatic opening, with a red, white and blue smoke-trailing flypast by the Red Arrows. What followed was a dramatic spectacle and a kaleidoscope of colour as dusk fell over the Olympic Park. Truly magical.