There was sadness as well as joy, sentiments very similar to those experienced in Birmingham last Monday at the end of the Commonwealth Games.

The two Closing Ceremonies had many similarities - both were held on an evening which began with perfect summer sunlight and brought to an end an exhilarating festival of sport. 

The Birmingham 2022 Closing Ceremony led off with Kevin Rowland and Dexys Midnight Runners and built to a grand finale with the reunion of Black Sabbath.

At London 2012, the Closing Ceremony celebration was "a symphony of British music" and was also effectively one long concert sprinkled with some Olympic ceremonial dust.

It put the band back together for the Spice Girls, Take That and Madness.

Eric Idle sang Always Look on the Bright side of Life from Monty Python’s Life of Brian.

The concert also featured the late George Michael and hologram performances representing Freddie Mercury and John Lennon.

The skyline of London was displayed as actor Timothy Spall portrayed Sir Winston Churchill in the Westminster Clock Tower, better if mistakenly known as Big Ben.

By a coincidence, Spall’s  breakthrough television role had been as a labourer from Birmingham called Barry Taylor in the hit series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

Spall himself is from Battersea in South London

As for royal presence, there was Prince Henry of Wales, as the official protocol described the Prince who now wishes to be known as Harry. 

Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee was exultant after a hugely successful Games.

"We lit the flame and we lit up the world; we know more now, as individuals and as a nation, just what we are capable of," Coe said. 

"When our time came, Britain, we did it right."

Those leaving the stadium after the Closing Ceremony could even find a platform which promised tube trains to Rio although it was not made sure whether this was within the Oyster travel zones for London.

It was International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge who closed London 2012 after declaring them "Happy and Glorious", a line borrowed from the national anthem "God Save the Queen".

"Many young people will be inspired to take up a sport or to pursue their dreams," Rogge said.

A decade on, the message was "Sport is just the Beginning" in Birmingham.

"These Games have been bold, buzzing and absolutely brilliant," said Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President Dame Louise Martin.

CGF vice-patron Prince Edward closed Birmingham 2022 on behalf of the Queen.

Birmingham and London have offered a message of hope for the future and at London 2012, the cauldron offered a gift to each of the competing nations as a petal was presented to the 205 National Olympic Committees as a permanent reminder of the Games.

Birmingham is already excited about their prospects of hosting the Eurovision Song Contest and officials have refused to rule out a Birmingham bid for a future Olympics.

The tagline for Bring the Games to Birmingham, Salty Dog's official song for the unsuccessful Birmingham bid for the 1992 Olympics has a little more credibility now.

"Its the best thing anybody can do," the song goes. 

Many felt the same way about London 2012.