27/07/2012 BBC News at Six

It has taken over seven years, but in just a few hours, the 2012

Olympics will finally get under way. This is the scene live inside the

Olympic Park as the final touches are being made to the opening

ceremony. So much of our history has led us to this moment, and I do

think that really what I suppose I hope we are able to say to the

world is that when our time came, we did it right. 65,000 people are

arriving for what is promised to be a spectacular evening. It is

absolutely fantastic. Everyone will love it. It is so excited. --

exciting. This morning at 8:12am, bells rang out across the UK in the

countdown to the opening of the Games. The Olympic Torch completed

its 8,000 mile journey around the United Kingdom on the royal barge

up the Thames. VIPs and celebrities around the world are converging on

the capital as all eyes turn to London. Later on the BBC News

Channel we will have all the news Good evening, welcome to BBC News

at six. This is said. In a few hours' time, the 2012 Olympics will

get under way. Up to a billion people are expected to be watching

the opening ceremony, promised to be a spectacular show. This is the

scene in Olympic Park, where the public are pouring in to take their

seats for the ceremony. This morning, the chimes of Big Ben led

the way as thousands of bells rang out across Britain. After 70 days

travelling across the UK, the Olympic flame made its way up the

River Thames, through Hampton Court into Tower Bridge, on its way to

the final destination, the cauldron inside the stadium. We will have

the latest, but first we report on the preparations. The hottest

tickets in town, one of the biggest events in their country's breeze in

history, and they will be there. got to London and everybody is

smiling. Absolutely fantastic. 1,000%, brilliant. Been looking

forward to it for so long. It seems unreal. All over the country,

others joined in, ringing bells at 8:12am, among them, the Culture

Secretary, Jeremy Hunt. When things do not got according to plan,

London will cope. The Red Arrows travelled across the UK. This was

Edinburgh. Some of the first to arrive in the Olympic Park,

performers in the opening ceremony. The games are inspiring a

generation, expect a significant contribution from some of our

We have only been given a little flavour of what is in the opening

ceremony, and are told to expect something with a very British Field.

Looking forward to it. Whatever comes our way, comes our way. It is

light and it is a one-time event. I will never do one again. It is

extraordinary. One man has led the way through the past seven years,

and is best placed to put the importance of tonight in context.

do not want to overstated, we live in a country that has shared some

of the most historic moments with the world. I do think that so much

of her history has led us to this moment, and what I hope we are able

to say to the world is when our time came, we did it right. London

is looking its best. A man described by some as its best

looking is in town, ready to play a role in tonight's ceremony. London

always looks great, but I think the excitement building through the

city is incredible. To have an Olympic Games in London is amazing

but the habit in the park Iraq Rupp, I am very proud to have been a part

of that. -- in the area I grew up in. The next two weeks, venues will

have Olympic moments. Heroes will be created, favourites will be

beaten. It is called the Greatest Show On Earth, it is in London, and

it is about to begin. Our sports editor is inside the Olympic

Stadium. Two hours to go, what can you tell us about what is

happening? We cannot show you the field of play, but you can probably

see just a hint of it. The centre of the stadium has been transformed

into a rolling green rural landscape, which will provide the

starting point for Danny Boyle's Isles of Wonder opening ceremony. A

lot of the details have been released. They have been released

by LOCOG and Danny Boyle. But he is promising there will be plenty of

surprises, including the big one, who will like a cauldron after

midnight. Where will it be in the stadium? How will it be done?

Clearly there is a lot at stake. �27 million has been spent on this.

15,000 workers involved, and a global audience of up to 1 billion

people. It is not just about the tone that it will set for the Games,

it is also about sending a message about the sort of country that

Britain is. We will be coming back to you later. Much of this part of

London has been transformed by the Olympics, and many of the local

people including schoolchildren are starring in the ceremony. Mrs

Stratford station, until now, another stop on the tube. From

tonight, this is where the world is arriving for the Olympic Games. The

community around here finds itself in the spotlight like never before.

An Olympic wake up call for this each year-old girl. It is a day she

will never forget. -- 8-year-old girl. Tonight, she will perform in

front of billions but she is giving nothing away. What will you be

wearing? I am not allowed to tell you. That is the stadium over there.

From her tower-block, she has grown up watching the Olympic Park rock.

Tonight, she will be performing inside. What feelings will you

have? Exciting. I'm going to be really nervous. I feel so proud. My

doctor is involved, she is joining in. I am very proud of being her

mother. Has she told you much about the show? Nothing. This part of

London has been taken over by the Games. We found South Korean

cyclist training on the North Circular. Perfect for them, but

surrounded by extra traffic and security, not everyone is so keen.

