One Fort in the Grave, with KEITH FORT

ALTOGETHER now for the last time: "Land of Hope and Gloree ..."

Even though we didn't win most medals it seemed to dominate the games. And if we keep on practising, by the next games in 2006, we should all know the words and be able to handle the last line.

Didn't our lads and lasses do well, though? Manchester and the whole of the North West did us and the country proud. They emulated the success of the athletes with a double accolade of their own -- the best games ever held in Britain and the best Commonwealth Games ever. You couldn't do better than that.

And didn't the games throw up some incredible personal stories. What a magic last touch in these games, which included athletes with disabilities for the first time, to make a special award to Natilie Dutoit, the young South African swimmer who refused to let a road accident and the loss of a leg divert her from her determination to win gold in her sport.

Even other competitors felt she was the most deserving first recipient of an award designed to reward the athlete making the greatest contribution to the games and their sport. She was an inspiration to us all.

On the other side of the coin the most amazing story to me was that of the four man Kenyan road race cycling team. Being from a poor African nation they managed to scrape the fare together and arrived in Manchester to take part -- without bikes!

Can you imagine the scene as the four smiling, genial Africans walked into a Manchester bike shop, explained they were the Kenyan cycling team, and asked to borrow four bikes?

Oh yeah? Better try somewhere else, would have been the general reaction.

But incredibly, and true to the spirit of these games, the store came up trumps, and the four Kenyans were able to take part on the best racing cycles they had ever ridden.

It was interesting to me to hear the voice of one BBC commentator on the squash, Tony Gubba, last heard doing the TV voice over from the World Cup matches in South Korea and Japan. For Tony spent some of his early years as a reporter on this very newspaper in Blackburn and Burnley.

I thought the range of people chosen to present the medals was fascinating. They ranged from the usual games officials to representatives of all the sponsors and can you imagine the scenes if some of those latter had run true to form?

The boss of Asda might have been caught slipping in an extra gold medal under his stores latest two for one offer.

Then wonder boy Thorpe -- the human Thorpedo -- might have been kept hanging about waiting patiently for his umpteenth gold. Who from? The head of Virgin trains, late as usual.

One of the girl winners could easily have expected her medal to have arrived dramatically from the air, delivered by a handsome guy in a black mask ... from Cadburys.

Manchester Airport could well have arranged their recipients into an orderly queue while BUPA might have been the most appropriate presenters after the injury-plagued men's 100 metre track event.

Then there were the secondary presentations of those spectacular lily bouquets. Boy! I wouldn't fancy having to present posies to some of those super heavyweight boxers and lifters would you? Particularly that 6ft 10ins Blackpool Tower shot putter.

During one medal ceremony, I saw a fleeting hand and the back of a head and wouldn't have known who was presenting but for the commentator. It was only the president of the games, Prince Edward. Come on, lads, he's no longer a competitor -- he's given all that TV producing up.

The camera stayed a little longer on the Queen at the opening ceremony, perhaps a little too long for we all witnessed the monarch receive the baton but, sadly, omitting to give the slightest acknowledgement to brave little Kirsty Howard.

David Beckham had steered the ailing little girl to a moment to remember for the rest of her life as she became the last person right round the world to carry the games jubilee baton to the Queen. Now there's a lad with a heart as big as his talent.

The Commonwealth Games gave us all something to remember and reflect on. But we definitely had one clear winner. We had the best anthem, even if we didn't know all the words.