Thousands of supporters gave a true heroes welcome to Britain's Olympic and Paralympic stars in a victory parade along the streets of London
Cyclist Chris Hoy and Paralympic Equestrian rider Lee Pearson, triple gold medalists, were among 350 athletes who took part in the parade, filling 12 floats.
Double Paralympic Swimming champion Ellie Simmonds, 13, and 14-year-old Diver Tom Daley had the day off school for the big occasion.
Trafalgar Square filled with fans enjoying the sunshine and the chance to see their heroes from the summer.
Team GB finished fourth in the medal table with a haul of 47 medals at the Beijing Olympics. They won 19 golds which makes it the best performance since 1908. ParalympicsGB won 102 medals, including 42 gold and finished second in the medals table behind China.
London 2012 Organizing Committee Chair Sebastian Coe said: 'The British success in China was exactly what the nation needed. The success of the team and the reaction of the British public this summer will be multiplied many times over in 2012 - I know the country will be transfixed by the London Games and I’m sure that the athletes involved today will be firmly focused on the task ahead and the road to 2012.
'Equally, those who didn’t quite make it to the Games this summer will be re-doubling their efforts to reach the pinnacle of their sport – appearing at an Olympic Games or Paralympic Games in their home country in four years time.'
The first steel has been erected on the Olympic Stadium reaching 35 metres above the ground and creating a visible landmark for miles around the Olympic Park.
Steel terracing supports, weighing 35 tonnes each, are being lifted into place above the podium level to hold the 55,000 seats in the upper tiers. Work has begun this week on the south stand and over the next nine months 112 of these rakers will be erected around the Stadium podium.
A factory in Bolton has fabricated these 40 metre long steel rakers and they are being delivered too site in sections, to be bolted together and lifted into place by a 200 tonne crawler crane.
ODA Chair John Armitt said that people would then start see the skeleton of the Olympic stadium from miles around, giving a real indication of the sheer size of that flagship venue.
'We are not complacent about the challenges we will face in this complex project over the coming months and years, but we have made a strong start thanks to the hard work of the team on the ground' said Armitt as well.
Work started last month on the 200 concrete rakers and 12,000 pre-cast terracing units for the lower bowl which holds the 25,000 permanent seats within the Stadium.
The podium slab around the west and south stands will join up the raised ground level on the north and east stand, creating a concourse around the entire Stadium where spectators will circulate, towards the end of this year.
Paralympics Summer Sports: