That motto helped spawn a vibrant music scene in Birmingham and one of the greatest party tunes of all.

No, not Sweet Caroline.

Come on Eileen! Who hasn't wearily danced around to this at the end of a wedding do? Exactly.

Kevin Rowland, decked out in a green suit straight from The Mask wardrobe, leads Dexy Midnight Runners into a glorious rendition of their biggest hit.

Image source, Reuters

Inspired by the production lines and factories of the West Midlands… the Alexander Stadium pays tribute to industrial heritage.

A huge brick chimney soars up from the stage before hundreds of dancers re-enact the building of the city amidst the birth of industrialisation.

Described as the city of '1,001 different trades', the main industries were cars, textiles and electrical equipment.

And it was very much a 'work hard, play hard' motto...

Image source, PA

Monty Moncrieff: The whole Games have been a joy. Most emotional for me was finding we had front-row seats in the stadium as Eilish McColgan won 10,000m gold (and sneaking into the camera shot as she celebrated with her mum near us was an added treat and extra special memory!).

Ellie Simmonds
Multiple gold medal-winning Paralympian swimmer on BBC TV

It's that ripple effect. Sport has the power to change the world and you can see it here in Birmingham. People have just got so excited.

Here we go then!

The show starts with children climbing on rubble and playing street games, including hopscotch.

A stone cold classic.

As is Ocean Colour Scene's Hundred Mile High City. A Britpop classic.

What a riff.

And there is one BIG surprise to come right at the end.

Even many on the ground have not been told who the headline act is going to be.

Top secret.

Image source, Getty Images

What can we expect from tonight's closing ceremony? A bostin' night.

Naturally, it will be a celebration of the Games through the lens of Birmingham and has been put together by creative duo Amber Rimell and Bronski AKA Tawbox.

The pair have become synonymous with monumental musical events including Stormzy’s iconic 2019 headline show at Glastonbury and Dave’s 2020 Brit Awards performance.

In their own words, Tawbox say their aim tonight is "to celebrate the people, culture, and the sound of Birmingham, through the medium of musical performances and choreography".

"The show captures a poignant moment that reflects on Birmingham’s rich and diverse culture that makes this city so unique," they add.

"Pre-set in 1950s post-war Birmingham, the show consists of real stories from real people who together made this city the thriving post-industrial heart of the UK."

Image source, Reuters

The weather has been one of the true stars of these Games - look at that sky, not a cloud in sight.

British Summer Time at its finest.

The atmosphere is cooking in the Alexander Stadium. Feels like those moments just before a band come on stage: excitement and tension building in equal measure, high BPMs pumping you even more.

Almost time...

Gareth Griffiths
BBC Sport Wales

Wales have not been able to match the record-breaking Gold Coast Games of four years ago.

They finished with 28 medals in Birmingham with eight gold, six silvers and 14 bronze, compared to 36 podium positions four years ago, which included 10 golds.

Wales lost the shooting medals contribution after the sport was not included in the 2022 programme with five medals, including two golds, won in Australia in this discipline.

Cycling and boxing were the leading lights this time around with seven and six medals respectively.

Para-athletes have led the way after contributing to half the golds with athletes Aled Sion Davies and Olivia Breen, cyclist James Ball and table tennis player Joshua Stacey all standing on top of the podium.

Breen and boxer Rosie Eccles, part of a record-breaking squad, and rhythmic gymnast Gemma Frizelle have provided some of the most memorable winning moments.

Para-bowler Gordon Llewellyn, 75, became Wales' oldest Commonwealth Games medallist with silver.

There was a 59-year gap with the youngest Wales medallist in Birmingham, as 16-year-old table tennis player Anna Hursey completed the medal haul with a popular bronze alongside Charlotte Carey in the women's doubles.

There were plenty of fourth places and some near misses from established names.

Cyclist Geraint Thomas won bronze in the time trial despite falling off his bike early in his ride, while 1500m freestyle swimmer Dan Jervis could not fulfil his status as gold medal favourite after pulling out of the race because he was suffering the after-effects of Covid-19.

So all in all, it's been a solid Commonwealth Games for Wales. But not spectacular.

Richard Winton
BBC Sport Scotland in Birmingham

Birmingham 2022 been an extraordinary success for Scotland.

The hush-hush expectation was that getting more than 30 medals would be a good showing from a relatively inexperienced team, so to hit the 50 mark is a sensational outcome.

It's more than any Games apart from Glasgow 2014, while the haul of 13 golds breaches every other showing apart from that home event eight years ago.

Swimmer Duncan Scott led the way, his six medals making him Scotland's most decorated Games athlete ever. Pool-mate Ross Murdoch and cyclist Neah Evans claimed four. Neil Fachie, Jack Carlin and Aileen McGlynn grabbed a couple each in the velodrome. As did Laura Muir and Eilish McColgan on the track.

And as the latter bawled her eyes out on the podium as Flower of Scotland played after she matched her maw Liz's 10,000m success, a country sniffed along with her.

That was one of four gold medals in fewer than four hours last Wednesday. Us Scots don't need much encouragement to feel superior, but rarely that attitude been backed by deed in such spectacular style.

