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We have a modest patch of the stadium floor on which to perform, and we’ll be lucky to have any on-site rehearsals at all. If this sounds tough, it's merely the form for all 'Handover' segments. Our Chinese colleagues are working really hard to support us, but the same stadium houses the conclusion of the men’s Marathon at around ten in the morning and they have less than six hours to completely transform the Bird's Nest from a sports venue into a theatrical arena for the closing ceremony.

There's no opportunity to install our own equipment or scenery into the space and we have little more than 30 seconds to get on stage and to get off later. So the brief for our brilliant Creative Director, Stephen Powell, was blunt and to the point – keep it simple and resilient, make it very London and very UK - loud and proud, and don't be afraid to be different from the rest of the ceremony – remember London 2012's vision to inspire the youth of the world, and let's have some fun.

Unlike some Olympic and Paralympic cities we don't need to make a travelogue which introduces London for the first time to the rest of the world, but we do have a great opportunity to kick off with an iconic image of the London you know then introduce aspects of the London you’ve yet to discover.

Our Head of Ceremonies, Martin Green, was another great find – having been part of the team who brilliantly re-opened what was The Dome. He and Stephen have assembled a great cast including dancers from the Royal Opera House, the triumphant West End Show dance group Zoo Nation, and Europe's leading mixed ability contemporary dance company, CandoCo. They've built a technical and production team with vast experience of previous ceremonies, world class shows and brim-full of ideas.

But there are some things even they can't do...they can't recreate the whole of our own Opening Ceremony in just eight minutes. They can't represent every aspect of our Games, let alone our city and our nations in this short segment – and I'm sure they shouldn' t challenge the Chinese in terms of scale and spectacle. Our ambition, however, for these two modest eight minute shows (one for the Olympic Games and the other for the Paralympic Games) is that, alongside the formal protocol of the flag handover from the Mayor of Beijing to the Mayor of London, we can be the catalyst for a network of community celebrations throughout London and the rest of the UK. Don't wait for us to lead the celebrations – the Games in 2012 belong to everyone in the UK so mark the moment in your own style. Be part of the four year journey by celebrating...And look for ways to share your celebrations with everyone.

And with that big thought in mind I'm not sure I can concentrate on the in-flight movies any more...