Bath gave its new and much-prized Olympic champion Amy Williams a wonderful welcome home yesterday.

The modest bob skeleton queen – Britain's only successful Olympian at this year's winter games – has been rightly feted throughout the country but yesterday was a chance for her hometown city to say a special, personal 'thank you' .

And it did so in style.

To have an open-top bus ride through Bath in your honour is a rare event indeed and there must have been times when Amy had to secretly pinch herself as she saw what was going on.

Two or three weeks ago perhaps only a handful of people outside the local area knew of her and her sport – now she has become a national icon.

It must be both a bewildering and yet thrilling rollercoaster ride for Amy.

The Bath Gold medal winner would, of course, be the first to say that she didn't do this all on he own and she would point to family, friends, teammates, teachers and coaches as a key to her success. As with any sporting achievement it is the teamwork behind it that can be the difference between success and failure.

And yesterday's open top bus ride was the same.

It may have seemed like an easy event to arrange – but far from it.

The

Chronicle

and our friends at the BBC got the idea moving and facilitated and organised the event. But we could not have achieved it without the excellent support of the very helpful Bath-based members of the Avon and Somerset Police, Bath and North East Somerset Council's accommodating officers, the Bath Bus Company, the University of Bath and many other people who helped to make the day a success including local schools, St John's Ambulance, Stuart's Security, Atkins, Matchtight and many, many more.

It was the team behind the bus, the people on it and just as importantly all you of watching it which made sure this was a bus journey we can all treasure.

And, of course, one person would have treasured it more than anyone – Amy herself.

This was her day in her city – and you all made it special for her. Great teamwork all round.