The opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympics had many of us glued to our TV sets.

Some were lucky enough to be in the stadium to witness them first hand, but Frances Keyton has more reason than most to remember them.

Frances, from Monmouth, was chosen as one of 205 placard bearers, one for each country competing at the games.

"Our role was to escort the athletes into the stadium in the opening ceremony on 27th July, and to take the flag from one chosen athlete in the closing ceremony on 12th August," she said.

"Danny Boyle wanted each placard bearer to look entirely different to the country they were leading in, so I could wave Sweden goodbye.

"Although perhaps at first hoping for Team GB or Jamaica, I was so proud to be assigned Qatar as it was one of the Arabic countries sending women athletes for the first time.

"My flag bearer, Bahya Mansour Al Hamad, was the first female flagbearer at the first Olympic games with women competing from every country, so it felt very empowering to be accompanying her.

"Mohammed Bakhet was the flagbearer at the closing ceremony and we had lots of time to talk before entering the stadium."

Frances attended three auditions including one with coreographer Danny Boyle.

"It was amazing because he's my favourite director and I got to spend an hour's workshop with him.

"We did some ice-breaker games, I had to read a poem to camera and then tell him what I did in life. He was dynamic, full of energy and really down to earth."

As well as playing her part in Olympic history, Frances got to mingle with the world's leading athletes as well as some of the UK's most famous musicians.

"The costumes we had were quite possibly the best bit; the first was a dress made up of photographs of volunteers' faces, so that we were 'carrying the world with us', and the second was a red glittery catsuit, a mixture between Sporty Spice and Michael Jackson. 

"Walking out into the stadium on two occasions was a total thrill. Throughout the process I saw so many of my idols, sporting and musical alike; the Spice Girls were a huge part of my life when I was a little girl so seeing them in the flesh was rather exciting and I got to have a picture next to one of their black cabs.

"I'll certainly never forget the 2012 Olympics, and am proud to have been a part of it."