How many people from this area will be sitting in the front seats?

There won't be any and that is what is wrong. Fed up with the Olympics.

It hasn't even started. Remember this? London. The London team took

30 local school children with them when they won the Olympics. Among

them was this 15-year-old. I am really proud of it. I am also

really humble. It has changed a massive amount. She cannot believe

how much her neighbourhood has transformed. I was a part of that.

I didn't build that, but I helped place that. It is amazing. It puts

this area are on the map. People know where Stratford is. It is

where the Olympics is going to be. This afternoon, she was back among

the big wigs for the end of the torch relay. The countdown is over,

after the stadium for their big moment. Will she spill the beans?

am not going to tell you. Just one thing? No. Very soon, after months

of rehearsals, the whole riled -- the whole world will know her

secret. I told you the world was arriving, these people have turned

up from Thailand. They are ahead of the crowd, the mothers of the

children will find out what she is doing in the opening ceremony when

they watch it on TV. In a few hours' time, the Olympic Torch will

reach its final destination at the Olympic Stadium for the opening

ceremony. Since it has arrived in Britain, 70 days ago, it has

travelled the length and breadth of land. Our reporter has been with

that every step of the way and he reports on the final day as it was

carried down the river Thames. The twists and turns of this nationwide

journey are virtually complete. The Olympic flame leaving dry land by

Hampton Court's famous maze. It is following the currents that once

carried Henry VIII to his capital. Matthew Pinsent dance his way to

Gloriana, the rowing barge. There was a fiery cauldron in her by her.

Olympians spanning six decades world rowing her. It included 90-

year-old Olympians who were involved in the 1948 games. Behind

her work boards dating back to the 1800s. -- craft dating back.

In all, 90 boats represented the Thames rowing tradition -- the

Thames rowing tradition. It is an honour, a fantastic honour to be

part of it. Carrying the flame, back into London, going to the

stadium, it is fantastic. On the board racecourse, young roars from

clubs across the capital joined-up recession. In Fulham and Putney,

communities lined the road -- line the edge to urge them on. Now the

urban landscape of central London, loftier vantage points on offer.

Under the famous bridges to the famous seat of government. In a way,

the torch was a production with a bake -- with a great cast. Now the

finale, and at chance for the people on the bridges to cleanse

the flame. The down river at Tower Bridge, the River Thames had become

an arena, populated by Londoners and visitors. Being with the crowds

and the people, it is really exciting. Travelled a long way, to

be in London. Below them, the Tory that has -- the story that has that

so many was trying to a close. It is just a curtain raiser for the

main event. Tony Blair was Prime Minister when London secured Ian --

secured the Olympic Games. Seven years later, what are your

thoughts? It is unbelievably exciting, the dream we had seven

years ago has turned into reality, and it is just marvellous to see

what a fantastic opportunity it is for the country to showcase itself

as only Britain can. Tonight's celebration is to be a joyous

celebration, but also say something important about Britain. What do

you think it should be? I think this is really important, because

many countries have put on the Olympics and will put on the

Olympics, but I think tonight people will see that only Britain

can put on the Olympics in quite this way with quite the style, and

I think you will see through that very traditional British reserve,

very real but his passion, and I think we will show how we can raise

the roof as well as raise an eyebrow. -- British passion. There

will be something unique about this occasion, it will combine at the

Olympic spirit with British spirit. I am looking forward to it and

incredibly proud of my country today. This is seven years in the

making, putting the whole thing together and putting it on.

Travelling around London today, you can see this extraordinary

atmosphere, there is an immense sense of national pride, what we

can show the world. When Britain won the Olympics, the legacy was a

large part of the pitch. What will that be? The legacy has to be not

just in bricks-and-mortar, I hope and believe it will be a renewed

emphasis on the importance of sport. Sport is a mainstream part of what

we should do, it is great for her health, education, preventing crime,

teaching young people a sense of part of it -- a sense of

partnership, social responsibility. It has a unique place in people's

affections, and its ability to change things. I hope we make sure

this Olympic Legacy, and I believe we will, it is not just about great

facilities and memories, it continues to change the way we are

More on the Olympics in a moment, but first the other news of the day.

Kiaran Stapleton, the man who murdered Anuj Bidve, has been

jailed for 30 years. He shot the student in the head at point-blank

range on Boxing Day last year. He was convicted of murder at

Manchester Crown Court yesterday. Barclays has made a half-year

profit of more than �4 billion despite the recent turbulent times

for the bank. Last week it received a record fine for trying to

manipulate the lending rate between banks and is now subject to a new

investigation by the Financial Services Authority.

John Terry has been charged by the Football Association of using

abusive abrasive language towards Anton Ferdinand. -- and racist

language. He was found not guilty of using racial abuse following a

police investigation earlier this month.

General Robert Mood has said that it is only a matter of time before

the Government of President Assad balls in Syria. His comments came

after a pro-government newspaper warned that a major battle was

about to start in a Aleppo because Government forces are planning a

counter attack against rebels. Unemployment in Spain is at its

highest level for 30 years. One in four of the working-age population,

at 6 million, according to figures out today. Spain may require a full

bail out of its Government in addition to the financial aid

already given to the banks. A man who joked on Twitter about

blowing up Doncaster airport because of disruption to his travel

plans has had his conviction overturned at the High Court. Paul

Chambers was found guilty of sending a menacing message in

January, 2010. Innocent at last. On the left, the

man whose joke about blowing up an airport cost in two jobs and landed

him a criminal record. We won. He is cleared! How do you feel?

Relieved, vindicated. It is ridiculous that it got this far.

has had the backing of thousands on Twitter and famous faces like the

comedian Al Murray, who said it was about free speech. Paul was just

doing what we all do, which is say something in the heat of the moment

that did not mean anything and was an expression of frustration. The

absurdity of it! In 2010, Paul Chambers was about to fly to

Northern Ireland when he discovered that flights from Doncaster's Robin

Hood Airport had been cancelled due to bad weather. This is what he

tweeted to 600 followers. His lawyers said the swear words and

exclamation points only reinforced the fact that it was a joke.

Prosecutors said it was a menacing message and until today the courts

agreed. After two-and-a-half years and consideration by nine different

judges and magistrates, Paul Chambers is eventually cleared. The

question is, why was he ever prosecuted in the first place? The

answer, say prosecutors, is the law with regard to Twitter was not

clear enough. After today's judgment, it now is.

Our top story tonight: Just hours to go until the opening ceremony

get under way behind me. It has promised to be a spectacular

evening. VIPs from across the world gather

as all eyes turn to London. And later on the BBC News Channel,

we will have all the action and news from the Olympics. And the

The opening ceremony is still a couple of hours away but already

world records have started tumbling. The first went to South Korea's Im

Dong-Hyun, who is partially sighted, when he broke his own individual

record in the men's archery. The home of cricket for the first Test

between bow and arrow. And indeed the first Test of an Olympic sport

in London. The preliminary round of archery, a major attraction for

those that love the sport. And there they were, left outside. Over

the morning, hundreds arrived hoping to watch, but they could not.

This event was widely advertised as unticketed. Don Gibson's family

came from Oregon, USA, thinking that was an invitation. I thought

it was free to the public. Every day for people to come in, get a

feel for it, get a sense of what it is like. It sounded like a generous

gesture. How do you feel to be out here not being able to get in?

sort of words am I allowed to use on the BBC? I am not happy about it.

He was not alone. LOCOG had to explain that tickets were never

offered for Friday's archery and in that case, it meant today was

closed. At least the cameras captured something extraordinary.

South Korea's men set a new standard for accuracy, with Im

Dong-Hyun making the highest individual score ever. But his

eyesight is so bad he can barely see the target. That can actually

play to his advantage. You perhaps do not want to see everything that

is going on. It is distracted. He could have an advantage with his

eyesight. The whole point today was to decide who plays who in the

knockout matches tomorrow. For the main event they will move to the

main venue. This could be a stunning location for Britain's men

to win a medal, but they will have to get past South Korea first.

The Queen has been holding a reception at Buckingham Palace for

heads of state and world leaders ahead of tonight's Olympic opening

ceremony. Only today the US First Lady Michelle Obama arrived to give

a pep talk to Team USA, urging the athlete to have fun but win.

