100 days to go to London 2012

Showtime!

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 10:51:10 +0100

The medals are polished, the training is done, the performers are ready, and the cauldron is waiting to hold the Olympic Flame.

The Opening Ceremony begins at 9pm BST – hope you will be watching it with us!

This is it, this is GREAT Britain

1 day to go!

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 08:47:01 +0100

With one more day to go, did you know London 2012 will be the 1st public transport games, the 1st games to calculate its complete carbon footprint and the 1st games to leave an international legacy by bringing sport to more than 12 million children in 20 countries.

Find out more UK Olympic firsts.

2 days to go!

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:00:41 +0100

With only 2 days to go, the Olympic Torch is getting tantalisingly close to the Olympic Stadium.

Today it will pass through the London Borough of Brent, home to Wembley Stadium. Did you know that two gold medals will be awarded in Wembley Stadium - to the winners of the Men’s and Women’s Olympic Football competitions.

Find out more about these matches and the others taken place around the UK.

Neymar scores Brazil’s second goal during the international friendly match between Team GB and Brazil.

3 days to go!

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 08:40:13 +0100

In just three days time, London will become the first city to have hosted the modern Olympic Games three times: 1908, 1948 and 2012.

You can see century old photographs from the 1908 games on the BBC 1908 London Olympics Gallery:

Find out more information on GREAT British heritage

4 days to go!

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 08:59:55 +0100

More than four thousand smooth newts, 100 toads and 300 common lizards were found happy new homes off the Olympic Park site before construction started, as part of the Ecology Action Plan.

You can find out more about why being Green is GREAT Britain.

5 days to go!

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 08:56:00 +0100

Champion rower, Sir Steve Redgrave, is the only British Athlete to have won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games. He is one of only six athletes ever to have won gold at five or more different Olympic Games.

Find out more about British sporting greats.

6 days to go!

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 08:48:56 +0100

The UK has more than three hundred higher and further education institutions including six Ancient Universities - that means they were founded between the 12th and 16th century.

These are the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh.

Find out more about why the UK is a GREAT place to study.

7 days to go!

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 08:58:20 +0100

The journey time between central London and the Olympic Park will be just 7 minutes by the Javelin train service from London Kings Cross St Pancras station.

Find out more about travelling to the Games.

by Matt Buck

8 days to go!

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 08:33:29 +0100

As part of its 8000 mile journey, the Olympic Torch sailed through the Falkirk Wheel last month. Did you know that each rotation of the Wheel uses only 1.5kWh of energy - that’s the same amount as it would take to boil 8 household kettles.

Find out more about the Falkirk Wheel and the Olympic Torch’s visit.

9 days to go!

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 08:57:54 +0100

The Olympic Truce originated in the 9th Century BC when warring groups were called to put down their weapons to allow athletes to travel safely to the Ancient Greek Olympic Games. Today, the Truce aims to build a more peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideals.

Find out more about the Truce around the World.

10 days to go!

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 08:56:01 +0100

£10 million has been invested in upgrading pedestrian and cycling routes to Olympic venues, with more than 60 projects promoting greener travel inspired by London 2012.

Find out more on the London 2012 website.

Mark Foster cycling with children and followed by London 2012 Mascots Wenlock and Mandeville on an enhanced cycle scheme in Palatine Road, Hackney. by ODA.

11 days to go!

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 08:45:16 +0100

The UK is well known for its stunning countryside but did you know that 11% of the country is made up of forests? One of the most famous is Sherwood Forest, the home of the medieval legend of Robin Hood.

Find out more about Sherwood.

The Robin Hood Statue
Nottingham Castle, Nottingham

12 days to go!

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 08:59:03 +0100

The UK-wide celebration of culture for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, The London 2012 Festival, will last for 12 weeks. The Festival will feature more than 25,000 leading artists from all 204 competing nations.

Find out more about the 12,000 events and performances taking place across the UK.

13 days to go!

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 08:50:16 +0100

Did you know that it takes just 13 days to set up a business in the UK?

Find out more reasons why the UK is a GREAT place to invest and do business.

14 days to go!

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 08:59:35 +0100

Over 14,000 athletes will take part in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London this summer. Who will you be cheering on?

Find the profile of every competing athlete at Games Time

by JJ Vico Bretones

15 days to go!

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 12:47:17 +0100

The United Kingdom has 15 national parks, including the New Forest in southern England. The Olympic Torch will be continuing its journey near the New Forest today.

Find out more about all of the UK’s National Parks.

The New Forest by Reena Mahtani

16 days to go!

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:22:00 +0100

It is 16 years since the Spice Girls created Girl Power with their UK No1 debut single “Wannabe”.

You can find out more about British artists’ impact on music and culture around the world at the interactive British Music Experience.

17 days to go!

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 15:15:47 +0100

At the age of just 17, British Paralympian swimmer, Eleanor Simmonds, will be taking part in her second Paralympic Games in London this year. Ellie was the youngest British athlete in China in 2008 where she became the youngest ever Briton to win an individual gold medal at the Paralympic Games with two gold medals.

Find out more about Ellie and her Team GB Paralympics teammates.

18 days to go!

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 09:54:19 +0100

The Olympic Torch will travel from Luton to Oxford today. On its journey, it will visit Bletchley Park, the birthplace of the modern computer and historic home of British code breakers.

During World War II, Bletchley’s priority was breaking the Enigma machine, the German communications machine which was invented in 1918.

Find out more about how the code breakers cracked the Enigma by visiting Bletchley Park.

19 days to go!

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 08:47:46 +0100

Did you know that 19 per cent of the world’s top-selling medicines were developed in the UK – in this Britain is second only to the US – and we attract almost 10 per cent of the world’s pharmaceutical R&D funding.

Find out more about why innovation is GREAT Britain.