In this momentous Olympic year, nothing on the calendar holds quite as much excitement as the opening ceremony of London 2012. The past seven years have been defined by gruelling preparations: athletes being trained up to gold-medal standard, monumental buildings being built where bogs used to sit and lives being changed all over the country, as we all try to make our mark and "inspire a generation". Now, with the opening ceremony of the London Olympics only hours away, us Octopedes can hold our giddy heads high and swell with pride as passers-by marvel at our Olympi-fied office.

From floor to ceiling the space has been transformed from office to the international and multicultural epicentre of East Berkshire. Flags from every corner of the world wave in the breeze of desktop fans and mascots sit atop walls like ambassadors leading us all to a brighter future. I am not going to sit here and say it happened overnight - even though it did - because that would not do justice to the vast amounts of blood, sweat, and in some special cases, tears, that made it all possible. Like the athletes going head to head on the track, the different teams in the office had one thing on the mind - glory.

Some outstanding performances came from across the board. Team Sladey got a huge reception for their giant Olympic torch mosaic on the wall, a symbol of our blazing spirits. Operations brought a slice of South Asia to Windsor with an Indian-themed boudoir. A truly stunning scale model of Wimbledon's Centre Court was showcased by Professional Services, complete with models of Greg "Murray" Smith and Rebecca "Williams" Taylor battling it out across the court. The absolute pinnacle of office-based decor was achieved when the five giant Olympic rings were placed atop of the room, crowning the office in glory, surpassing London's Tower Bridge in every way.

A plethora of decorations showed an unrivalled commitment to the multinationalism felt by all, and the task of personal decoration was met with equal passion.

The Aussies donned cork hats, the Indians were adorned with saris and bindis, and the Mexicans grew impressive moustaches and stayed out of the sun with sombreros. Never was there a finer display of team camaraderie and national pride, mixed with a healthy dose of insatiable competitiveness to achieve. After all was said and done, our office athletes needed refreshment, and it was only fitting that the tables were filled with food and drinks from all over the world. Now, we are off to watch Danny Boyle's masterpiece with a beer in hand. All that is left to say is "Come on Team GB!"

Joe @Joemjohnston