Nicholas Witchell sent this report. Regardless of your status,

regardless of your nationality, this is a special moment as the

United States's First Lady Michelle Obama told the US Olympic team at

their base in East London. Every few years, these Games bring pride,

excitement and wonder to millions of people around the world. That

must mean so much to all of you being part of giving so many people

that much hope. Her diplomatic footwork could not be faulted. She

avoided any implied criticism of the London Olympic arrangements

such as that batted yesterday by the Republican presidential

candidate Mitt Romney. She joined David Beckham to Red Star the

benefits of healthy living in the grounds of her residence. -- to

extol the benefits. And then to Buckingham Palace where it hundreds

of heads of state and other dignitaries had been invited by the

Queen to a special opening night reception. Tonight the Queen will

become the only head of state to have opened the summer Olympics

twice. The last time was in Montreal in 1976, as Queen of

Canada. As leaders of the many nations competing in the Games, you

have come from around the world to witness this global festival of

sport. I hope that you will enjoy your time in the United Kingdom,

and I am sure that you will find a warm reception awaiting you, your

athletes, and the visiting spectators. Later this evening, the

Queen will enter into the spirit of the occasion when she travels to

the Olympic Stadium to declare the Games Open. And night of surprises

beckons. When they get here tonight, the

leaders and other dignitaries will be part of a 65,000 strong crowd

and some are starting to arrive right now. Sophie Raworth is down

at the Olympic Park with some of them.

Hello. I am right in the thick of it. The gates opened at 5 o'clock

this afternoon and that is when the public began pouring in for the

first time. 65,000 people will pack the stadium behind me. Not 80,000,

that is the capacity because some of the seats are being taken out to

accommodate scenery. We are not quite sure what will be happening.

I am joined by lots of excited people. It is your birthday, isn't

it? Other than that what are you looking forward to? It is going to

be brilliant. It will be fun. The whole evening. You have certainly

dressed for the part. Thank you. Now, you are like most of us here.

You know what will happen because you are in it. Yes. I am going to

be drumming and fingers crossed marshalling the athletes along the

parade. You will all find out in less than three hours. It is

amazing how few details have late because they have made a big thing

about saving the surprise. -- have leaked out. Yes, what can I say,

they have to do that because it is a massive event. Are we in for a

bigger treat than Beijing? Yes, definitely bigger than that.

his family have travelled all the way from Cambridgeshire. What an

evening. You are only seven. What do you make of it? What are you

most looking forward to? Seeing the athletes go around the stadium.

think that will be a very special moment. And your auntie is in it as

well. You do not know what she is doing. Masseur of excitement and

enthusiasm here. -- massive excitement.

Thank you. Now the weather. Is it There is no sunshine at the moment

for the thousands at the stadium but the showers have stayed away.

We need to keep a close eye on the threatening skies behind me over

the next few hours because I cannot rule out showers developing in the

London area. There is a very low chance of a shower. It is more

likely that it will stay dry for the ceremony but I cannot

completely rule out the shower developing. Those that pop up over

the next few hours in South West England could take some time to

clear away. And overnight, they will merge to give spells of rain

in Scotland and Northern Ireland. As where it is dry and clear. Humid

in the South East overnight, but it is fresher elsewhere and easier for

sleeping. That takes us into the start of the weekend. Most of us

will be fine but showers in Scotland from the word go, and some

of them will be heavy and thundery. Some showers in North West and

South West England, but elsewhere, they are few and far between. Link

the dry and bright spells, but temperatures have come down. --

mostly dry. The cyclists will appreciate that for the men's road

race. They will also appreciate the lower humidity. On Sunday, we are

all in the same boat. A mixture of cloud, brightness, and scattered

showers. It is cool and fresh and the winds was stronger, which could

impact the sailing at Weymouth. Where it has been hot, it is cooler,

where it has been dry, showers will develop. And if you are a first-

time visitor to the Games, forget the weather that you have had this

week. We do not normally get that. You are about to experience some

authentic British weather. It was nice while it lasted!

With less than two hours to go until the opening ceremony, just

time for word with David Bond, our sports correspondent. It has been

seven years to get to this point and quite a journey. All day you

could sense the atmosphere building across the country, across London,

and in the Olympic Park and now in the Olympic Stadium where I can see

a lot of people taking their seats for the start of the ceremony. Yes,

there have been problems along the way, of course. We all know what

they are, ticketing, transport and security. But you can just feel the

scepticism and the doubt falling away, and this sense of national

celebration. It is worth just reflecting that there are plenty of

challenges to come. We are only at the start line. How will the

organisation hold up over the next 16 days? Canteen she beat deliver

on that 4th place medal target, perhaps going better than Beijing?

-- can Team GB deliver? And picking up on the interview with Tony Blair,

will there be a lasting and significant sporting legacy from

the Games? That was one �9 billion was supposed to deliver. Perhaps

those are questions for tomorrow and the future but tonight it is

time for the party. Thank you. There lies tonight: The opening