What struck me most about Aretha Franklin's hat was how bland the colour was. The shape stood out, the shade certainly didn't - it was drab. I have seen groovier hats - both in colour and shape - amongst West African ladies going to and from church in Peckham, South London.

Amid the various crowd shots, one older man stood out - he was wearing a bright red trilby. I guess he knew what he was doing when he chose that colour - we may not remember him, but we remember his titfer!

I agree with Aretha's own estimation of her performance. But I am glad it was she singing rather than one of the oh-so-many over-ornamented younger singers who wring too much melisma out of every syllable.

A reaction by quite a few people over here in london was: "what is she doing singing the British national anthem, "God Save The Queen"? (OK, I know the story behind the shared tunes, and the other nations that use it as their anthem, so let's not get into that one.)