Michael Morrow
BBC Sport NI in Birmingham

Birmingham 2022 won’t only go down as Northern Ireland’s most successful Commonwealth Games, but the most important too.

For a long time NI knew what they were good at, and what they weren’t.

These Games delivered unprecedented success in the pool, on the track and on the judo mat. After medallists emerged in previously uncharted waters, the boxers - always the team’s trump card - delivered a goldrush that Northern Ireland has never seen before.

Scintillating Sunday at the NEC will go down as the team’s greatest day. NI’s record gold medal haul at a Games stood at five, on Sunday they won five in as many hours.

As for the standout moments, no-one of a Northern Irish persuasion at Sandwell Aquatics Centre on the first night will forget watching Para-swimmer Barry McClements claim the team’s first-ever Commonwealth medal in the pool.

NI benefitted hugely from the expansion of a Para-sport programme that delivered three medals as the team collected a record 18, surpassing the previous summit of 15.

Likewise the magnificence of the silvers won by Kate O’Connor and Ciara Mageean in some of the Games’ flagship athletics events cannot be understated.

Northern Ireland historically aren’t in podium contention for such events. But they are now.

The hope is that Birmingham 2022 will, in years to come, be reflected upon as the launching pad for NI’s greatest generation of athletes.

Katie Falkingham
BBC Sport in Birmingham

Twenty years since Manchester hosted, the Commonwealth Games returned to England and the nation's athletes duly delivered in Brum.

There are too many highlights to fit in one post, so here are just a few.

Triathlete Alex Yee won the first gold medal of the Games, before Laura Kenny won a stunning scratch race gold on the track where she made her name, just a day after thinking it would be her final race.

There were historic golds in rhythmic gymnastics and squash, for Marfa Ekimova and Gina Kennedy respectively, while England's women won Commonwealth hockey gold for the very first time.

Jake Jarman, England's closing ceremony flagbearer, won four gymnastics golds, and seven-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft won her first Commonwealth title in the T34 100m.

TAG: Medals won per million population: England 3.1, Scotland 9.4, Wales 8.9, Northern Ireland 9.5.

We will have to trust your maths on this Tag, but it is clear every home nation has produced some unbelievable moments of pure joy. We salute you all!

Australia may have topped the medal table at Birmingham 2022, but all in all it has been a cracking Games for the home nations.

This is England's best ever Commonwealth Games in terms of total medals won, as the host nation end on 176.

But it is not their best return in terms of golds, with their 57 in 2022 just one short of the 58 they won at Glasgow 2014.

Scotland finish with a haul of 51 medals - just two short of the record tally achieved at Glasgow 2014, when they finished fourth.

Northern Ireland secured a record medal haul, which has finished on 18, having won a total of 12 at both the 2018 and 2014 Games.

Meanwhile, Wales earned 36 medals at each of the past two Commonwealth Games but finish on 28 this time.

Image source, BBC Sport

• Full medal table here

Image source, Getty Images

One of the successes of Birmingham 2022 was having a fully integrated programme of para sports running alongside the Games.

It was the biggest para sport programme in the history of the Commonwealth Games and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson - the 11-time Paralympic gold medallist - says its inclusion has been "stunning".

"Birmingham not only thought about putting events in the programme but the success has been about the timetabling," she told the BBC News channel.

"For example in 3x3 basketball you were going from one game to the next, educating the audience and it was just great sport.

"Some of the challenges for the Commonwealth Games are around scheduling. It needs to think about having really good representation across all the sports and all the different countries.

"Now there is this level of inclusion it is hard to see that any future hosts could dial back on it."

Ama Agbeze
Former England netball captain on BBC Sport

We have performed so well with this. I am hoping a legacy is that there is going to be more sport for people both young and old in Birmingham. Hopefully we can bid for the World Athletics Championships, Eurovision - anything, we are ready!

Birmingham has told the world what it already knew... that it's a world-class city which can host the best sporting and cultural events.

What's next?

Mike Grice: Amazing to have the Commonwealth Games in my city!

Arvin Alaf: Congratulations Australia. Mortal sporting enemies but such a great sporting country. Well done all. Loved it but the scenes in my home town yesterday topped it for me. Love Warwick.

Carole Meikle: We had a wonderful weekend of athletics and cricket. Ambition achieved.

Image source, Twitter: @cmeikle245

Image source, Getty Images

Boxing gold medallist Rosie Eccles will carry the Wales flag at tonight's closing ceremony at Alexander Stadium.

Eccles, 26, won one of eight gold medals for Wales and is the second Welsh woman to win Commonwealth boxing gold after Lauren Price.

Gymnast Jake Jarman has been chosen as host nation England's flagbearer at tonight's Closing Ceremony.

Jarman, 20, won four gold medals at Birmingham 2022, in the team all-around, individual all-around, floor exercise and vault competitions.

It means that in his first major senior championship, he has become the first Englishman in 24 years to win four gold medals at the same Commonwealth Games.

“It’s an absolutely massive honour to be asked to be the flag bearer for Team England, I can’t believe it," Jarman said.

"These Games have been the greatest experience of my life."