A golden summer - Telegraph For much of the summer, the British people have been cheered, uplifted and inspired by the astonishing achievements of the athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The competitors, including the winners, have been remarkable not just for their skills, their discipline and their dedication, but also for their modesty, good humour and eagerness to praise others. The performance by the thousands of volunteers, who gave their time to ensure the Games ran smoothly, has been scarcely less impressive. Now that the whole enterprise is drawing to a close, most of Britain will feel a sense of loss - not only for the prodigious achievements of the athletes, but also for the collective spirit of co-operation and goodwill that the Games generated. The experience of the last month confounded the doomsayers who predicted disaster, or at least boredom, indifference and ineffectiveness. Britain has shown that it is a can-do country, where things can be efficiently organised, and promises kept. That may be the true legacy of the Games. Long may this continue!