8.50am  That's it, folks. Thanks for joining us. The torch is now on its way to Ilford town centre. From there it will leave the borough and move on towards Dagenham.

8.47am  David Backhouse, a volunteer for Barnardo's, has just taken the torch into Valentines Mansion and Gardens in Ilford. The flame will be transferred into a lantern outside the entrance to the mansion.

8.43am Karen Boxall, from Buckhurst Hill, has just finished carrying the torch down Cranbrook Road. Her daughter Grace, 14, has raised thousands of pounds for Great Ormond Street Hospital since being diagnosed with a brain tumour. She's not well enough to carry the torch today, so her mum has stepped in.

8.40am A great turnout for a Sunday morning here in Redbridge. The flame is now making its way towards Valentines Park. Thousands of people lining Cranbrook Road in Ilford.

Brothers Daniel, 8 and Benjamin Anthony, 10, are here with their parents. Daniel says: "I am looking forward to the Olympics. It is really exciting." 

Benjamin told us: "We won't ever see this again in our lifetimes. We got up at 6.30am to see this. I will be watching the Games and am looking forward to the football."

 

8.30am  The torch has just passed us. Frankie Charles, 48, of St Mary's Road, Wanstead, has just handed it over. Former postman Frankie set up a food bank called Eat or Heat recently. His brother David, 47, told us: "It's a special day. It will go down in our family history and it's only a couple of days until the Olympics. It's overwhelming. He has had cancer and he still managed to do it. A lot of the people who knew about this said they would love to come to share the moment with him."

 

8.22am  Upbeat Choir, who are a community choir who rehearse weekly at Wanstead High School, will be singing at Valentine's Mansion in Ilford when the torch relay passes shortly.

 

8.18am  Forget the Sunday morning lie-in, there's thousands of people here this morning. The flame is very close to us now. 

 

8.10am  There's a real party atmosphere here in Barkingside High Street. People are doing Mexican waves  - the flame has crossed Fairlop lake and is about 10 minutes away from us.

 

8.05am  Denise Powell in Barkingside High Street is one of the lucky ones. "I am going to the basketball and the tennis," she told us. "I am very excited about the flame. I have followed it every day. The route is on my fridge." That's dedication for you.

 

7.55am  The crowds are gathering in Barkingside High Street in anticipation. We've just spoken to Heike Costing, who has lived here for 30 years. She says: "I am raising the flag for Team GB. I have never seen so many people in the High Street."

 

7.35am  It's another beautiful day here in Redbridge. It could even be summer, you know. The weather, and the torch, have brought the crowds out. Plenty of people on the streets of Hainault already as the torch makes its way towards Hainault lake.

 

7.27am  The torch arrived at the Redbridge Cycling Centre just a couple of minutes ago. The venue will be used as a training venue for the Games and was built at a cost of £4.5m.

The first person to carry the torch this morning is Luke Benjafield, an Army corporal.

 

7.15am  Although the torch will not actually pass through Wanstead and Woodford, it will be within touching distance of our patch this morning so there's plenty of chance to catch a glimpse.

It will start its day at the Redbridge Cycling Centre in five minutes' time at 7.19am before moving on to Forest Road, Hainault and towards Fairlop Waters Country Park at 7.43am.

At 7.50am it will board a boat at Fairlop lake and take the trip across the lake to the clubhouse before arriving in Forest Road, Barkingside at 8.09am.

It will then make its way down the High street in Barkingside and arrive in Cranbrook Road at 8.23am.

Emerson Road is the next destination before the torch arrives at Valentines Mansion at 8.44am.

It will then travel around Ilford, leaving the borough shortly after 9.30am.

 

6.45am Good morning and welcome to the Guardian’s blog for Day 65 of the Olympic Torch Relay as it passes through Redbridge.


We’ve had our coffee and are stationed in Barkingside High Street, where people are already preparing for the torch’s arrival, and the Redbridge Cycling Centre in Hainault.

Cafes have opened early to help spectators wake up ready for the torch, which is due to enter the borough in about half an hour, at 7.20am.


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