Olympic fever has now firmly gripped both the UK and the rest of the world and as I write this, Team GB has kicked off its medal tally – hopefully the first of many more to come.

Last week, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Olympic torch make its way through the Borough of Hounslow. There was a real carnival atmosphere with dancers and drummers entertaining all those that were gathered to cheer on the torchbearers.

The Opening Ceremony was a triumph, celebrating all that is truly British, including our sense of wit. How fantastic it was to watch the Queen join in these celebrations with such relish in her comedy cameo role with Daniel Craig.

On a practical note it seems that both Heathrow and the rest of the London transport network is so far coping well with the huge influx of additional visitors – let’s hope this continues throughout the Games. It is certainly testament to the detailed

planning that has been undertaken by the Olympics organisers and Transport for London and we should be thankful for all their efforts.

Perhaps the most heartening element of the Olympics so far for me has been the sight of the many thousands of volunteers welcoming the world to London. People from all ages and all walks of life are proudly wearing their Olympic uniforms and guiding people through the streets of London to their required destinations.

More than that, many ordinary commuters to London are taking time out of their day to stop and help visitors to the Olympics who are looking lost. The spirit of the Olympic community is infectious and is wonderful to behold.

It strikes me that there could be an ongoing role for volunteers to welcome visitors to our fine city – to continue to demonstrate the politeness and caring spirit that is so fundamental to our culture. In the meantime, we will continue to cheer on Team GB (especially our local hero Mo Farah) and hope that the Olympic and Paralympic Games that follows continue to be safe, welcoming and successful.