12.35 - Londoners going to work with a view of the Thames would have received a pleasant surprise today, as the Olympic torch sailed down the river on the final leg of its journey to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, East London. The torch started in Hampton Court Place and made its way down by boat to City Hall, situated next to Tower Bridge. 

The torch will reach its final destination in time for the opening ceremony which begins at about 9pm local time and it is hoped that the weather will pick up for the ceremony, as the skies have looked a little grey around the English capital.

The Olympics is proving a massive logistical challenge for the planners in such a congested city, but initial reports of the opening day indicate that traffic is not as bad as feared as seen by this Twitter user. Locals have been warned stay clear of the city centre where possible as long queues are expected on London's busiest transport links.

1.47 - Yesterday controversy as US Presidential hopeful claimed that early signs of the planning of the Games were "disconcerting." The British press were unsurprisingly very unhappy with his comments and Twitter was abuzz with the hash-tag #RomneyShambles after a series of gaffes plagued his trip to London, and will not have helped his election chances at the end of the year.

17.05 - As preparations get under way for the opening ceremony in the Olympic Staduim, elsewhere there is a concert taking place in Hyde Park, with acts from around the UK performing to thousands of spectators lucky enough to get tickets to the event. 

Acts will include Paolo Nutini, Duran Duran, Stereophonics and Northern Irish headliners Snow Patrol. Each act have been specially selected to represent each of the nations making up the United Kingdom. 

20.04 - The opening ceremony is now set to start in less than an hour, beginning at 9pm GMT. The massive £27 million production has been created by Scottish film director Danny Boyle. Boyle has said that the ceremony will combine elements of Britain's past and present in a theme that he describes as "pastoral." 

Unfortunately the weather has not improved to display blue skies that many had hoped for, but so far no rain here in London and the scene is still set for a fantastic show here tonight.

Saturday 28th - Reaction around the world to last night's show was for the most part very positive with many celebrating the very British flavour of the show. It was always going to be difficult to follow up on Beijing's astonishing display in 2008, but for what it lacked in the grandeur of that particular opening ceremony, it more than made up for in wit, creativity and charm. The creative director of the night, Scottish film director Danny Boyle, went for a pastiche of Britain's cultural heritage and history which was executed fantastically, but the real celebration of the night was not its grand past, but rather its people and diversity.